Russophobia

Spinning off Major Tom's derail of the Russia-Alaska rail thread:

What is the deal with fear and loathing of Russia? During the Cold War, the Soviet Union was our enemy. Of course, silly me, I thought that was due to the harm represented by Leninism the ideology. But according to some, when Russia defended its citizens in South Ossetia and Abkhazia from assault by the Georgian Army, it proved that the nation of Russia is the Evil Empire, regardless of government type or ideology.

Wouldn't the United States send troops into Mexico if a large number of our citizens were under attack by the Mexican Army? To quote Beholderess, "People feel that the country is expected to go along with everything the West (which is seen as rather monolithic) says, and that any attempt to independence, or even basic defence of Russia's own interests, is interpreted as an aggression."

Is such an attitude toward Russia rational, or irrational (i.e. actually "Russophobia")?

“Love is the eternal law whereby the universe was created and is ruled.” — St. Bernard

Bad example, seeing as how a large number of US citizens ARE under attack by Mexican cartels, and we Americans don't give a flying fig.

As for the Russophobia, I think it comes down to the fact that they are just like us Americans - basically did the whole Wild West thing, but in reverse, after all. And we know just how crazy cowboys can be, so we naturally fear our equals more than we do our inferiors.

edited 24th Oct '11 5:02:37 PM by MyGodItsFullofStars

I wondered that too. Surely the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and subsequent changes in Russia, would suggest that Russia isn't the same as it once was. Or is it?

Now using Trivialis handle.

That's... a really good explanation.

edited 24th Oct '11 5:02:36 PM by Rottweiler

“Love is the eternal law whereby the universe was created and is ruled.” — St. Bernard

Less "Russophobia" specifically, and more a general distrust of any strong foreign power with possibly conflicting interests. A little suspicion is always healthy, as long as it doesn't degrade into paranoia.

edited 24th Oct '11 5:04:07 PM by tropetown

Most Russophobia I've seen boils down to making them the enemies in popular FPS games, if only because their hardware's up to snuff to compete with us.

Really, I see more Americans disliking Japan or Mexico than Russia.

I wouldn't say that having a large swath of land to colonize is the defining factor in the creation of national identity and mindset.

"Atheism is the religion whose followers are easiest to troll"

I dunno, I love Russia. It's strangely interesting and... familiar, honestly.

Besides, the US needs to grow the fuck up and make nice with our friends across the other pond if we plan on not all learning to read Chinese in the next hundred years.

I am now known as Flyboy.

There's some lingering Cold War mentality in some folks, I think. And, eh, I kind of think the stuff with Georgia was kind of hinky, but we didn't have any hand in that so it's not really our business. But considering how many people have now grown up without the threat of the Cold War over their heads, I think "Russophobia" in general has decreased. We really don't have any true beef with them these days. We're going to have to let it go at some point.

I don't think this is as common as the OP thinks it is.

Russia isn't the best-run country ever (IMO) but it's not an awful place. I don't think very many Americans think it is.

Except for 4/1/2011. That day lingers in my memory like...metaphor here...I should go.

I think the phobia will slowly go away once the baby-boomer generation fades out of public consciousness. The government will probably be more friendly to Russia once the career politicians from the Cold War era die off and are replaced by younger people.

Byte Me

All the movies and video games where russia/russians are the bad guy isn't helping.

Switch them to Chinese bad guys and we'll be gold.

Byte Me

Well its still perpetuates "GRR SOCIALISM BAD"

Yes, and?

“Love is the eternal law whereby the universe was created and is ruled.” — St. Bernard

Actually, no, it would make government-backed crony capitalism look bad. So, go for it, two birds, one stone.

I am now known as Flyboy.

You should know my stance on moderate socialism and 100% capitalism. I'm not going to derail the thread.

Russians came to the rescue for my family at a time when the Americans were about to conduct a grave blunder. So I consider myself a Russophile.

That bias aside, Russophobia is basically just a holdover of the Cold War. It's only been a generation since the Soviet Union's collapse. It'll take awhile before they stop being suspected of being the Evil Empire.

Final Fantasy, Foreign Policy, and Bollywood. Helluva combo, that...

The most amusingly stupid thing I hear is when an American tells me "we should oppose Russia and China!"

• 1) Cold War 1.0. is old news.
• 2) Russia is democratic (to at least the extent that the US is democratic, in relation to corruption and such. I guess we don't assassinate anyone, but...) and capitalist, so out goes the "RAWR SOVIETS IN HIDING!" bullshit.
• 3) If we expect to do anything against China, we need to be friends with Russia and India, so suck it up, shut the fuck up, and deal with it, we're friends with Russia now.

I am now known as Flyboy.

And who doesn't want armored dolphins and battle bears on their team?

In serious news, I think it was said previously, but the generations that feared Russia back in the Cold War are still alive today, and along with everything else they've kept alive, their fear has been perpetuated.

Well, I guess you could be annoyed at how Putin is obviously real power behind the state even when hes prime minister, but I don't think anyone really is afraid of communusim anymore...

Huh, me an Rott agree on something.

Yeah, I live in a country where Russophobia is ingrained in the culture (it's even in our coat of arms, the Scimitar is the evil oriental russkies). Every debate I've had about militarism and the conscript *

ends up an argument about the nebulous threat of War, which assumes Russia is just itching to see Finland lower its defenses.

Sure, Russia isn't the most democratic and peaceful nation in Eurasia, the nation was built on assimilation and erasure of millions of people of different backgrounds (something that still goes on to this day), and has a tendency to use it's heavy energy export as a leverage in political debates with Eastern Europe, but they're just trying to make some sense out of the confusion that was left after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

the statement above is false

These are political affairs. Holding a different view on it than you and Putin does not make one a "Russophobe". Or do you disagree, Rottweiler?

Let's just say and leave it at that.

Russophobia comes to play when Russia is automatically viewed as the villain. Georgia provoked the conflict partly because they viewed themselves to be on the moral high ground due to the heavy anti-russia sentiment.

the statement above is false

^^^Yeaaaaaaaah, we people in Finland seem to think that Russia is "Democracy" only in that they claim to be and that they censor their news so much to hide their evil deeds and kill everyone who disagrees with goverment while having old backward technology because they don't progress or something. Oh, and they pollute enviroment to the point where it can't be restored again!

...What? Thats what I've collected from stuff I've heard about Finns speaking about Russia Though, the current political party in Russia causing stagnation because Putin is fine with how things are currently in Russia and doesn't because of that care about progress and making things better there is something I heard from a talk show.

But yeah, Russia seems to be automatically the villain even though media mostly uses neutral terms.

My opinion? I find Russian goverment corrupt, don't like what I've heard about their enviroment policy and Russians are sexy in both genders.

edited 25th Oct '11 3:27:31 AM by SpookyMask