For those of you thinking Americans just stopped talking about politics after the election or even better – that they stopped thinking, here’s a quote from my current LJ’read:
“Basically we are seeing the end results of the USSR’s many billions of dollars spent on destroying us by their infiltration of colleges and media. The Soviets just didn’t last long enough to see it bear fruit, but it has. We’re circling the drain and there isn’t anything short of a MAJOR war that is going to save us, if then. And every Democrat in office is doing everything they can to speed it along. They really hate this country.”
I hate to say that but I suspect not only the USSR of old is to blame. There is a measure of involvement by the recent immigrants from post-Soviet territories -just look at “rusam” community @LJ. Disgusting. I used to be offended when people who didn’t know me personally assumed on hearing my accent that I am a commie and behaved accordingly. Now I at least know why – after observing so many newly-planted expats, who paradoxically ran from the country of failed socialism but advocate version-2 here.
Shame, shame and horror.
I know better. You’ve been there, and done that, and the collective “we” could sure stand to listen to what you have to say about living under Communism.
Oh, I am not ashamed of myself and of other “straight” refugees. It is the recent wave of immigration, of about 5 to 10 yrs in, that put my cheeks to red.
The divide is within communities and groups, and families (that’s the worst, but that’s how it is). “New” wave hate us for the same reasons the libs hate conservatives, and they express it in just about same manner, calling us crude, loud, opinionated, stupid and intolerant. Same old, same old.
Yes, it seems to be something that a vast majority of the older immigrants see and react the same way to. When I came to this country, I left a place that didn’t want me and that I wanted no part of. I came here to become an American. Recent Russian immigrants are to some extent migrant workers. Most came here for work and their heart remains in socialist Europe. They talk of American stupidity and their own superiority.
Agree with everything but [adjective?] “older”. Earlier – yes, but “older”? Не дождётесь(c)
Yes. I meant earlier immigrants.
Funny, I would assume that Russian immigrants to the US would be more likely to be anti-Communist, having lived under that regime. (At least, the people born pre-1989).
I admit I object to another form of stereotyping outlined here: the ALL COLLEGE PROFESSORS ARE LEFTIST PARASITES WHO ARE POISONING OUR CHILDREN’S BRAINS argument. And yes, I’ve heard that in ALL CAPS from some people.
Um, some of us? Are just trying to prepare people to go into med school or to be soil scientists or something. You know, go out and have a career and hopefully have a good life? (I count it a win if students walk out of my class not knowing who I voted for in the most recent election)
One would think that, right? It’s a logical thing.
Unfortunately, socialism, or rather life under statist policies poisons mental outlook. A person gets used to rely on government bodies for everything – and if things are not going well, (s)he always has someone to blame. Favorite expression becomes “they” – “the toilet leaks? They should find and send a plumber!” “there are lines in the walk-in clinic? they should have sent more doctors here”.
So when an immigrant comes here this general inclination to resign from responsibility heightens, because (s)he feels disconnected from reality around. Nothing is familiar and stays this way for many years, even when one learns ready-made idioms and expected reactions (like saying “I’m fine to a stock question “how are you?”). You don’t really understand what’s going on, you can’t change anything, at the end you as an entity are not important. Some people, who emigrated exactly because they hated this set of circumstances and outlook – they fight, they take charge, they become actively involved in their life, they gain self respect and expect the same.Others, who came here, like Vinny said, as migrant workers, felt no need to change ideology or mental focus, they continue to demand the state to take care of their needs- and by same token, have no scruples to cheat that state every way they can find. Because state is not a person, it has no face, and stealing money from state is not theft, you see…
Oh, I can go on and on.
No, not all college professors are there to manipulate young minds into good little lefties – but you gotta admit, there are plenty of those in academia. Maybe in life sciences less than in humanities, but generally, it’s true – universities are predominantly leftist. And there is a solid reason under it: the way compensation works in education is much closer to planned economy, like in socialism, than in the world outside – with predictable result. People, again, get used to get their livelihood from grants. Much less honest capitalist competition, much more “smart” cheating the benefactors – and conveniently the state is always there to blame when money flow dries down.