Written by Anatoly Karlin; Originally appeared at The Unz Review
One of the questions I get asked the most from Russians and foreigners alike is whether I enjoy living here, or whether I am disappointed. My answer is that it fell within my “range of expectations”. I like to think that this is a function of my perception of Russia prior to 2017 having been reasonably accurate, and considering I was blogging as “Da Russophile” on Russia matters until 2014, that’s pretty much an accolade. In my experience, the typical response of visiting foreigners and expats to life in Russia is one of pleasant surprise, no wonder since Russia might as well be “Equatorial Guinea with hackers” so far as the Western media today is concerned. However, I banally didn’t have anything to be particularly surprised about, pleasantly or otherwise.
Even so, there are areas where Russia shines, as well as some where it doesn’t (that’s for an upcoming just published post on 10 Ways Life in America is Better than in Russia).
First, the good points – where Russia performs better than the United States.
***
Train station in Saint-Petersburg.
1. Everything’s So Cheap
I don’t have the foggiest how Moscow ever acquired its reputation as one of the world’s most expensive cities. Probably idiots and Intellectuals Yet Idiots dumb enough to buy the $5 bottled water at Sheremetyevo Airport before taking one of the shady, overpriced Caucasian gypsy cabs down to their five star hotels in central Moscow.
In reality, food, rent, utilities, property, hotels, travel, restaurants, museums, transport, healthcare, and education are all far cheaper than in major cities in the United States.
The basic staples – carbs, meat, eggs, vegetables, seafood, most alcohol – are all approximately twice cheaper. Boneless, skinless cuts of turkey are less than 300 rubles ($5)/kg at my local market, which is run by Armenians. Wild salmon, at 500 rubles ($9)/kg are actually cheaper than farmed salmon from Norway, though in another of Russia’s strange inversions, farmed salmon is more prestigious, unlike in the West. It is actually easier to list expensive exceptions. Vodka is still somewhat cheaper than in the United States, but only by a factor of perhaps 1.5x, instead of more like 10x some fifteen years ago; this is a good thing.
The Big Mac, a classic item international price comparisons, costs 130 rubles in the Moscow suburbs, which is twice cheaper than in Britain and the USA. A similar relationship holds as you move to more upscale restaurants, at least after you adjust for the requirement to pay tips in the USA.
For obvious reasons, anything that’s imported is similar to US/EU prices. To the extent this affects me, that’s only Tabasco sauce and some Indian spices. Prices are also comparable for domestically produced Russian wines, whose quality has been improving by leaps and bounds even in the one year that I’ve been here, helped along by sanctions and my personal demand. Probably the single item that I miss most due to the sanctions is feta cheese; there is an East European equivalent called brynza, but it’s not really comparable. Otherwise, local Russian producers have developed competitive alternatives to many popular West European cheeses, at least to the extent that I, a non-connoisseur, am unable to distinguish them from European imports (the local blue-veined cheeses I have found to be especially impressive). Unless you really can’t do without your little Gorgonzola and your little Gruyère and your particular brand of prosciutto, you should be just fine here.
Property and rent are both approximately thrice cheaper in Moscow than in comparable locales in London. However, in one of the few positive aspects of the post-Soviet privatizations, almost 90% of Russians own their own homes.
Most utilities are so cheap that they might as well be free. In the past year, I paid $8 (500R) per month for 72Mbps Internet versus $80 for 15Mbps downloads and 5Mbps uploads with Comcast in California, and $45 for 10Mbps downloads and 0.5Mbps (!) uploads in London. Similar numbers with mobile plans, and what’s better, unlike in the United States, there are no multi-year contracts which are next to impossible to get out of. In both cases, Russian prices are held down by vigorous competition, whereas in the United States many ISPs have de facto monopolies over any particular region. This might surprise some people, but much of Russia’s information infrastructure is more modern than in the USA – for instance, one click money transfers with national state-owned banking giant Sberbank have long been standard, whereas I received an email from Wells Fargo announcing this as a new functionality just a few months ago.
Road and rail transport is approximately 5x cheaper. A 100km rail journey from Moscow to Kolomna or Volokolamsk on an elektrichka costs no more than $5 (300R); in the UK, a similar journey from London to Portsmouth will cost at least £25. I paid about $75 for a high speed Sapsan to go from Moscow to Saint-Petersburg, though I could have gotten there for as cheap as $25 on platskart shared accommodation. In contrast, my American round-trip cost me $700 with Amtrak– and I sat the entire route (not something I would have the stamina for nowadays). In Saint-Petersburg, there were several three star hotels in the center offering accommodations for as low as $50 a night; a similar location in Washington D.C. would have set me back by at least $200 a night.
