Do the Russians hate us? Split off fm Caucasus In Crisis - Georgia and Russia

[stegner]

The Russians that I met here in Lahr fall into 2 categories,very arrogant,
and those that feel that they are somehow owed something by us in
the West,they both share a strong anti Americanism and contempt for
for the German society and its laws.

Well if the Germans had killed 25 million of your countrymen during the Second World War alone-you might view German society with contempt also.

 

[Blackadder1916]

Well if the Germans had killed 25 million of your countrymen during the Second World War alone-you might view German society with contempt also.

The "Russians" to whom time expired was referring may likely be from among the many "ethnic German" refugees from Soviet controlled territory that were moved to the Lahr area with the collapse of the Soviet Union.  Former Canadian married quarters were quickly filled with them and they did little to either endear themselves to the local population or make much effort to assimilate into the community.  It has been several years since I been through Lahr but speaking to friends in the area, the situation hasn't changed much.

 

[George Wallace]

Well if the Germans had killed 25 million of your countrymen during the Second World War alone-you might view German society with contempt also.

Friggin hilarious.  These people are not what you just insinuated they are.  They are ethnic Germans, who when the wall came down, had to prove their heritage as being German.  Millions of former Soviet Bloc peoples took advantage of the 'West' German Government's decision to allow ethnic Germans return home.  In that mix, came a large number of Russian Mafia and people conditioned by the Soviet Regime to expect the Government to give them everything.  Welfare recipients all.

So stegner, get your facts straight.

 

[stegner]

Friggin hilarious.  These people are not what you just insinuated they are.  They are ethnic Germans, who when the wall came down, had to prove their heritage as being German.  Millions of former Soviet Bloc peoples took advantage of the 'West' German Government's decision to allow ethnic Germans return home.  In that mix, came a large number of Russian Mafia and people conditioned by the Soviet Regime to expect the Government to give them everything.  Welfare recipients all.

So stegner, get your facts straight.

Well perhaps Time expired should have clarified what these folks actually are.  I am not a mind reader.  He just mentioned Russians.  Not Russians that are actually ethnic Germans. 

 

[George Wallace]

The "Russians" to whom time expired was referring may likely be from among the many "ethnic German" refugees from Soviet controlled territory that were moved to the Lahr area with the collapse of the Soviet Union.  Former Canadian married quarters were quickly filled with them and they did little to either endear themselves to the local population or make much effort to assimilate into the community.  It has been several years since I been through Lahr but speaking to friends in the area, the situation hasn't changed much.

Exactly!

Well, it has changed quite a bit.  German laws have changed quite a bit in the last decade, and many 'Gaste' Workers are now proud owners of shops, businesses and restaurants.  There are many traffic circles where there were once traffic lights.  The Kasserne is a Ghost Town.  The Airfield is an Industrial Park and International Airport (flights to England).  The Snr NCO's Qtrs seem to be abandoned.

.........And the crime rate is no longer at 500%.

 

[stegner]

.........And the crime rate is no longer at 500%.

Yikes!

 

[George Wallace]

Yikes!

Yes.  When the Canadians left, and the 'Russian' Germans moved in, the Crime Rate in that whole Region rose 500%.  A real shock to the Region. 

The new tenants of the former Canadian residences were, in many cases, leaches on the Social System.  I figure it will take two or three generations before the work ethics of the West are 'bred' into the 'newcomers'.  I wouldn't go so far as to say that they are "Anti-West"; just that they expect everything to be given to them, without any effort on their part.  Perhaps an attitude developed as citizens of a Soviet Regime.

 

[Blackadder1916]

Exactly!

Well, it has changed quite a bit.  German laws have changed quite a bit in the last decade, and many 'Gaste' Workers are now proud owners of shops, businesses and restaurants. . . .

Perhaps, instead of having written "speaking to friends in the area, the situation hasn't changed much", I should have said, there are still strong feelings (in some quarters) that if locals had the choice between "ethnic Germans" and Canadians, the "Der K" would still be publishing.  There are probably still some ill-feelings between the locals and the "Russians".

 

[Kat Stevens]

But at least the Thursday morning greenies at the main gate got excatly what they wanted, congratulations.

 

[TangoTwoBravo]

I have been going through a book called Chechnya - Russia's War on Terror by John Russell and I have come across some interesting concepts regarding Russian nationalism.  The following three themes seemed relevant to the thread:

a. Derzhavnost - This is the idea that Russia is a great power and must remain so. 

b.  Gosudarstvennost - The idea that Russia can only be held together as a great power through a strong centralized government

c.  Siloviki - the leaders of Russian law and order ministries.  These folks are estimated to comprise 58% of the current top Russian leadership, as opposed to 25% under Gorbachev.  I have read in other books that under the Soviet regime the KGB and other security folks were balanced out by the Communist Party and the Army but this appears to have changed.

The author notes that the first two concepts are linked with the feeling that Russia's borders must be maintained and that republics that broke away should be reclaimed if possible. 

The author was writing with regards to Chechnya, but I think that his observations are somewhat relevent to the issue at hand.