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We're different. Part of American foreign policy is that "truth is the best propaganda" not the only propaganda, mind you, but the best. The West also does hav
by 3pt14159 11y ago
We're different. Part of American foreign policy is that "truth is the best propaganda" not the only propaganda, mind you, but the best.
The West also does have a policy of expanding liberal democracies and integrating them into a world trade frame work. Cases where we don't follow this policy is in areas where we're afraid of a counter weight emerging.
For example, the Middle Eastern policy is one where we foster instability to keep the Arab / Muslim world from unifying. Yes of course the war in Iraq is a travesty, but in America and the West in general we know when we get into tragic wars. To the point where even Jeb Bush has admitted that the war was a mistake.
The Russian mindset is different. It's more... brutal? I'm struggling for the right word. But if you look at Russian war doctrine during the cold war and (especially) World War 2, you see this apparatus that is 100% ok with using logic that ends with millions of suffering countrymen. Where propaganda and killing political opponents is acceptable. Where sending a man into space even though your scientists tell you he won't make it back alive.
The West doesn't stand for this. We have our (sometimes blatant) propaganda like the rest of them, and we make mistakes, but our jails cells look nothing like those in most of the rest of the world and our press isn't nearly as controlled.
- emergentcypher 11y ago> The Russian mindset is different. It's more... brutal? I'm struggling for the right word. Severe is the word I use. If I were permitted to generalize the Russian people, I would generalize them as severe. Extremely warm and loyal people, but quick to swing to the opposite end of the spectrum when disturbed. I'm married to a Russian and spend lots of time with Russians. My wife tells a joke about a westerner hanging out with some Russian friends. The Russians spend the night joking around telling him shit about Russians, being heavy drinkers, quick to violence, as if it were a competition to see which culture drank more. The westerner disagrees and says no, you are a great and warm people. And they continue to try to convince him with their stories, saying "we're all friends here". At the end of the night he finally agrees, "OK, you're right, maybe you guys are heavy drinkers". So they beat him up.
- 3pt14159 11y agoThat is a much better word. Thank you.