It’s not exactly a secret that the astronomical cost of American healthcare and higher education is the stuff of horror stories in Europe, and Russia is no exception. $4,500 endoscopies are very much an #OnlyInAmerica type of thing, even if you use private healthcare in Russia. One of my acquaintances did a one year Master’s program in International Relations at LSE last year, which cost $50,000; one year on a PhD program that you can do at one institution of the Academy of Sciences can cost $1,000, if not entirely free. Vets are also far cheaper. For instance, one of my acquaintances found a stray puppy several months ago, which required complex spinal work to fix her hind legs; this ended up costing an incredible $200.
The converse of all this is, of course, that Russian salaries are 4-5x lower than in the US. Adjusting for twice lower prices, the average Russian lives 2x poorer than the average American, and this gap is much larger for healthcare professionals and researchers. For example, while $10,000 per month is common for American anesthesiologists, his Russian equivalent would be lucky to take home $1,000.
On the other hand, this is paradise for anyone with a dollar-denominated income stream.
Rural field.
2. Better Food
One possible cause of the massive rise in American obesity in the past generation is that the nutrients to calories of American crops has plummeted due to commercialized agriculture and the infiltration of corn and soy into every conceivable category of foodstuff. Russia is only at the start of this process, so the food you can buy at the local markets here tends to be organic and grass fed by default – and without the associated markup that you get in the West.
Speaking of the local markets, although it has much declined relative to the 1990s and the Soviet period, every so often you still meet a trader willing to barter and haggle. Although time-consuming, I would argue that it is also more “authentic” to the human experience; bargaining at local markets has long been an integral part of post-agricultural life, and perhaps many moderns miss it, as attested to by the inclusion of this mechanism in almost every video game RPG.
Apart from being healthier, many common foods are simply “better” than their equivalents in the West. Perhaps the two most striking examples are cucumbers and watermelons. The most common (and cheapest) cucumbers are small, prickly things, which are far less watery than the long, smooth ones you will encounter in a standard American or British supermarket. The watermelons of the Caspian region are bigger and far sweeter than the slurpy spheres that are standard in the West.
Russian cuisine doesn’t have a reputation for being exactly healthy. But it depends on what parts of it you adopt, really. Like the French, there is a culture of eating animals “from head to tail” in Russia, so it is easy to find organ meats and bones for making broth at the markets. I would also note the popularity of aspics here, which is known as kholodets; it is the paleo/ketogenic to the max. In my opinion, Russia also has some of the world’s best soups – my personal favorite is sorrel soup. All this shows up in waistlines – there are almost no obese young women.
In some categories, the variety on offer is substandard to what you can expect in the West – cheeses, spices, and wines are the obvious ones. In others, it is better – pickles come to mind, in both variety and quality (pickles in Russia are genuinely fermented, instead of being bathed in vinegar). Even though I live in a “prole” area of Moscow, my local tea shop has about thirty sorts of Chinese teas on sale, some of them remarkably rare, but all of them at rather reasonable prices. In London, you’d probably have to go to something like the venerable Algerian Coffee Store to find a similar Chinese tea collection.
Knyazich restaurant, Kolomna.
3. Nicer Service
Yes, you read that right. Shop assistants and waiters now tend to be at least as, if not more, courteous than their equivalents in the United States. Contra Matt Forney’s experience in Eastern Europe, I find that the stereotype of sullen sovok service is about as outdated as the hammer and sickle. Nor does this just apply to Moscow. Russia’s regional cities have also been rediscovering that the stale Soviet stolovaya had been preceded by service a la russe in Tsarist times.
One partial and amusing exception: Georgian restaurants, especially those with a long pedigree for supposed “excellence.” My theory is that in the USSR, Georgian cuisine was considered to be the most exotic cuisine accessible, at least to people outside the high nomenklatura, so those establishments continued to be patronized by Soviet people, with their less demanding requirements. Since people with the Soviet mentality primarily went to restaurants to network and to show off how rich they are, as opposed to just having a good time, you tend to get much less enjoyment for the ruble at those places.
The variety of restaurants one can choose from is almost as great as in the great Western metropolises. You don’t have near the same variety in Chinese and especially Indian restaurants that countries with huge diasporas from those two countries can boast, but those are substituted for by Central Asian and Caucasian cuisine. I am not a fan of Caucasian cuisine: Georgian cuisine is too pretentious, while Dagestani/Chechen cuisine is possibly the most primitive on the planet – their signature dish is dough and meat boiled in water, which I suppose is “honest” but hardly something to go out of your way for. However, I have gained considerable respect for Uzbek food (the Uryuk chain is recommended).
However, the center of Moscow has been crafted into an SWPL paradise, so there is no shortage of cuisines from American-style burger joints with craft beers and lettuce leaf burgers (no, really) to Vietnamese pho bars (I especially like the Viet Cafe chain).
