Originally posted by Emacs No, it wasn't. We always were defensive side right until the Afghanistan (the biggest mistake IMO).
It's the biggest mistake to think USSR were aggressor. Take a look how many aggression acts were made by americans. How many dictatorship were established in latin america with their help.
You must be blind not to notice these things. Especially today: Iraq, Libiya (there are many even more cruel dictators than Ghaddafi was all over the world. Unfortunatelly for him, those countries doesn't have so many oil resources and money — what about $200.000.000.000 of Libiya government where only $1.500.000.000 were given to rebel government?)
There is "state" giving and "citizen" giving... Maybe it is mostly propaganda but I see very little (or a lot less) private giving to people other than their own kind, coming out of the rest of the world inc. Russia..
Granted it is difficult and not very humane to criticize a country for lack of global charity or even helping their own kind (there are economic disparities to consider and system stimulus ie tax breaks) but I believe that peoples charities should be considered when "judging" a society. "we" don't always agree w/ our political policies be "we" do give a lot to the world and ourselves w/ few
strings attached..
To help educate me I would not mind you listing a few Russian based private charities that donate outside your borders.......
THIS link I assume is a bit harsh in it's criticism and is linked ONLY as a reference point......
Al Fin: The Largest Russian Charity Takes in $4.2 Million
counterpoint to the above but I fail to see much talk about "international giving"
Russian charities wrestle with suspicion and tax hikes | SOCIETY | The Moscow News Quote: Plans to free up more cash have been welcomed – albeit cautiously.
“It seems that they finally decided to Western experience and outsource social services non-profits,” Tulchinskaya said.
But she said it was important that these grants supported infrastructur projects, otherwise it would be nothing but a political campaign, as in previous election years.
The then plan was to give money from the budget to support individuals in need, which was “a complete nonsense”, as Tulchinskaya called it.
“The government should help its individual citizens through state-run social-facilities,” she said.
“Of course no-one says that there should be no help to particular people, but that should come from other sources,” she concluded.
Not exactly a "rosy" picture and mirrors some of our worst
"backward thinking"
One for your side.....
http://www.sponsorachild.org.uk/eastern-europe/sponsor-a-child-in-russia http://www.soschildrensvillages.org.uk/sponsor-a-child/europe/russia Quote: Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia has been striving to overcome the legacy of Communism. While there have been positive economic trends, the benefits are slow to filter down to ordinary people. Wages are low, inequality continues to rise and poverty is at significant levels, particularly among families with children or single-parent families, leading to many children being abandoned into state care or onto the streets
as a side and personal note:
Russia has all the resources, land mass, and educated thinkers to be like and compete w/ the US (and if you so choose to be better, well I see that as a possibility).. if it wasn't for the immense and deep rooted political and capitalistic corruption imbedded in it's framework..