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elcorreodetorreon · 6 years

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Rusia. News from Ambassador Yakovenko regarding Salisbury Incident and lack of response from UK

23 February 2019

Moscow: 16:09

London: 13:09

Consular queries:

+44 (0) 203 668 7474

[email protected]

356 days have passed since the Salisbury incident - no credible information or response from the British authorities 348 days have passed since the death of Nikolay Glushkov on British soil - no credible information or response from the British authorities

PRESS RELEASES AND NEWS

22.02.2019

Russia 2019-2025: 5G country (by Ambassador Alexander Yakovenko).

Despite the attention that foreign policy enjoys in the media headlines, Russian domestic social and economic development enjoys the top priority for my compatriots. That was also the main theme of President Putin’s Address to the Federal Assembly. Serious progress has been made in this area in the recent decade according to the long-term national objectives that we have set for ourselves. Massive financial resources, accumulated by virtue of the nation’s creativity, talents and hard work, are concentrated on development goals. Just a few examples:

Extra $1 bn has been earmarked for the social benefits within the new home loans system in 2019-2021, which will be used by as many as 600,000 families. In the same period approximately $1.35 bn is to be directed for support measures for families having a third and subsequent children. By the end of 2021 additional 270,000 places will be created in nurseries, both state-owned and private, with over $2.2 bn allocated for this purpose from national and local budgets over a three-year period.

In the healthcare sector 1590 outpatient clinics and paramedic stations are to be built or renovated in 2019-2020, with the focus on IT technologies making healthcare more accessible even in the most remote regions.

New green technologies will gradually replace oil and diesel fuel with gas and electricity in city transport as well as private cars. By 2025 industrial pollution will be reduced by at least 20%.

Plans are in place to create a cultural-educational regional network, with major hubs operating in Kaliningrad, Kemerovo, Vladivostok and Sevastopol. By combining access to the funds of our leading museums and theatres with extensive educational capacities, they will become the genuine cultural magnets.

For a country as large as Russia, communications are vital. In 2019-2025 60 airports are to be built, expanded or upgraded, including new ones in Khabarovsk, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. The traffic capacity of the Baikal-Amur and Trans-Siberian railway lines will nearly double. 5G network is already being installed and in a few years it should cover the whole territory of Russia.

The expenses will be significant, of course, but we are prepared for it. First and foremost, they constitute investments in the better life of our citizens. And we can afford it. Despite all these ambitious projects, our budget shows steady surplus. The GDP growth is predicted to exceed 3% in 2021 and surpass the world’s annual rates afterwards. Quite ambitious for today’s Europe.

Being a sovereign and steadily developing state, Russia is ready for cooperation with all countries. This is the essence of our foreign policy.

Alexander Yakovenko

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Court of St.James’s

LATEST EVENTS

23.02.2019 - Statement by First Deputy Permanent Representative Dmitry Polyanskiy at the UN Security Council Meeting on CAR

We would like to thank Special Representative P.Onanga-Anyanga, African Union Commissioner S.Chergui, European External Action Service Managing Director for Africa K.Vervaeke, Permanent Representative of Morocco O.Hilale and Representative of Côte d'Ivoire G.Hipeau for their briefings. Let me express our sincere gratitude to Mr. Parfait Onanga-Anyanga for his work as Head of MINUSCA. Parfait, you have proven to be the man who would not lose temper even in a critical situation. Your contribution to stabilization in CAR can hardly be overestimated. We hope that your expertise and experience will be in demand in the UN system. We wish you every success in your future endeavors. Mm. President,

21.02.2019 - Embassy Press Officer’s reply to a media question concerning placing Sergey and Yulia Skripal on a missing person list

Question: How would you comment on the media reports suggesting that Sergey Skripal’s mother has officially requested Russian law enforcement agencies to record her son and granddaughter as missing and initiate a missing person investigation? According to the British side, the UK agencies have not received any official notice from the Russian authorities with regard to placing the Skripals on a missing person list. Answer: We fully understand the natural concern of Elena Skripal with what has happened to her relatives. The situation is exacerbated by a lack of access to the Russian citizens in violation of international law and the bilateral 1965 Consular Convention. In this case we are unable to officially state that Sergey and Yulia are still alive. We are disturbed by the recent media leaks concerning the worsening health of Sergey Skripal, whose track has been lost since the incident on 4 March 2018. As for Yulia, she was seen only once in May 2018 in a video address which was obviously pre-written by the British secret services. All this indicates that both our nationals are being isolated.

20.02.2019 - Comment by the Information and Press Department on the 5th anniversary of the state coup in Ukraine and its consequences

Following the 2014 state coup, which the United States and several other countries openly supported, Ukraine has been falling ever deeper into political chaos, corruption, lawlessness and aggressive nationalism. Over the past five years, Ukraine has been engulfed in violence and crimes committed on political and ideological grounds. Most of these crimes were not followed by appropriate legal action. The case of the snipers who shot people on Maidan has not been objectively investigated, and the tragedy in Odessa in May 2014 has not been solved. Contrary to their declarations of commitment to democracy and human rights and freedoms, the Ukrainian authorities are actually hunting down those whose views differ from the official position. Many independent Ukrainian media outlets and journalists, including editor-in-chief of RIA Novosti Ukraine Kirill Vyshinsky, have been victimised and persecuted.