Finally, unlike most of Europe – Moscow is a 24/7 city, like America. Most supermarkets and restaurants are open late into the night, or 24/7. Life here is convenient. Only major restriction: Shops can’t sell booze past 11pm.
Moscow Metro in 2033.
4. Public Transport
Moscow, Saint-Petersburg, and all the cities with around one million people have well-developed metro systems. Contrast this with the US, where the concept of “public transport” – at least outside the north-eastern seaboard, the Bay Area, and Seattle – is pretty much non-existent.
In fairness, the Moscow Metro closes at 1am (Saint-Petersburg at 12pm), whereas the New York subway works 24 hours a day – if with frequent stoppages. However, Moscow’s reputation for having the most aesthetic metro system in the world is well-deserved, even though I have a soft spot for Chicago’s old-style wooden platforms and Washington D.C.’s bunker-like concrete grottoes.
One problem in the old days was that Moscow’s metro stations were far apart, especially once you head out into the suburbs. But this is no longer relevant with the rise of the ride-sharing revolution. It is now trivial to get an Uber (or more frequently a Yandex Taxi) ride on the cheap to any part of Moscow.
“Afroshop” near my other ghetto apartment. Still an exception, not the rule. But for how long?
5. Still Recognizably European
Many Russians complain about the flood of Central Asian Gastarbeiters. However, even Moscow – which remains about 85% Slavic, even adjusting for unofficial residents – feels like a veritable Whitopia after spending time in Latino-majority California and Londonistan. Moreover, Uzbeks and Tajiks are far preferable to many minorities in the West, such as US Blacks with their absurd crime rates, or the sea of black niqabs that you encounter in many areas of London.
Meanwhile, vast swathes of provincial Russia – including its central demographic heartlands – are as uniformly Slavic as the countries of Visegrad Europe. Even if they have their own, rather serious problems, such as poverty, corruption, and alcoholism. If you happen to value the quality of being amongst one’s own, then Russia does better than virtually any other white country outside Poland, Czechia, and the Baltics. Moscow is the last and only megacity in the world where Europeans remain a solid majority.
I don’t know if this will last. All major political factions in 1960′s Germany also expected their Gastarbeiters to eventually go home – didn’t work out like that. And there is as yet demographically tiny but nonetheless ideologically distinct and high IQ cluster of pro-”tolerance” and sundry “anti-racist” characters shilling for open borders. And they have a ready audience amongst Moscow’s blue-haired yuppies. I give it 15 years.
Lake by our dacha.
6. The Outdoors
About 50% of Muscovites own a dacha outside the city, including people of modest means. This is much rarer in the United States and Western Europe, where only the upper-middle class has such opportunities.
Personally I don’t have much interest in this – the Internet is too slow, and there are too many biting insects – but people less autistic than myself will likely appreciate this.
Typical Moscow sleeper suburb.
7. Freedoms
This might surprise people who associate Russia with reams of red tape, but while there’s no shortage of that, there are also any number of domains with few or no regulations.
Getting almost any drug is a simple matter of going down to the pharmacy and checking up if they have it in stock; if not, they can usually order it. While you need doctor’s prescriptions for some of the most elementary drugs in the United States, in Russia that is the exception, not the rule. They are also typically generic and cost much less than their equivalents in the United States, though there are far more counterfeits. Ergo for contact lenses – you just state your specifications and they order them; no eye tests required. Setting up a trading account is also much easier. Instead of filling out countless forms promising that yes, you do indeed have 5 years intimate experience with collateralized debt obligations, in Russia it’s pay to play. If you can bring money to the table, you’re good to go.
In effect, with the notable exception of gun rights, there is much less of the “nanny state” and more of what American conservatives call “personal responsibility” in Russia.
Russia is one of the world’s great pirate havens. No Internet provider is ever going to send you angry cease and desist letters for torrenting Game of Thrones. It is theoretically possible, but you can count the number of such cases on the fingers of your hand. (However, business-scale piracy has been cracked down upon and is much less prevalent than it was back in 2010). It is therefore no surprise that the world’s largest depositories of pirated books and scientific articles are Russian enterprises. The only things that most Russians don’t massively pirate is video games. Steam prices are 3-4x lower in the Eurasia region, making GabeN’s offerings even more of a cornucopia.
This freewheeling world, a legacy of the 1990s – a heaven for the intelligent and far-sighted, a potential hell for the duller and lower future time orientated (I have second-hand knowledge of some people who lost their apartments on currency speculation) – is being slowly but steadily constrained by more and more laws and regulations. The world is not long for the old Russia of limitless parking opportunities and playgrounds not yet despoiled by tomes of health and safety regulations. More worryingly, whereas the Russian Internet was genuinely free as little as half a decade ago, censorship on grounds of “extremism” is accelerating at an exponential pace. Even so, at least for now, many aspects of life are surprisingly freer and more accessible than in the putative “Free World.”
