The cultural thread.

[DaShi]

I only care about insulting foreigners if it's funny.

[muxec]

I only care about insulting foreigners if it's funny.

I started this thread after your responce in hieroglyph thread.

There's a choice we're making...
We're saving Iraqi lives...
You know it makes a brighter day...
Just me and my M-16...

It is supposed to be a stupid joke. Do not care.

[vovan]

Originally posted by muxec
The curent situation in Russia and Russian culture is formed by strict censorship and destroing culture and everybody who try to write something against the govt. Tragic lives of Mandelshtam and Ahmatova, expeled Solzhenitxin are the examples of cultural politics of soviet regime. Now thr Russian culture started to grow again, but very slowly. Somebody say, that it's because hungry people do not want any culture, others say that it's because the base of Russian culture was destroed by soviet regime. I think, that the major cause is hard economic conditions.

But the Soviet culture has positive side. Sovient Cheburashka is one of the best cartoons worldwide, imo. Kir Bulychov is one of the best science fiction writers.

Let me disagree with you on some points, muxec.

First and foremost, I don't agree with you in the premise of equating current Russian culture, and Soviet culture. Yes, Solzhenitsin and Ahmatova are great examples of the ingorance and utter blindness of the soviet russian censorship. (Willfull blindness that is.) But it is not the case currently! True, with Putin coming to power, many of the censorship tendencies have returned - what with the outright oppression of NTV and TV6? Yet, if you remember, Solzhenitsin visited russia a number of times, and in general, the press is much more free.

Thus, IMO, Russian culture has changed a great deal since the disintegration of the CCCP (pardon me for using the russian abbreviation - that is, the USSR).

Now if we look at the culture of Russia in a much more broad scale. When I first came to America, I was very surprised at how similar our cultures actually are. (Granted, I am from Moscow, so I haven't experienced the less fortunate parts of the country.) And here is what I attribute this to: the two countries have many things in common. The US nowadays is a center of immigration, with a very diverse population. It is the place, where the ideas, ideals, and points of view of different peoples of the world merge together to create a sort of unique blend of cultures.

Russia was very similar in that sense historically. Being on the border of Europe and Asia, it has essentially been a sort of tug-of-war between the two very distinct cultures and Russia has swayed one way or the other during the course of history. Consider the eastern influence on Russia during its submission to the Golden Horde (I am not sure that's the proper english term, but what I mean is the Çîëîòàÿ Îðäà). Or, on the contrary, the western influence during the reign of Peter I. It is thus, that during the course of history, Russia has also become a sort of blend of cultures and influences.

[Arrian]

Golden Horde is correct, assuming you're referring to the Mongols.

Interesting perspective, by the way.

-Arrian

[DaShi]

Originally posted by muxec

I started this thread after your responce in hieroglyph thread.

Oooh, which one?

[muxec]

vovansim , you are 100% right.

DaShi, this one about Chinese, who hate foreighners because do not understand their language.

[DaShi]

I didn't say that. ranskaldan did, jokingly.

Although that does remind me of a joke that my Chinese students told me during a class:

"A foreigner fell off a boat and yelled, 'Help! Help!' But no one would help him, why? Because he was a foreigner and no one understood him." Strange that I got several invitations to go boating over the next few days.

[muxec]

OK. LOL. We also have some jokes about foreighners.

[Arrian]

Everyone does. Humanity has pretty strong tribal tendencies.

-Arrian

[muxec]

2Arrian: But we are here to make these tendencies more peaceful.