So I was looking through my “Incoming Links” today and came across this comment about yours truly:
typical us-living russia-lover/us-hater. expect him to be hired by russia today tv channel.
thing is – i can understand if people hold these views in russia – they are brainwashed. but someone living in the west espousing them makes me think he’s a scumbag or has brain issues. People who I personally know who held similar views had problems adjusting to life in the US, so associated Russia to be great by comparison.
This is hardly the first time I’ve had the anti-America rug thrown at me, so hey, let’s do this democracy thing to settle this. [AK edit: All polls were lost in the transition to the new site]
My opinion? From my perspective, the main things that some could qualify as being “anti-American” on this blog is a certain pessimism on its future economic, and by extension geopolitical, prospects (not helped by 10%-of-GDP deficits), and pointing out that things such as that the State Department’s simultaneous crusade against Wikileaks and propagandization of Internet freedom abroad is rather schizophreniac (to put it mildly). On the other hand, it’s frequently and freely acknowledged that the US is still the world’s predominant superpower, and probably the best place on Earth for the upper-middle and higher classes.
I’m also skeptical that I’d qualify as a “Russia-lover” (in the propagandist sense of the term our anti-S/O commentator means). I’ve posted plenty of links to corruption scandals and injustices and the like on the Twitter and Facebook extensions of this blog; the blog itself has had an entire post specifically dedicated to criticizing some of Putin’s policies. I suspect that his real issue with this blog is that it doesn’t follow the Western media’s “Have you stopped beating your wife?” approach to reporting on Russia – or the propaganda model by which it operates in general – that he himself has been seemingly brainwashed with.
Incidentally, I too can apply pop psychoanalysis to that commentator – psychological insecurity leading to projection; the yearning to justify his own emigration by casting Russia and its defenders as demonic Others; perhaps even a Ukrainian inferiority complex – and for pages on pages if needed, but I really can’t be bothered.
I wouldn’t worry too much about the idiot emigre who makes such comments. True, there are a lot of such people out there, but they are still idiots.
From my understanding of your biography, you were brought to U.S. as child, it was your parents’ choice, not yours. I am guessing you kept objective mind as you grew up; also guessing that your parents are exceptionally bright and probably raised you to be broad-minded.
What I am curious about is, as a child did you encounter a lot of propaganda in American schools, like having to say Pledge of Allegiance, pro-American slant in history books, etc., and were you precocious enough to be able to see through most of this silliness?
If it is some emigre from the former communist bloc then I know this type. Mentally deficient goose stepping “defenders of the west”. They embody all that they claim to oppose. They spout lip service to freedom of thought and opinion, but you dare criticize the precious west, which they have idolized and sanctified in their minds, then you are a blasphemer who needs to be burned at the stake. This type truly sickens me, they embody the darkness of humanity.
First of all, the Pledge of Allegiance is not propaganda. This is a fact. So a lot of Europeans and Asians do not have an equivalent. It is not a big deal. Europeans and Asians show allegiance in their countries in their own unique ways. Two, the pro-American slant in history books is towards European heritage and no objectivity towards the Native Americans. You are right, there is bias in American history books but if it were truly accurate then it would portray the Europeans as they really were – invaders/conquerors. Real patriotic Americans do criticize their government, religion, culture, war in Iraq, etc. If they see something wrong then they will not hesitate to voice it to the public. It sickens me to know that people outside the USA and Americans as well do not see this.
These “the west is always” right drones can’t stand a differing opinion. They have been trained from birth by the western media and culture to believe that they are the freest and most righteous people on the planet. So when somebody comes along and gives them some opposing facts they experience cognitive dissonance. It’s basically a deep insecurity about their whole bubble reality being challenged.
This clown that attacked your character does not even bother with facts, just foams at the mouth. Such meatheads overpopulate the planet and are the prime reason for *all* of its problems.
Moderately anti-American, but such a viewpoint has its place. Mindless belief in any one thing (including one’s country) is religion masquerading as a legitimate political position.
This blog is critical of specific aspects of the USA without seeking to trash the country as a whole. That’s the way it should be if one wishes to be perceived as an analyst with any claims to objectivity.