19.02.2019 - INF TREATY: FACT SHEET

- Full name: Treaty Between the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the United States of America on the Elimination of Their Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles. - Signed in Washington on 8 December 1987 by General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev and President Ronald Reagan. Entered into force on 1 June 1988. - Required destruction of ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges of between 500 and 5500 kilometers, their launchers and associated support structures and support equipment, thus promoting stability and predictability, as well as playing a major role in reformatting the geopolitical landscape in Europe and interstate relations between the key players in this region. - Contained detailed rules on the procedure of missiles elimination and inspections.

19.02.2019 - Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks and answers to media questions at the Munich Security Conference, Munich, February 16, 2019

First of all, Wolfgang (Ischinger), thank you for your presentation and your kind words. There is yet another reason why I address [this conference] more often than anyone else: this is because you have kept your post for so long. Today, the situation on the European continent and generally in the Euro-Atlantic region is, certainly, extremely tense. There appear ever more new rifts and the old ones grow deeper. I think that under these circumstances, it is relevant and even timely to turn to the European Home idea, no matter how strange this may sound in the current situation. Many great modern day politicians realised the need for pooling the potentials of absolutely all European states. Let me mention Charles de Gaulle, who put forward the concept of Greater Europe from the Atlantic to the Urals, a peaceful Europe without divides or bloc confrontations, which, in his opinion, made Europe “artificial and barren.” Chancellor Helmut Kohl and President Francois Mitterrand also spoke about the importance of the broadest possible partnership with Russia in the name of stability and security.

17.02.2019 - Embassy Press Officer’s reply to a media question concerning the appearance of the Russian flag on the Salisbury Cathedral

Question: How would you comment on the reports by the British media that on Sunday morning someone hoisted a Russian flag on the scaffolding around the Salisbury Cathedral? Answer: We saw these reports, but we do not have any official information on them. If the reports of hoisting a Russian flag are true, then it all looks to us like a well-staged provocation.

16.02.2019 - Embassy Press Officer’s reply to a media question concerning the interview by Dawn Sturgess's parents

Question: The Guardian has published an interview with the parents of the British citizen Dawn Sturgess, who died in July last year allegedly from “Novichok” poisoning. They put the blame for the non-transparent investigation on the UK government. How would you comment on their statements? Answer: We have studied carefully the interview and fully agree with Dawn Sturgess's family. Numerous questions regarding the tragedy in Amesbury remain unanswered, the British authorities continue to conceal the circumstances of that incident. We fully understand the fair indignation Dawn Sturgess's relatives feel.

14.02.2019 - Embassy Press Officer’s reply to a media question concerning recent appeals of the British officials to impose new sanctions against Russia

Question: How would you comment on the recent statements by the British officials calling upon their European partners to impose new sanctions against Russia over the incident in the Kerch Strait last year? Answer: We have not been surprised with such an active UK’s approach. Those statements have clearly shown the anti-Russian essence of the current Conservative government’s policy. British officials are doing their utmost to avoid conducting a normal intergovernmental dialogue with Russia, while using only the language of ultimatums and sanctions.

13.02.2019 - Statement by Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia at the UN Security Council Briefing on Ukraine

Mr. President, Above all, let me thank today’s briefers: Mr. M.Jenča, Mm. U.Müller, Mr. E.Apakan and Mr. M.Sajdik. We have initiated this meeting in order to discuss the course of implementation of “Package of Measures for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements” – the most important document for the settlement of Ukraine’s internal crisis. It was signed 4 years ago, on 12 February 2015 by the representatives of OSCE, Ukraine, Russia, DPR and LPR.

11.02.2019 - Statement by Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia at UN Security Council meeting on the situation in Kosovo

Thank you, Mr. President, Above all, we would like to thank our colleagues from Equatorial Guinea for their principal position and for inclusion of a meeting on Kosovo in the Council’s agenda for February in order to discuss the situation in the Province and the report by Secretary-General of 31 January on the implementation of UNSC resolution 1244. We welcome the participation of Mr. Ivica Dačić, First Deputy Prime-Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia. Distinguished Minister, we share the profound concerns about the situation in Kosovo that you talked about.

all messages 2012 @ The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia

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allthatwonderwander-blog · 6 years

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Why Learn a new language and how i am learning!

Salut!/ Oye!/ Dia dhuit!/ Salaam ‘alaykum/ Salam!/ Bonjourno!/ Priyvet!/ Hello! <3

Now being a Linguistic anthropology major you can tell right away that i love to learn new languages, but when i tell people how many languages i am learning i get questions like “How do you keep them straight in your head?” “Why do you need to know so many languages?” and my favorite “You are a blonde, white girl, why do you want to learn Persian and Arabic?” well, my friend, ill tell you why!!!!

Being an American, you can verify that there are only two languages that most people speak, being English, and Spanish. America has a long history of being a melting pot of different culture and languages, some of which stay alive in the family of those former immigrants that wanted to find a new and better life for their family due to the growing opportunities and the famous “American Dream” complex arising. However, there’s a lot of dark history in these Immigrants stories; due to the pushing of assimilation as well as American nationalism of the time, and still happening in modern day, some families lost their culture and diverse language to fully become an English speaking, Anglocentric American. For instance, my family are descendants of Irish, Scottish, German and English immigrants (everyone in America, except Native Americans, are descendants of immigrants) and yes, we speak English, being that it is the official language of the USA, but that’s as far as I am connected to my English history; you don’t see me whipping up English tea and blood pudding for breakfast. As far as my German side, we celebrate Christmas with a Christmas tree just like everyone else; but HEYYYYYYYY bonus fact, the tradition of the Christmas tree was started in Germany ---> (https://www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmas-trees). But as far as connection to my heritage, when you look at me you can pick out what I am based on my features and that is pretty much it.

