Alaska was Once Russian but Rus was Once Kievan, Russians Reflect

Paul Goble

            Staunton, July 7 – Now that Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin has said that Alaska should be returned to Moscow because it was once Russian and signs declaring that it is still “ours” have gone up in Krasnoyarsk, some Russians are reflecting, perhaps bitterly but perhaps not, that if that principle were to be adopted, Rus could again be Kievan.  

            This is just one of the anecdotes in the latest collection assembled by Tatyana Pushkaryova (publizist.ru/blogs/107374/43345/-) which provide key insights into how Russians are coping with what their Moscow leaders are saying and doing. Among the best of the rest are the following:

 ·       Russian leaders are confident they can steal other countries because they have already stolen Russia.

 ·       If the Russian ruble is really as strong as Moscow says it is, where are the long lines in the West of people wanting to buy this miracle currency?

 ·       The Duma has banned protests everywhere except perhaps in the kitchen, but the Putin regime’s thought police are on their way there too.

 ·       In Soviet times, Russians knew to read only the parts of an article beginning with the word “however.” Now, they have learned to ignore all articles claiming that people in other countries are protesting the policies of their governments. Such articles are just as deceptive because they usually are based on one or two people and not the overwhelming majority of the people.

 ·       In a single generation, a car in Russia went from being a luxury to being a necessity to being a luxury again.

 ·       Russians are gloating about the departure of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson even though he won’t actually leave office until the fall. Obviously, the British are too primitive to understand that with his departure, Britain won’t exist.

 ·       The organs are getting greedy. In the past, they could be paid off with some of the wealth those they targeted had stolen from the Russian people. Now, they want all of it. The question remains as to where they will get any wealth in the future if they steal everything now.