8. Less Faggotry
Did that trigger you, snowflake?
Nobody in Russia cares, LOL.
Even though I don’t particularly care for hardcore homophobia, I consider the right to call things and people you don’t like “gay” as one of the most important freedoms there are. Happened all the time at school, but since I graduated in 2006, liberal faggots have all but criminalized this. Russia remains free of this cultural totalitarianism; here, you can still call a spade a spade and a gender non-fluid helicopterkin a faggot (пидор) without any particular worries for your professional career and social status.
I don’t think this will last so enjoy (or suffer) it while you still can.
Zaryadye Park, Moscow.
9. Intellectual Ferment
Most of Russia is one large West Virginia so far as this goes. However, Moscow and to a lesser extent SPB are glaring and indeed cardinal exceptions.
Many new startups, including in exciting new fields like machine learning, quantified self, personal genomics. The city is buzzing with entrepreneurial energy.
Specific personal example: Back in the Bay Area, I liked involving myself in the futurist/transhumanist community. I can’t say that Moscow can compete with it, but it’s probably no worse than London in this respect, the foremost West European H+ cluster. There’s a LessWrong meetup group, a “techno-commercial” transhumanist group (Russia 2045), and an active community of radical life extension advocates, which overlaps into the cliodynamics community (the daughter of the guy who runs Kriorus, Russia’s Alcor, is also a cliodynamicist).
Even the nationalists are more interesting, more intellectual than their American or West European equivalents, as I observed in Saint-Petersburg. I suspect this is a function of Eastern Europe being less advanced on the path of Cultural Marxist rot, thanks to Communism effectively “freezing” social attitudes; the human capital hasn’t yet been fully monopolized by neoliberalism.txt. There is no real equivalent to the intellectual caliber of Sputnik and Pogrom in the United States.
As in Eastern Europe, my impression is that the historical recreation movement – perhaps as an implicit stand of white identity as any – is if anything stronger in Russia than in the United States.
Dmitry Chistoprudov: Cloudy Moscow 7.
10. More Technologically Advanced
On coming to the Bay Area, the technological heart of the United States, tech writer Alina Tolmacheva struggled to hide her disappointment: “No flying hoverboards, food isn’t delivered by drones, and parking fees are paid with coins, whereas in Moscow everyone had long since switched to mobile apps.”
This is somewhat tongue in cheek, but the general point stands.
As she further points out, monopolies dominate transport, banking, telephones, and the Internet. The Caltrain from San Francisco Airport to Mountain View takes 1.5 hours. The highest building is 12 storeys of concrete in the style of Le Corbusier. “Rent is paid with checks. It is necessary to take a piece of paper, fill in the details, and send it by mail. The owner then goes to a bank branch and cashes it out. Technology older than VHS and cassette players.” In Moscow, even aged grandmothers have been collecting rent money through mobile apps for years.
Contactless payments are not yet prevalent in Moscow, like they are in London. But this is a minor issue. On the other hand, the Moscow Metro has already had free WiFi for several years, which is now in the last stages of becoming integrated into the wider Moscow transport system, including buses and trams. This is hugely convenient, since many commuters spend around an hour traveling in the Metro on working days. Neither London, nor BART in the SF Bay Area, nor any other American underground system that I know of has gotten round to installing free WiFI.
Moscow is more developed as a “technopolis” than any other major city in the Anglosphere.
Addendum
If you enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy my comprehensive comparison of life in Russia, America and the United Kingdom that I wrote in 2011:http://akarlin.com/tag/national-comparisons/ .
What is the american dream ?
Imagine that you play the game Monopoly. Everything has been bought. Its remains only one or two cheapest and useless things to buy. The american dream is to fight to buy those useless cards. Each turn, you pay, you pay, you pay.
And pay fees and interest to be enslaved.
Soon, there will be a tax to breathe in USA. XD.
What a good idea. That’s a perfect wheeze. Water is being monetised , so why not air. :)
I have always wondered why Americans are paying taxes as they are given nothing.
Being an Dhimmi under Muslim rule is much more humane than American tax system.
Food better in Russia? LOL how can they stand a chance with Americas diversity? I’ll take a pork super burrito, korean bbq, tonkatsu ramen, sashimi, etc etc etc over borsch.
You can get plenty of foreign food in Moscow, you don’t need to be overrun with diversity to have that. Also Russian cafes are quite nice, similar or better than American ones. I’ve been to both countries and although both have bad parts, Russia is nicer overall. America’s cities have become hellholes.
It’s a shame that many Russians seem ignorant of this though, as most still believe America is the land of milk and honey and that us westerners are so wealthy.