Now how does America compare to the rest of the world based on Language education? Well simply, America is very America centric with most of its citizens only speaking English fluently, and some can speak at a beginner to intermediate level of another language, most popular being French and Spanish because those are provided in the public-school system. As for Europe and Africa, most of my European/African friends speak many language; for example, my French buddy can obviously speak French, and English, I also have English speaking, as well as regional native speaking, friends that are Persian, Italian, Ivorian (Cote d’ivore), Egyptian, Swedish, German, Irish (yes, Irish people have their own language), Welsh (yes, they do as well), Romanian, and Russian. All of them speak their native language, as well as English, but also speak other languages on top of that! For instance, my Ivorian friend speaks English and French as well as many native tribal languages. So why is America so unilingual while a lot of the world is polylingual? I believe it’s geography. Going back to my Ivorian friend, she comes from Cote d’ivore where their Official language is French, but the common people still hold on to their tribal roots and have continued the native tribal languages, so when she goes to the market she needs to know these languages so that she can communicate with individuals that speak another tribal language, as well as for English, she moved to America when we were in high school, so for her to communicate she learned English. In America, our neighbors to the north speak majority English, so in North America unless you are going to Mexico or Quebec, Canada, there is no real need to learn a different language; even if you do go to Quebec or Mexico you don’t need to know the respective languages because chances are there will be English speakers in these areas, or at least understand enough to help you. So, Why learn a new language even if you are not traveling to a different country, or even thinking about traveling to a different country? My answer is quite simple; Understanding. In America everyone can pretty much agree that the news platforms are biased towards the news that they think either will or won’t boost their views and rating. Which is a smart strategy when you’re just looking at the success of the news group, but when it comes to understanding different cultures an ocean’s away from our own, it can create prejudices, and stereotypes. Why I chose to learn new languages, I did it to understand more about the Iranian Nuclear conflict, as well as the Israel/Palestine conflict; I’m a huge history and politics buff if you couldn’t tell. So, since I was only getting the American side of what I was learning, I decided if I truly wanted to see both sides I would have to understand the language of the other side of the argument, because I was always taught, history is written by Victor. So, I took to the internet to find a way to learn languages, and found websites books and apps, while they are great for practicing and learning the written language, but they don’t help you KNOW the language in the sense of being able to speak to a native speaker. So, I went to find Pen pals, what is a pen pal? They are people just like you from all over the world that wish to see what life is like for citizens of different parts of the world from their own, also they are perfect for language exchange. I came across this great website called interpals.net and set my status as “Trying to learn Persian, would someone like to help?” and I got a message not too long after saying [Hello, my name is {Persian friend} and I am from Tehran and now live in Azerbaijan for university. I saw you wanted to learn Persian, I would be honored to be your Persian friend.” That was my first pen pal and now we have been talking for almost 2 years. We talk about visiting each other and truly seeing what our respective countries look like. But I learned how to say Salam Sobh bekheir, chetori chakhabar? (Hello good morning, how are you?) sorry if the spelling is wrong I speak it not write it xD.

But since learning these languages I have found out what they see as important in their society, for example in Arabic there are manyyyyyyyyyyyyyy words for the word “love,” as well as the history of the nation because language is an adaptive thing, it changes from nation to nation and you can see where the people came from based on language families, as well as seeing the history of the conquered nations based on the official languages of the country, for example in Ukraine they speak Russian but they also speak Ukrainian, which is another Slavic language, this shows that not only did Ukrainians and Russian hailed from similar ancestors, but at one point Russian had political power over Ukraine.

So, now the question you all been asking (maybe…). How do you even learn a language? I don’t want to pay 100s of dollars to sit in a classroom confused? Well you don’t have to! Go online or travel and find a friend that speaks the language you wish to learn! That’s how I learned! Get them to teach you as many phrases as you think you can handle a day by just throwing them into conversation and provide a translation, from there you can try and throw those words into similar context in your part of the conversation. I also find it really helps to learn how the language is spoken as well as accents of the language by watching foreign movies, television shows and by listening to music from a different country. But the one thing that is the biggest help in practice is language apps, like Duolingo, which I use. Duolingo uses pictures, sentence translations, matching and speaking exercises to help you study, and the app does talk to you if you are an auditory language learner like myself!

Language learning is practice but if you want to connect with another culture through their language, the work is well worth it!

“if you talk to a man in his second language, you’re talking to his brain, if you talk to him in his mother language you're talking to his heart.” --Nelson Mandela

#language #understanding #language learning #europe #africa #america #english #french #farsi #arabic #lingustics #irish #welsh #learning #friends #pen pal

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dimakalach · 5 years

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It’s hard for you to believe my words, but just imagine how hard it is for me to believe that someone in a distant country even reads and responds to a letter from some completely unfamiliar person from the Internet, and even from Russia.

This text is written in continuation of my appeal, which is also published on the website https://dimakdv.ru.gg

Translated from Russian using an online translator, the original text on the site https://dimakdv.ru.gg

Hello! Not a little time has passed since I posted my appeal for help, of course, first of all, material help! The results are sad, one person wrote shortly “There is no God,” and the other answered in more detail. He said that I praise and extol the USSR and communism, which, apparently, is already unacceptable for someone, and moreover, in the Soviet Union there was no place for religion, more precisely for Christianity, although even in Russia today there are Muslims, Buddhists and other faiths. And in general, the article is blurry, long and does not give a clear indication of a difficult life situation! And what will I write, describe all the diseases, go to the hospital and collect all the certificates ... My wife can do this, for her the hospital is already like a home, and I just don’t have time and energy for hospitals and treatment - pills give a little strength - Mildronate (meldonium), mexidol, and various painkillers, such as analgin, an ulcer from it has already developed, because very strong pains begin in the stomach and it becomes impossible to move, only baking soda helps! In general, this person said that I am a fraud and he will not help me, probably all people think so.