There are aspects of the Karlinist Weltanschauung on display here (such as Sino-triumphalism and Arctophilia) that raise my skepticism, but it would never occur to me to label the whole blog as “anti-American” or anti any particular country.
I’m not that huge on China’s long-term prospects (I’ve frequently mentioned its problems with coal dependence and impacts of global warming). I plead guilty to Arctophilia. The only way it can fail to not grow rapidly that I can see is if some country manages to geoengineer the Earth to a cooler state – and hence short wire the opening of the Arctic. Anyway, the comment is appreciated – I essentially agree with it.
“I’m not that huge on China’s long-term prospects.”
AK,
Good thing my pro-China associate (his ancestral land along with mine) is not familiar with this site of yours. He’d probably be foaming right about now (I’m surprised that sinotibetan hasn’t).
Is this blog anti-American? What a waste of time trying to answer that even.
I tend to empathize with American hoi polloi, but this exceptionalism ideal that puts them above all others (as well as outside the verdict of History) tends to make some of them superbly delusional, much like the way the same associate of talks of everything Chinese with utter overweening pride to the point of seriously irking yours truly.
Let’s see him move to that place & perhaps he’ll realize how difficult it is to even peruse foreign websites (like this one for example?)
Then again he might feel perfectly at home since his view of things tend to be almost 99% purely from the view of a Sino-“fascist”.
Dear Anatoly,
I think you try to be as objective as you can be. None of us can be freed from some bias depending on our background and understanding of data, that’s no fault of any of us, but our humanity. I believe, in trying to be objective , then one will have to criticize certain aspects of American policies – unfortunately, emotionally unstable people who worship the USA cannot accept even when those criticisms are legitimate.
You are certainly more left-leaning and I am a conservative(social conservative, at least) and though we might not agree on so many things, I at least do agree with many of your views regarding the USA, the ‘West’, Russia, China etc. I’d encourage you to carry on expressing what you believe and I wish your blog success! Don’t be perturbed by clowns who criticize you when you rightfully point the errors of their idol(s). All the best!
sinotibetan
Real patriotic Americans are not unstable people and do not worship the USA. They can accept legitimate criticisms. As mentioned before, they do criticize their government, religion, culture, war in Iraq, etc.
Somebody tell me when anti-Americanism became a bad thing, because I obviously never got that memo. Seriously by the definition of American jingoists anyone who is not Merle Haggard or a fellow traveler is anti-American. If we accept that then all decent people actually are anti-Americans.
Well, I will tell you. Anti-Americanism is a bad thing because you Europeans and Asians are not criticizing the USA based on hard facts. You have to do extensive research on the USA to really criticize it. You do not have the time then do not criticize. Real patriotic Americans are not jingoists. The majority of real patriotic Americans are also decent people. You are accusing a nation as being an evil country when it is not. So yes, anti-Americanism is a bad thing.
I read your site for your commentary on Russia. It is very informative. The American press is often reflexively anti-Russian. But I don’t find your analysis of my country, the USA, to be of much interest or use. That does not make you anti-American. Fair enough?
“Good thing my pro-China associate (his ancestral land along with mine) is not familiar with this site of yours. He’d probably be foaming right about now (I’m surprised that sinotibetan hasn’t). ”
Hmmm…..I am not ‘pro-China’ in EVERY aspect and so, I am not ‘foaming’ like your pro-China associate. There are some things that I do not agree with the present regime in China. Anyway, I don’t see anything wrong in critical views of China(or Russia or the USA etc.) especially when these are true. Hope that reduces your sense of surprise on my ‘lack of response’ to ‘critical’ comments on China?
sinotibetan
If you had asked me on my own what I thought of your stance, as reflected in your writings, I would have said you were pro-American, really. Once you get beyond the rhetoric of decline, which at this point has more than a valid place in the consideration of the States, you see someone who is actually quite positive about the place: just without going out of his way to make that point.
The only things I ever hear you speak about in an overtly negative fashion would be American policy, and American media, and anyone who thinks assessing politics and assessing people are the same thing should avoid reading a blog like yours.
From what is available to my understanding of the flipside, I would concur with others who point out that you’re frequently more negative about Russian media and policy than you are about American.