Have you ever eaten in Russia ? I have and the food was fine. There are many dishes that I have not liked in all the countries I have visited, including my own. I always try to eat local dishes as long as I know what is in them :)
Love russian food, but this article states that there are better options in russia, which I find hard to believe.
Not only better, but Russian food is healthier, no plastic gmo food like in USA, and some kind of foods in Russia are of beter quality then in west. Fruits and vegetables in west are not tasty anymore. There is something plastic and fake about them.
Couldn’t disagree more. I live in California, we have the freshest local seasonal organic produce in the country. Artichokes, avocados, garlic , broccoli, little gem lettuce, just about everything you can imagine other than corn & wheat. Really incredible quality and prices.
You’re stupid as fuck, any and all food manufactured in America is considered processed, in other means, not real. If you take American food and compare it to Russian food, then the Russian food is most likely going to be superior. Russia also serves the same exact food as you just listed except it isn’t processed and that it’s actually better.
Lol ????
I just cant… this is the funniest response I’ve ever read here… LOL
Your English and grammar is the funniest response I’ve ever read here. Lmfao.
?
XD
Xavier Donovich?
You are a sad little man. The US defeated Russia in the cold war, and has continued to progress and lead the world, further developing itself beyond Russia. Russia’s economy is the size of one of our smallest states… Delaware. You are a puppy nipping at the jeels of a Gorilla. Go back under your bridge Troll, no one respects Russia or wants to immigrate there. Everyone wants to come here. Better technology, better economics, better culture, more patriots. We beat you all the time, in wars, sports, economics… youa re not even a competitor to us, you are just an annoyance, LOL.
Lmfao, how fucking stupid are you? The US never defeated Russia during the cold war, if they did then they would’ve stormed the country just like every other major superpower, another part of you ignorance and stupidity is the fact that you think a nation full obese moronic liberals are considered “leaders” even though you idiotically invaded the Middle East and robbed them of their oil, slaughtered innocent Iraqi citizens and even boast about being a power even though you’re fighting the most minor wars possible. The US couldn’t even keep up with Russia during the Cold war, those pussies were too fucking afraid to intervene with us, considering the fact that you lost every single war against Communism, Korean war, Vietnam war and the war of 1971 when you clearly went all out on India alongside the rest of the UK, but still lost to the Soviet Union. To be honest, YOU are not a competitor to anyone, your nation is pathetic and has no stand throughout history. We literally had to look after you idiots since the start of 1776 all the way until 1917. Also, better technology? What technology? I see no better technology other than fact that you morons can make machines to feed you to an increasing rate of obesity. Compared to Russia’s military technology you stand no chance, we were the first to make a space forces, we were the first to create a next generation warfare suit, we were the first to space. It seems to me like you’re another one of those tryhard brainwashed liberals. Also nobody respects Russia? Hm funny considering the fact that the majority of the worlds population is on our side for fighting off the terrorists that they create, for keeping the peace throughout Europe and Asia and protecting the Middle East from you Jewish penny pinchers. Also everyone wants to go to America? Actually with that logic we might as well cram the worlds population there. I bet the only reason you commented was to get destroyed, considering instead of reading, visiting the two countries and taking tours of daily life and technology, you decide to testify your own moral knowledge without thinking about what you’re going to say. Oh hey fuck it, what that logic you might as well have became Adolf Hitler, he didn’t need to read from anything or memorize anything just to give amazing speeches, the only difference is that his words weren’t of pure ignorance and stupidity. Go back to America you uneducated ape. LMFAO.
LOL, It is easy to see that Russia does not do much to enforce that everyome gets a real education… you are a product of a nation that is not even considered a first world country. We have many, many individual states that outcompete Russia… we Stopped North Korea from Annexing Soth Korea, which was their Goal, how is that a loss? We were able to go toe-to-tow with China as an invading force half way around the world, we are still in south korea which is dominating North Korea Economically, How is that a loss? Your state run media has you braiwashed. Vietnam was not a miltiary loss, it was a politcal one, our troops and equipent whooped all over weak and unreliable soviet technology the whole time, just look at the body count… you tried to send Piece of shit Migs agains US jets, we had a kill ratio of 10:1 aganst those tin cans… US F-14’s shot down 2 of Quadddafis Libyan Migs with ease… Look at Isreal/Egypt War, F-15’s had a perfect record against migs there, LOL…most of your designs are just rip-offs of ours, especially your bombers… your strategic bombers still use propellers, LOL. You don’t even have stealth technology or 5th Gen fighter, we have had one for 20 years… We have lasers, battlefield robots, railguns, and global situational command via our sattelites. You guys have a bunch of SAM’s from the 70’s. We dominate space, Soviets may have put a man up 1st, but we went to the moon, no one has been able to do that even 60 years later, we had the space shuttle, we have many more and more effective sattelites, we dominate space and the ISS is really mostly American. The fact that you even suggested that you had any superior tech in any way was hilarious.