Honestly, there comes despair and disappointment, although I agree with him, I agree with you, as with people who look at it from the side, I would not believe a word, probably, because in fact there are a lot of scammers in life, and today, perhaps, every second person wants to make a profit out of everything, and on the Internet, anyone can impersonate someone else! I don’t know how I would have reacted to such a letter if I had the opportunity to help this person - probably in such cases something inside should tell about the decision - heart, soul! Although earlier, God knows I’m not lying to you, I didn’t refuse people help, even completely strangers!

Communism - I did not say anything about this in the letter, but the idea itself, not bad, was a mistake in that people tried on the role of God for themselves.

I talked about the USSR - I was born in 1974, in the Voronezh region - this is the area where people live in agriculture, when my parents broke up, they separated and I managed to live with my mother in Siberia in Tyumen, then with my father in Central Asia and I there were very good memories of people who lived at that time, these people were different from modern society, and changes in society took place before my eyes, and changes for the worse, in my opinion! At that time, everyone lived approximately the same way and were happy with every little thing, were good-natured and responsive, money didn’t solve anything - well, maybe in big cities money mattered, such as Moscow! At that time, housing was provided free of charge, free education, only honesty and honesty were required from a person! And then the USSR collapsed and my life with the country — it’s hard for me to convey the mood of that time — then people didn’t turn to the police (police) for justice, but to the criminals, to the bandits who were released from prison! And they taught me honesty in kindergarten, at school, at home - do not deceive, do not steal, protect the weak, do not offend girls, respect the elderly...

Mostly my grandparents raised me, and I remember, as a child, how my grandmother hid religious books written in Old Slavonic, hid in a wardrobe and asked me not to tell anyone about it, because they could come, pick up books and also condemn, although in 1970-1980 it became much easier in relation to religion. I began to read the scriptures at school, in the elementary grades. In my appeal, I wrote that my grandmother possessed a gift (skill) from God - she treated sick people with prayers, in our family it lasts for many generations! Of course, my grandmother told me a lot about how the spiritual world works, about the inhabitants of that world - who helps people and who harms. Later, I myself was always interested in the Bible, because it is very important to understand who God is, because when Jesus was asked "what is eternal life," he answered "Eternal life in the knowledge of God!" Therefore, for me, the spiritual world is as real as a computer is in front of you, or as a pet - a dog or a cat! In general, I’m not talking about God in vain, my life is closely connected with Him, because in my life I often meet religious people, in Ukraine, for example, God brought me to Jehovah's Witnesses, and I attended their meetings and made many discoveries for myself...

My family, my wife and I are now in a very difficult situation, and I talked about this, but I wrote an appeal where I ask for financial assistance only because I had a dream at night, and a night dream that I have to do this - it's true, and I, as a believer, did this, I turned to you for help, although in my doubts I am still right! It’s hard for you to believe my words, but just imagine how hard it is for me to believe that someone in a distant country even reads a letter and responds to a completely unknown person from the Internet, and even from Russia (yes, they told me appeal to people from other nations, from other countries). Therefore, I tell you, this is possible only for God, He sees hearts, and whom He loves, He encourages action! How this happens, I will tell you, even on the example of my letter to you:

- You are a kind person, learned about another person’s misfortune, and that he needs help, at this time God gives you the Holy Spirit, and you accept or reject him (you probably heard the expression “a person filled with the Holy Spirit”), but if you accept such a gift, a person can become truly happy, which is why Jesus Christ said that his burden is light, although at first glance the opposite seems! The life of any person can change in one second, we cannot know what will happen tomorrow, and most often we can not influence what is happening - in such cases we call God for help, but will He respond when help is needed?!

Many today have turned their backs on God - people have many reasons, but few know why! Everyone heard about the End of the World, the Apocalypse, someone today says that nothing will happen, someone builds shelters, digs shelters, even buys land on other planets, but all these actions are completely useless! The fact that this will happen is a fact, we all see obvious changes, signs from heaven, disasters and shocks, wars and rumors of wars, and most importantly changes in society ... Jesus said that as the trees bloom and you know that summer is coming, so there are signs of the last days, and as summer comes, so that day will surely come. Also, Jesus said that it is impossible for a person to be saved, but everything is possible for God! Therefore, through religious organizations, people are misled, through the governments of countries people are created living conditions that are estranged from God ... Even my example, a person really disappears, and someone has the opportunity to help two living souls at once, but how to believe?!

Sitting at the writing of these texts, I suddenly got the idea that I know a lot about what should happen and what needs to be done to be able to save - this information has been collected in me throughout my life, from childhood, and how it turns out that it is consistent with the Bible - this is important because a person should not speak on his own; remember, even Jesus always said: "It is said ... It is written ...". And I thought that I could expound this knowledge and put it into free access to the Internet, even if one person finds something useful there for himself - that's good! Unless of course I have enough time and energy...

