06-16-2020, 03:04 AM
(This post was last modified: 06-16-2020, 03:07 AM by Blazkovitz.)
(06-15-2020, 05:01 AM)Bob Butler 54 Wrote:(06-15-2020, 03:20 AM)Blazkovitz Wrote: Overall I always considered Russians a part of Western civilization, and this is how the Middle East views them too. But when it comes to politics, Russians are more resistant to democracy than Indonesia with its exotic heritage. Is this because of Stalin's purges, which unwittingly eliminated all people with genetic traits conducive to supporting democracy?
I always considered the invasions more important. They got ate by the mongols, then beat back three attempts from Europe. The Mongols taught them how to rule as conquered. The rulers exploit the people. The failures from Europe meant they never leaned the Enlightenment values. They are still stuck on autocracy.
In many ways they are more European than Asian, culturally, if you just add vodka. The twin curses of the leadership exploiting the people and lacking the Enlightenment virtues leaves them well behind Europe, far enough that they are commonly separated from it.
It's an ongoing debate in Russia as well:
https://www.rbth.com/lifestyle/331166-ru...-of-europe
I agree with the author that Russia is culturally closer to Germany or France than to India, Saudi Arabia or Japan. Politically it's a uniue bizarre thing, a sort of Roman Empire. It's telling that Americans still regard Russia as the un-America (Democrats hate it for this reason, and Trumpkins love it for the same reason). I never heard India, Saudi Arabia or Japan defined as the opposite of America, OK maybe Saudi Arabia by neocons during the War on Terror.
As for the Enlightenment, I don't really like it. It gave the world radical individualism and naive faith in humanity which are present in both Wokism (Inclusivism) and Libertarianism.