“What Technology”? You keep getting funnier or dumber, I cannot decide which. Have you ever heard of Silicon Valley Einstein? Nearly every computer processor in the developed world is from the United States. The United States invented the first computer, the vaccum tube, the microprocessor, the personal computer, the internet, and cell phones (and every type of phone). Silicon Valley is the technological hub of the earth, and has created and underpins the entire digital infrastructure that our world now exists on.
The Soviet Union has 0 world-changing inventions, innovations, or accomplishments, besides sputnik and 1st man in space. We are planning mission to mars at this point. You put the Russian Flag at the bottom of the sea in the arctic ocean because you have moon Envy, LOL!
Anyway, you lost the cold war. There was not storming of the country because it was a “cold war”… you will need to look that up to understand it better. Everyone knows it, and every history book in the world except the one’s controlled by the few authoritarian communict worms still too stupid to know that it fails every time. Its not even a debate in geopolitics, you got your ass handed to you,and then a bunch of Ex-Soviets came to America…. hardly any Americans want to go to shitty Russia (and the rest of the world agrees).
Your state run media did a great job on you man, most North Koreans are more aware of reality than you.
Ones food likes and dislikes are personal and influenced by many things. For example , I dislike Marmite, Lamb,Offal, US style Fast Food in general , Game ,Pasta/Noodles, Veal,and increasingly, Red Meat. Some because of the taste and increasingly because of animal welfare issues.
A text for Russians who have never been to America, to sugar the pill. In short: World Happiness Report 2017, USA – 14th place, Russia – 49th place. Human Development Index, 2016, USA – 10th place, Russia – again, 49th place. Life expectancy, USA – 79.3 years, Russia – 70.5 years.
It is nice to enjoy natural food and freedoms… But only when your basic needs like good hospitals and proper education for children are covered.
Agreed. However, Lots of US citizens do no have acess to hospitals, let alone good hospitals. The quality of US education system is not spotless. In low income areas/states, the quality of state education is sometimes dubious.
Hospitals in Russia are very good , I have had experience with them. Education is also very good and far better than in the US and UK.
Let me guess, those are all anti Russia western indexes designed to make the west look good and Russia look bad.
It is nice to enjoy natural food and freedoms… But only when your basic needs like good hospitals and proper education for children are covered.
In this Point you already are a Hypocrit if you cared enough to READ or Educate yourself on this term. You just proven yourself to be an idiot EDUCATED in the art of “not reading”. Well it shows how much you got educated yourself and how much you got Educated in the U Ass of A.
That hapimes report is so fake. Pure propaganda for idiots. My impresion is that Russians are way more hapier then USA.
Also hapines in USA is shrinking and population is divided, while in Russia is united and hapines is rising. Also life expectency in Russia is rising.
And we have more suicides in USA per capita then in Russia.
I don’t want to insult Americans or Westerners and don’t want to sound arrogant but… One very smart guy once said “Population always deserves its rulers – they are always a result of mental and cultural state of society. “ Now look at Trump and look at Putin, or Boris Johnson and Lavrov. Those are direct results of educational system in place. Commi Jews did a lot to hamper educational system established by Stalin and even more trouble came under US tuition (Eltsins era) but solid base is still there and results are very showing.
How fucking stupid are you? Happiness in Russia is greater than the USA’s, not to mention that only 35% of the US is united with their country as over 83% of Russians are united with their land. Second, Russians are healthier than Americans and the life expectancy is longer than an American’s. Last, Russia is the 3rd most well educated country in the world behind China and Germany while America is in 36th place in education. That is stupid…
I can’t say too much about most of Russia, but I have been to Moscow (2016) and I agree with the article. Although I would never live in any mega-city personally, if I had to live in one, I’d pick Moscow over any other. Just the fact that there is no SJW / diversity-worshiping / open-borders bulls**t to put up with makes it a paradise to me.
The level of homelessness seems to be far lower in Moscow too, compared to the likes of Londonistan and New York, where I witnessed scores (if not hundreds) of homeless beggars in the inner city. One thing I don’t like about Russia though is the high-rate of alcoholism (still better than high obesity-rates though) and political-corruption (let’s not lie, Putin and his friends are corrupt). I think a lot of the latter issue could be solved if/when Putin finally steps down.
President Putin has bought Russia back from the brink. Without him Russia would have just become another US dominated cesspit.
Yes I don’t doubt that, however that doesn’t absolve him of corruption.
Like ‘Russian Hacking’ , there is no proof of that.
No, I mean like billions of state funds disappearing.
This is a world wide problem that Russia is not immune from, however there are and have been numerous prosecutions in Russia of such officials.