Everything, there is nothing more to write! And yet, I ASK YOU, WE VERY NEED YOUR HELP! PLEASE HEAR US, WHILE I ALREADY HAVE A CHANCE TO CHANGE LIFE! I AM READY FOR YOUR TERMS! OUR MAIN PROBLEM IS DEBT, AMOUNT ABOUT 600,000 RUBLES OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION, IT IS LESS THAN $ 10,000 $, you do not need the whole amount, and not necessarily a large amount, send as much as you can, we will be grateful to you for the smallest! No, I’m not a squander, and not a windy person - it happened, it happens! I try very hard, but my debt does not decrease, and perhaps it will begin to increase due to delays! Maybe I can do something for you...

If necessary, I will give you my phone number, but I do not know foreign languages. Here is the email address: [email protected]

God bless you! Amen

#charity

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manwithasociologyblog · 6 years

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This is an interview with my grandmother who is from Cuba but has lived in North America and Europe. She was a Marxist activist when she was younger and a history teacher, and later a nurse. I translated and rephrased the dialogue as we discussed these things in Spanish. I decided to conduct and interview with her to see her opinions about how youth in the nations she's live in treat their elders, what changes can be made, and her thoughts about my project.

Me: Hello, abuela [grandma] I will ask you a few questions if you don't mind.

Abuela: Please, go ahead.

Me: You have lived both in Cuba and Canada, do you see a difference between how elders are treated in both nations?

Abuela: Yes, of course. In Canada you don't see many elderly people outside enjoying the joys of life. They do not get much respect from the youth and are shoved away from the mainstream. Often isolated. Often placed into nursing homes. In Cuba the elderly are everywhere conversing in the streets, with both old and young. They are welcomed in many venues. They are invited to street parties by the young. They play dominoes with both old and young neighbours. The young enjoy listening them sing and play son and guajiras.

Me: You also lived in Europe too, specifically Spain. In class we learned that in "Hispanic cultures" there is an emphasis on respect to elders, do you agree?

[My grandma is confused what Hispanic actually means, since the notion of Hispanicness is something that's only widespread among Anglo Americans. The term Hispano in Cuba was actually only used to refer to white Cubans, and not mixed, Afro or Asian-Cubans who made up the rest of the population.]

Abuela: The Spaniards are different than those in the Caribbean who are different than those in south America. We here in the Caribbean and south America have got our culture from Spain but in Cuba we also have got it from Africans. In Peru they have from Incas. So all our cultures are different. I believe its true that the Spanish culture from Europe was the strongest and had the most impact on us, but if anything Spain itself has changed very. To consider the culture of Spain similar to that of Cuba is akin to considering the culture of Jamaica to that of England.

Me: So do you think Spaniards and Cubans differ in their views of the elderly?

Abuela: My father was born in rural Catalonia [Spain] and he would always say that in Catalonia people worshipped their elders, and he unfortunately didn't see that in Cuba. Cuba in the late 1950s was developing quickly and a lot of traditional values like love for the grandparents that originated in Spain were disappearing in Cuba. It may be because the revolution that Cuba went back to traditional norms or maybe it was his preception in differences between the rural Catalan area opposed to the Cuban city-life, or what it meant to respect the elder because for my father it was a sin to even speak against his parents, but the culture in Spain as of now is not the same as it was. Spain has become like other western European countries, where their is more worship of self, material, and youth and older people are not respected as they were. I still think it is still more traditional than Canada just like France is, but I think the wealthier countries have all become similar in their disregard for the old.

Me: I see

Abuela: You mentioned Hispanos [again Hispanos in her mind refers to white people; as Anglo is generally used to refer to white Americans], well I do think there is something to it. The Hispanos of western Cuba were becoming similar to that of the North American and Western European people, and that's possibly what my father saw. Cuba was heavily Americanized before the revolution and this was especially true of western Cuba and upper strat of western Cuba dominated by whites. Spain was changing in that time and millions of Spaniards, many fromt he cities, were immigrating to Cuba, particularly the west and they were bringing those additional values too. So my fathers views of Cuba's more richer white population might've been what made gave him that pov. I think that once these countries start becoming richer and the focus becomes on egotism and materialism, that's when elders are forgotten. I lived also in Ukraine and the values there are similar to Cuba even now.

Me: In what way do you think they're the same and why?

Abuela: the respect for the elder and the place of the elder among people, even the youth is there. Ukrainian people are very respectful of their grandparents and they love learning their traditions from them. This is why Cuba and Ukraine to me are very similar. Spain to me has become as foreign as Canada.

Me: But what do you think makes both Cuba and Ukraine so different than Spain and Canada?

Abuela: Both Cuba and Ukraine are poor and both have a history of communism. In communist societies there was a push the revere the old, as there was a push to revere the contribution of all people in the nation. In the end too Cubas culture is largely European and Christian and so all four of those countries have similarties, but I think the economic development in Canada and Ukraine is what made them change. Cuba and Ukraine retain those old European values from times past. In western Cuba it was the Palestinos who helped reawaken those values which had started to change before the revolution. If it wasn't for the revolution Cuba would probably be no different.

[Palestinos is a Cuban term for post-revolutionary migrants from Eastern Cuba to Western Cuba, a large influx of them have come to the more economically developed western Cuba, especially Havana since the exile and emigration of much of the middle and upper-class (white) Cuban population left a lot of uninhabited areas in the region. Historically, Western Cuba was predominately white, while Eastern Cuba was predominately mixed and black, much of the Palestino population is Afro-Cuban]

Me: That's kind of odd to hear you say that Palestinos, who are largely Afro-Cuban would be the ones who brought back "traditional European values."

