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> life doesn't have the same value in russia I was going to comment how this wasn't an accurate statement, but in reflection it actually is. It's not that the

> life doesn't have the same value in russia I was going to comment how this wasn't an accurate statement, but in reflection it actually is. It's not that the powers that be are negligent with dispensing their citizens' lives, it's that people themselves are more willing to risk their lives, both heroically altruistically and sometimes without due need at all. Buckling up is indeed for wussies, but then you do in fact have the acts of extreme heroism like in Chernobyl. It's an interesting cultural trait.

pilsetnieks 12y ago
Chernobyl wasn't heroism, it was slave labor. The people that were made to work there were gathered all over Soviet Union with no choice in the matter and no knowledge about where they were being taken, what happened, and what dangers they faced.
- huhtenberg 12y ago
  If you say so.
  - mlvljr 12y ago
    We Russians are all about slavery, as everyone knows, yeah! Not even a bit of heroism :)
    - BugBrother 12y ago
      The first response to Chernobyl was heroic. Fire fighters later died from acute radiation poisoning. But would it really surprise you if the Soviet leaders did as "pilsetnieks" wrote and forced people to get high radiation doses without telling them? Russia have outstanding traditions in e.g. math, literature, art and engineering. That is not diminished by Russian leaders' traditions of enslaving Russians (and others).
      - bussiere 12y ago
        Yeah bit of both as usuals but the first as engineers know what they risked. As any dramaticals events you had stupidy , petty arrangements, manipulations and heroism. Still glad for the heroism of the first people on this event.
        pilsetnieks 12y ago
        The first people there certainly knew what they were facing, and they knew the risks. The rest - not so much. People were gathered from the streets, from their homes and their workplaces. None were told what they were about to face, none were allowed to talk to anyone back home, and none were allowed to leave when they got there. All in all, there was a handful of people who really knew the risks and who truly, heroically sacrificed themselves. Then there were some volunteers, and then there were masses of involuntary laborers who were told that they should take a few charcoal tablets a day and they'll be fine. About 600 000 people were involved in the liquidation effort. Surely you cannot believe that they were all Soviet heroes, or volunteers for a cause no one actually was told about at the time. You don't need to hope for volunteers in a totalitarian regime if you can just gather any able-bodied man you can find.
        mlvljr 12y ago
        Grabbed in the streets and thrown into radiation-glowing ruines? Not to much to believe only for someone who hates Soviet from the very depth of his heart, I suspect, sorry :)
        huhtenberg 12y ago
        > People were gathered from the streets, from their homes and their workplaces. Please do us all a favor, don't smoke that ever again.
      - mlvljr 12y ago
        Kind thanks, but regardless of who's meant by the "others", I feel obliged to point that our leaders' "Western partners" did quite a stellar job in that department, too. Speaking of the Ch. episode, while there were definitely criminal decisions involved (local people not being told what exactly happened, and thus exposed to huge risks), what "pilsetnieks" does is spreading "клюква", I believe.
- sgdread 12y ago
  What a nice piece of propaganda. Reality though, is different. You, sir, need to research the subject before posting. Lots of army officers, construction workers went there with motivation: "if not us, who?". Slaves won't do what was done there.
Shivetya 12y ago
yet you will find that same outlook in many countries, middle America has many who share the same beliefs. I would say that that outlook is more common with rural areas than urban.

pilsetnieks 12y ago

Chernobyl wasn't heroism, it was slave labor. The people that were made to work there were gathered all over Soviet Union with no choice in the matter and no knowledge about where they were being taken, what happened, and what dangers they faced.

huhtenberg 12y ago
If you say so.
- mlvljr 12y ago
  We Russians are all about slavery, as everyone knows, yeah! Not even a bit of heroism :)
  - BugBrother 12y ago
    The first response to Chernobyl was heroic. Fire fighters later died from acute radiation poisoning. But would it really surprise you if the Soviet leaders did as "pilsetnieks" wrote and forced people to get high radiation doses without telling them? Russia have outstanding traditions in e.g. math, literature, art and engineering. That is not diminished by Russian leaders' traditions of enslaving Russians (and others).
    - bussiere 12y ago
      Yeah bit of both as usuals but the first as engineers know what they risked. As any dramaticals events you had stupidy , petty arrangements, manipulations and heroism. Still glad for the heroism of the first people on this event.
      - pilsetnieks 12y ago
        The first people there certainly knew what they were facing, and they knew the risks. The rest - not so much. People were gathered from the streets, from their homes and their workplaces. None were told what they were about to face, none were allowed to talk to anyone back home, and none were allowed to leave when they got there. All in all, there was a handful of people who really knew the risks and who truly, heroically sacrificed themselves. Then there were some volunteers, and then there were masses of involuntary laborers who were told that they should take a few charcoal tablets a day and they'll be fine. About 600 000 people were involved in the liquidation effort. Surely you cannot believe that they were all Soviet heroes, or volunteers for a cause no one actually was told about at the time. You don't need to hope for volunteers in a totalitarian regime if you can just gather any able-bodied man you can find.
        mlvljr 12y ago
        Grabbed in the streets and thrown into radiation-glowing ruines? Not to much to believe only for someone who hates Soviet from the very depth of his heart, I suspect, sorry :)
        huhtenberg 12y ago
        > People were gathered from the streets, from their homes and their workplaces. Please do us all a favor, don't smoke that ever again.
    - mlvljr 12y ago
      Kind thanks, but regardless of who's meant by the "others", I feel obliged to point that our leaders' "Western partners" did quite a stellar job in that department, too. Speaking of the Ch. episode, while there were definitely criminal decisions involved (local people not being told what exactly happened, and thus exposed to huge risks), what "pilsetnieks" does is spreading "клюква", I believe.
sgdread 12y ago
What a nice piece of propaganda. Reality though, is different. You, sir, need to research the subject before posting. Lots of army officers, construction workers went there with motivation: "if not us, who?". Slaves won't do what was done there.

Shivetya 12y ago

yet you will find that same outlook in many countries, middle America has many who share the same beliefs. I would say that that outlook is more common with rural areas than urban.