There is no evidence that President Putin is involved in corruption. In fact under his leadership the financial disaster of the 1990’s has been largely overcome and the incomes of the people increased along with industrial and farming production. The Russian military has literally been transformed into a vibrant arm of the Russian State with a power that has astounded Western nations.
Billions of state funds disappearing in the West and US in particular just the same way as it does in Russia. You have some interesting (common to MSM) ideas about what is better for Russia :) I will try to find some time to answer in more detail later. But for now, I (and many otheres I assume) would like to see some atual evidence (link) of Putin’s personal corruption.
There is no any proof that Putin is corrupt. So your comment “lets not lie” makes you a lier. Because you are acussing somebody for corruption without proof.
You practicly said lets not lie, and you lied in the same sentence.
Putin is the best leader im the world. That is why his people loves him. That is why he has suport of 80% of Russians.
There is actually, look into it. Just one example – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Putin%27s_Palace
FFS, are you fucking stupid? There is no evidence this thing is owned by Putin, just allegations from stooges of Berezovsky and other libtard 5th columnists.
Wikipedia as a source is simply shit. The last line states that Putin has 20 palaces – the quoted sources? article in CNN and the UK Daily Mail…. I rest my fucking case….
How stupid and naive can you be?
Oops… above I said that I will answer you in detail but after above link that you posted I realise that you either think we are a bunch of dumbs (so we buy that BS) or you have personal peoblems with comprehending some obvious things.
Oh your fake junk informations are not proof. Sorry, you are loser.
“let’s not lie, Putin and his friends are corrupt”
Really? In what way? I’ll wait for a well-considered answer…
>Just the fact that there is no SJW / diversity-worshiping / ‘refugees-welcome’ bulls**t You just haven’t met my 3 sisters and their lgbtqp friends.
That’s a fucking good thing, nobody wants Feminism or Liberalism. SJW’s are pathetic and must die.
You probably missed my point or picked wrong comment to reply, since my sisters and their friends live in Russia.
Part 9. Intellectual Ferment, is the heyday of the deeply seated racism of the author. Starting with praising West Virginia, ending with ‘white identity’. I bet this guy is of the ones that refrains to express his real convictions publicly to avoid getting shot or beaten.
Part of understanding where we are and where we’re going is understanding how we got where we are. I’m going to start running telepathic outreach contact ops after the new year. SF could be a platform for publicly disseminating previously unseen evidence that I have, and will be adding to if my contact ops are successful. For dissemination on the world wide web to humanity. Without revealing my identity in a manner that causes me more security problems than I already have. The pictures embed well on the site, and if JewTube can be bypassed by embedding videos directly on the comment boards here, that could also be useful.
Having received numerous death threats, many from Jews, almost losing my left eye in a beam weapon shooting, and being assaulted and threatened with death after a super soldier summit, I’m cautious. I want to help get our planet’s security situation stabilized, and assist in a safe and peaceful transition into becoming a star faring civilization ourselves with 1,000 year lifespans.
This is a picture that I took myself: https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8de267c8f7c15569a4fb69ef9f9eec766ab1dcace0da7794c9321cbad11635e1.jpg
This is an excerpt from the Meier case, arguably the strongest UFO case to date:
“Semjase first explained briefly that Pleiadian civilization originated many thousands of years ago, not in the Pleiades, a star system much younger than our own, but in the Constellation Lyra. When war ensued, before the planet was destroyed, much of the population migrated to other star systems, in the Pleiades, the Hyades, and to a planet orbiting a nearby star known as Vega. On one interstellar journey, the new Pleiadians discovered Earth and its early life evolving in an atmosphere hospitable to their own. Since that time, according to Semjase, Earth had been destroyed twice by its own inhabitant: first by a civilization evolved from early Pleiadians who remained behind and mated with primitive earth humans; and second, when a later generation of Pleiadians colonized Earth and produced advanced technology until war again destroyed the planet. Semjase and the Pleiadians who had chosen to return again to Earth were descendants of a peaceful Lyrian faction that now felt responsible for guiding Earth in its spiritual evolution, so the earth humans could avoid the setbacks long ago experienced by their Pleiadian ancestors.
To help them in their mission, the Pleiadians had contacted many earth humans telepathically, but the chosen ones eventually proved to lack knowledge, willingness, or loyalty. The few who possessed these qualities feared exposure, and so, remained silent about the contacts.
“In the past, we have witnessed those who were unable to determine the truth and were frightened by it,” Semjase told Meier. “They claimed they would be accused of insanity, and that others would plan conspiracies to prove they were lying. This serves no purpose for the earth human or ourselves. If such humans had been sincere, we would have offered them the chance to take clear photo proofs of our beamships. We have allowed you this already, and in the future will come even greater opportunities.”