Abuela: People from the Oriente [Eastern Cuba] were largely poor and illiterate, they only knew what they had been taught for hundreds of years, whether black or white. The Spaniards repressed the Africans they brought to Cuba of their native cultures and assimilated them into their own, this is the reason why. However, respect of elders is not just not found in European cultures but also in African ones. In fact I don't think it was only Spanish values but also the values found in Lukumi (an Afro Cuban religion my grandmother practices), where the ancestors are seen as deities and the elder babalawos (priests). Many Cubans now both white and black practice Lukumi and in fact maybe these ideas have helped maintain that respect as well in the general culture.

Me: Maybe, do you.. [she cut me]

Abuela: But what I wanted to make a point to say that it goes beyond European or African and in all cultures there was a respect for elders. Its in modern times that the richer western countries have began to lose that respect.

[after explaining the difference between individualist and collectivist cultures to her]

Me: do you think the lingering forms of collectivism in Cuba and Ukraine have played a role in this?

Abuela: Exactly. In Cuba and Ukraine people still often live with their families, the traditional familiar roles are still established, so the elders are always seen as the most respected in the household and this carries on to other parts of the society. The "indepdendence" [individualist] culture of Canadians doesn't maintain those family units. Kids are kicked out of their homes at the age of 18 and families do not live together. There are not such tight bonds and familial roles as in there are in our countries.

Me: How about the rise in technology, do you think that plays a part?

Abuela: Yes that too. When we were young we learned from our parents and grantparents, books could only tell so much and many rural people in Cuba couldn't read. Computers were not around. My grandmother would take me mushroom foraging and she would know which mushrooms were poisonous by the smell alone. We relied on our elders for many life skills, now people turn to skype and other things.

Me: Skype, lol? Do you mean google?

Abuela: Yes, that thing [in a vulgar way; she's not too fond of the internet]

Me: What things do you think elders could teach young people about the modern world?

Abuela: Many things!

Me: Like what?

Abuela: Well young people are crazy about nature [the environment] and saving the planet. They don't like chemicals in food. And other things, they want to be more natural, those in your generation. They want to go back living how we did [in terms of health]. God forbid, but I realized a lot of young people in Canada do not even know how to cook. I'm positive many Canadian elders know how to, so elders could help teach them. Young people complain that they don't have time, but there are many old ways of naturally perserving things, all it takes is dedicating a day and you can eat jared things for a month instead of going to McDonalds daily.

Me: What types of foods do you have in mind?

Abuela: Vegetables, Fruits, even meats. Cereals are easy to preserve and don't take long to prepare, I don't think the excuse of time is a good one. Going back to these old ways could not only be efficient but the healthy choice young [something akin to health-nuts?] are looking for. These skills can be taught by elders who knew these methods.

Me: A lot of environmentalists are also fond of the idea of growing their own fruits and vegetables..

Abuela: That is a good thing! And that is another thing elders can teach them.

Me: Which reminds me how you and abuelo taught me to properly cut and plant sugar cane with all the correct techniques.

Abuela: Yes, while your brother couldn't even keep a house plant alive now.

Me: [laughing] ... I told you about the plans for my projects, what do you think of my idea for creating such organizations that would bring elders and youth in communities together?

Abuela: I love the idea, I wish it could be visualized in real life.

Me: I do believe there are many organizations that are trying to do just that, though.

Abuela: I'm happy to hear, I wish them the best of luck. It will be tough.

Me: Anyways, do you think elders around the world face prejudice and discrimination, and if so in what way?

Abuela: Yes, of course! There are many ways but largely when it comes to employment and health. People see us as fragile and don't take us seriously when we want to work, they disregard us and complain that we are taking up spaces for the young. But many of us still need to work.

Cris: You also said health, what do you mean?

Abuela: Oh, yes. In the health sector many elders face abuse, discrimination, and neglect. Doctors do not take our concerns seriously, and many don't want to treat us the way they would younger people, because of our old age. We are not treated as equals by them in the way younger people are. This is in Cuba as much as in Canada.

Me: What do you think stands in the way of elders in Canada being given the respect they once had or at least becoming more present in Canadian society?

Abuela: I think there's many things. One problem is how diverse Canada is now...

Me: Diverse? But Cuba is also diverse and you say it doesn't have the same problem, so what do you mean?

Abuela: Yes Cuba is like Canada, with many races but all Cuban. My friends and neighbours are black, they're white, Mulatos [term for mixed race in Cuba], Chinitos [term for Asian Cubans], Turcos and Rusos even [Turks and Russians, both incorrectly used for mostly Lebanese Arabs and Eastern Europeans in general]... but in Cuba we had a strong push for nationalism and cultural homogenity. My father didn't teach me Catalan but only Spanish. Most Cubans who have parents or grandparents from non-Castillian [Spanish] areas were pushed to assimilate to Cuban culture. For this reason Cubans do not have much cultural tensions, because we are different races but all Cuban and all share Cuban culture. In Canada its not the same.

Me: So you're saying that Canada's multiculturalism is an issue?

Abuela: It's only one of them, but yes. I personally like the idea of multiculturalism and don't like the fact that my father and my grandfather were pressured to give up their cultures, but it did create a larger overall communal feeling. I don't see that in Canada unfortunately. This is especially so with older people. They often feel isolated, particularly if they don't speak English. So they stay within their communities if they are immigrants. Its difficult in Canada because as long as you have people speaking different languages, I don't think there could be true cultural unity among people and this will always cause splinters and make it hard to organize such things. Even when I lived in Canada I felt very isolated when your parents and siblings or the rest of the family were not around. I did not feel very welcome or the sense of community I feel in Cuba or even in Europe. Canadians can be occasionally helpful but I feel they are cold people. If you could reach out to the older people who are not part of the mainstream society, that could help a lot.

Me: I see. What other factors stand in the way?

Abuela: the general modern attitudes and culture, people are glued to their computer screens, they have little time for each other, let alone older people. I fear the same will happen in Cuba as the country develops and becomes wealthier.

Me: I told you about the replacement rates in countries like Cuba and Canada and how they're much, much lower than they should be. What do you think could happen if these attitudes aren't changed?

Abuela: It hurts my heart to think about it. The west will be filled with abandoned and neglected old people, suffering from depressions, and other aliments. This is why I think things have to change and the youth must think about the elders again, because eventually one day they will be in the same positions as us.

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giancarlonicoli · 6 years

Link

Please see the comments. Here and on the source page.

Authored by Steve H. Hanke of the Johns Hopkins University. Follow him on Twitter @Steve_Hanke.Reporting of the historic Singapore Summit between President Donald J. Trump and Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un has been fascinating. The lead story in Pyongyang has been on the Supreme Leader’s Singapore walk around, and his desire to learn about economic development from the Singapore Strategy. In the western press, however, Pyongyang’s lead story is nowhere to be found.Kim Jong-un is clearly onto something. As anyone watching telecasts from Singapore during the past few days could observe, Singapore appears to be very prosperous. And it is. Measured by per capita income, Singaporeans are some of the richest people in the world. The economy is capitalist, and capitalist on steroids. That’s why Singapore has shot up from the depths of the Third World, at its founding, to the upper reaches of the First World, today.Singapore gained its independence in 1965, when it was, in effect, thrown out of Malaysia. At that time, Singapore was backward and poor — a barren speck on the map in a dangerous part of the world. If that wasn’t enough, it was experiencing race riots, which came close to igniting a civil war. Singapore’s per-capita income in 1965, adjusted for inflation, was roughly equivalent to that of poor countries like Albania, Angola, Armenia, Guyana, Kosovo, and Mongolia, today.But, at its founding, Singapore had a leader, Lee Kuan Yew. He had clear ideas about how to modernize the country — a strategy which I have dubbed the “Singapore Strategy.” This strategy contained the following elements:The first element was stable money. Singapore started with a currency board system — a simple, transparent, rule-driven monetary regime. Currency boards operate on autopilot, with automatic adjustments keeping the system in balance. Accordingly, currency boards deliver discipline to the spheres of money, banking, and fiscal affairs. For Singapore, the currency board provided stable prices and free convertibility of the Singaporean dollar, which was fully backed by foreign reserves and gold, at a fixed exchange rate. This established confidence and attracted foreign investment.The second element was that Lee Kuan Yew ruled out passing the begging bowl. Singapore refused to accept foreign aid of any kind. This is a far cry from many developing countries, where, when you pick up the paper, all you see are politicians and bureaucrats trying to secure foreign aid from someone, be it an NGO, a foreign government, or an international financial institution, like the World Bank. By contrast, signs reading “no foreign aid” were hung figuratively outside every government office in Singapore.The third element was that Singapore strived to have first-world, competitive private enterprises. This was accomplished via light taxation and light regulation, coupled with completely open and free trade — in short, policies that enabled Singapore to become one of the Asian Tigers.The fourth element in the Singapore Strategy was an emphasis on personal security, public order, and the protection of private property.The fifth, and final, element in the Singapore Strategy was a “small,” transparent government — a minimalist government that avoided complexity and “red tape”.To execute the strategy with precision, Singapore appoints only first-class civil servants and pays them first-class wages. Today, for example, the Singaporean Finance Minister’s annual salary is 1.3 million dollars (USD). In exchange for these high salaries, the Singapore Strategy demands that the government runs a tight ship, with no waste or corruption. By embracing Lee Kuan Yew’s Singapore Strategy of stable money, no foreign aid, first-world competition, law and order, and a government that is free of waste and corruption, Singapore has transformed itself from a poor, barren speck to a global financial center.It should come as no surprise that Singapore today is one of the freest, most flexible, and prosperous economies in the world. Kim Jong-un clearly has his eye on a winning strategy. Maybe the Supreme Leader is a bit more clever than most western observers give him credit for.This piece was originally published on Forbes.com

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peddling-fiction

Tue, 07/10/2018 - 14:35

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Socialists take note. Chuckle.

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LadyAtZero

peddling-fiction

Tue, 07/10/2018 - 15:41

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I visited Singapore about a year ago.

It absolutely hums.

Busses are full of commuters at 6:30 am.

Streets are clean.

Restaurants operating and full.

Nice, warm evenings to walk around in and we felt really safe.

A very nice place to visit.

In reply to Socialists take note… by peddling-fiction

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Bay Area Guy

LadyAtZero

Tue, 07/10/2018 - 20:40

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I've been to Singapore probably 2 or 3 times a year for the past six years. I love the food there, particularly in the hawker centers. My wife has relatives there, so we are able to see quite a bit of everyday life, as opposed to staying on the tourist circuit.

A lot of what Lee Kwan Yew accomplished is slowly being dismantled by the current Prime Minister, who happens to be LKY's son. Little Lee embarked on a growth at all costs platform and brought in quite a large number of foreign workers, displacing Singaporeans in the process (sound familiar?) and courted mainland China money to such an extent that a great many PRC's (as the locals now call mainland Chinese) came to the country. The locals hate them and they hate the, mostly, Indian laborers that were brought in on major projects.