Taking photographs of the Pleiadian beamships was to be part of Meier’s mission; pictures provided proof that the Pleiadians existed, and this reality was a necessary step before earth humans would begin to accept the truth that they belonged to a network of galactic societies. The Pleiadians themselves were only one of many millions of cosmic races that traveled freely in space.
“The earth human calls us extraterrestrials or star people, or however he wants,” Semjase had continued. “He attributes to us supernatural abilities, yet knows nothing about us. In truth, we are human beings like the earth human being, but our knowledge and our wisdom and our technical capabilities are very much superior to his.
“One of our concerns is aimed at your religions and the detrimental effect they have had on the development of the human spirit. One thing above all has power over the life and death of each creature. This is the Creation, laws which are irrefutable and eternally valid. The human being will recognize them in nature, if he troubles himself to look, for they show him the way to spiritual greatness. While the earth human indulges in religion, the real spirit dwindles.
“On Earth,” she added, “charlatans have spread the lie that we come by order of the Creation as angels, to bring to the earth humans the long-hoped-for peace, the truth, the protection, and the order of your God. This is a lie, for we never have received such orders and we never will. The Creation never gives commands. It is a law unto itself, and every form of life must conform to it and become a part of it. Bring this truth to the light of the world.””
http://www.billymeiertranslations.com/default.html#lightyearsfive.html
I actually agree with some of the points made.
Agreed : 1,2,4,8 and partly 9. As for 1., one must take into account purchasing power. A lot of goods and services are more expensive in the US as the price of the laborcontent in the US is so much higher.
Disagree : all the others.
One remark :
You have to see all things in a comprehensive way. There are many other aspects that can can be recounted as being better in the US than in Russia.
A practical way to come to an overall conclusion is the answer to the question : is the general flow of people from the US to Russia or from Russia to the US?
I daresay that the j£ws are welcome to leave for the West. :)
Jews in Russia have gone from 5 million to 250,000. So obviously Russia is better than the US in that respect. The US is currently the most Jew infested nation on the planet. Hopefully that will change. And your evil pedophile rape cult will be outlawed to create a Jew free planet and a much better future for humanity without Jew crime and evil that is a primary source of many of humanity’s problems.
I would say there are way more better things in Russia, then in USA. In USA we have more suicides then in Russia. It tells a lot about quality of life. Russia is psihologicly healthier society.
General flow of people is not the only factor how to compare them.
I honestly would chose to live in Russia then in USA. I see no good future in USA. Things are going to become worse and worse in USA
OMG .. he used the “FAGGOT” word . . watch out for the lightning bolt . .for his own personal safety and the safety of Western society we better lock him away somewhere with all the other bigots, supremacists and racists . .
Slavs in general don’t care about calling others they don’t like faggots,we’re all “homophobes” I guess xD For exp,the Slovenians are ultra faggots
LOL
Racist cunt.
What has Saker got to do with this article?
Oops, egg on face, I thought he wrote it….
No, he is a different kind of cunt =)
A good list, pleasantly surprising. I was glad to see ‘Recognizably European’ on the list. This being the key point to me. Diversity squalor has turned where I live into something that is too awful to properly name. ‘ Less Faggotry’ is good but no faggotry would be better. I the west every weird sexual freak if elevated to some sort of national hero to be put in control of society. Bring on the conquest!
I liked the article and have been in Russia – the cities with their fine museums, parks, palaces etc are a must to see – St. Petersburg resembles a northern Paris to me but the country and it’s old way of life is the real Russia also. I see old villages with gardens in every yard and vacant lots and in many places its like you stepped back into the 50s { compared to America’s past farm towns} These folks are very conservative and live simple but honest – in all respect its refreshing. They don’t speak English but in the markets they will help you find whatever you need and I’ve never been ripped off on any of their very inexpensive prices. Putin, Lavrov, Medvedev, Peskov and the others in the small Federations Gov are the new fathers of the RF and are loved by many if not all. Crimea is very happy to be back in their ” Rightful Place”.
bullshit article.
TEHER IS ONLY REAL STATISTICS:
how many russians went to america and how many americans went to russia.
hint: check, where study and live the children of russians politicians.
russia is beautiful country. … for bears and salmons.
solomon…your admiration touched with envy is hard to hide :) but keep trolling, my jew friend.
troll is the author.
ansver o my comment, you idiot!!!
>There is no real equivalent to the intellectual caliber of Sputnik and Pogrom in the United States.
The author has some very disturbing sympathies.
So true, this stuff in Russia is actually better than it is in America. Their “diversity” hasn’t done them any good other than the fact that such a pathetic country is falling apart. You cannot compare to Russia’s superiority in food choice.
Heⅼlo, thіs weeкend is fastidious in favor of me, because this timｅ i am rеading this wonderful ｅducational piece of writing herｅ at my resіdence.