I first went to Sing in 2010 and I was greatly impressed by how happy the people were, in general. As the years have passed, I am seeing fewer and fewer people with smiles on their faces and I'm seeing little cracks in the LKY legacy. People are cutting lines. The maintenance on the MRT system has gotten pretty bad, with frequent breakdowns on the older lines. And where you would never hear any complaints from the old time locals, now the complaints are more than just whispers.

Don't get me wrong. I still love going to Singapore. But I'm afraid it is going to turn into just another one of the cleaner dirty shirts of the world. It's fast getting far too crowded for its own good and that is going to be Little Lee's legacy.

In reply to I visited Singapore about a… by LadyAtZero

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RafterManFMJ

Bay Area Guy

Tue, 07/10/2018 - 21:13

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Been there a 3 times since 2010 and yeah - the big change is people want OUT - Australia is a big draw and many people I talked to were slaving to earn their way into leaving S'pore

Too many im'grants driving down wages and people with options are exercising them

Spent the last week with a S'porean expatriate and she has no plans to go back voluntarily. It's a pressure cooker where the citizens have been sold the fuck out by the devil government - sound familiar?

In reply to I've been to Singapore… by Bay Area Guy

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BarkingCat

RafterManFMJ

Wed, 07/11/2018 - 00:26

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Sounds sad.

To take something so good and drive it into the ground is inexcusable.

In reply to Been there a 3 times since… by RafterManFMJ

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giovanni_f

BarkingCat

Wed, 07/11/2018 - 00:50

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singapore is a idiosyncratic mix of capitalist, socialist, authoritarian, monarchical elements, none of them necessarily bad. It is always nonsense to compare city states with large national states. In a city state it is absolutely obvious if a ruling clan/figure/oligarchy with dual citizenships messes things up. That's why they usually behave. Now compare this to the Ukraine or US.

I found that expats are usually not a good source of infomation as they mostly live in a parallel universe with little or only superficial knowledge of how local people live.

In reply to Sounds sad. To take… by BarkingCat

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thisandthat

BarkingCat

Wed, 07/11/2018 - 01:06

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There's "meritocracy" for you: soon it turns into nepotism, cronyism, greediness, kleptocracy and despotism and debt indenture. Nothing new or surprising, but there's a sucker born every minute...

In reply to Sounds sad. To take… by BarkingCat

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Lost in translation

BarkingCat

Wed, 07/11/2018 - 01:39

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US did the same with CA, precisely as you describe it.

In reply to Sounds sad. To take… by BarkingCat

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Lost in translation

RafterManFMJ

Wed, 07/11/2018 - 01:33

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I’m unclear as to why so many foreigners believe that “my gold is safely stored in Singapore,” when the US military maintains a base there, and warships of the US Navy are a regular sight.

http://east-usa.com/us-military-bases-in-singapore.html

In reply to Been there a 3 times since… by RafterManFMJ

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lakecity55

RafterManFMJ

Wed, 07/11/2018 - 04:46

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So, Singapore let (((Them))) in?

In reply to Been there a 3 times since… by RafterManFMJ

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Lost in translation

Bay Area Guy

Wed, 07/11/2018 - 01:19

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How can you handle that flight? LAX/HKG just kicks my ass.

In reply to I've been to Singapore… by Bay Area Guy

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OZZIDOWNUNDER

LadyAtZero

Wed, 07/11/2018 - 06:00

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- -and hideously expensive! Like A$12 can of beer.

In reply to I visited Singapore about a… by LadyAtZero

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Walking Turtle

peddling-fiction

Tue, 07/10/2018 - 20:59

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US Dems take note. Weep while another Deplorable One chuckles right along with peddling-fiction. Even Huey Long agrees, all the way from his grave, ffs! Now grow a pair, spit on your hands and take up with some HONEST work, y'bumz!

{Teehee!} Tol' y'so. Y'Demz all pelted Yours Truly with tinfoil in return. Ergo Trump and no turning back. And that is all. 0{;-)o[

In reply to Socialists take note… by peddling-fiction

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quesnay

Tue, 07/10/2018 - 14:38

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It's difficult to imagine North Korea going from extreme totalitarian regime that controls every aspect of it's citizen's lives and restricts, controls and monitors all communication to the extreme, moving to "light taxation and light regulation, coupled with completely open and free trade". You can't even own a computer without permission from the state, so how exactly are citizens going to transform themselves into modern free-market entrepreneurs with those kinds of road-blocks?

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css1971

quesnay

Tue, 07/10/2018 - 15:55

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A single generation.

In reply to It's difficult to imagine… by quesnay

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peddling-fiction

css1971

Tue, 07/10/2018 - 17:52

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The public caning will find common ground.

Law and order.

Maybe some westerners need a good caning as well.

Chuckle.

In reply to A single generation. by css1971

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TahoeBilly2012

peddling-fiction

Tue, 07/10/2018 - 18:01

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Asians adapt fast, look at China.

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peddling-fiction

TahoeBilly2012

Tue, 07/10/2018 - 19:19

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We adapted some folks.

In reply to Asians adapt fast, look at… by TahoeBilly2012

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MrButtoMcFarty

css1971

Wed, 07/11/2018 - 02:44

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And then nine more back to mediocrity.

In reply to A single generation. by css1971

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Scipio Africanuz

quesnay

Tue, 07/10/2018 - 16:51

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You underestimate Kim Jong Un, he'll get it done! Trump can help him, and perhaps, long after they're both gone, candles and incense will be lit for their souls....

In reply to It's difficult to imagine… by quesnay

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vato poco

Scipio Africanuz

Tue, 07/10/2018 - 19:02

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wait, where are all the liberal pussies complaining about Singapore's stifling conformity and how all that neatness and law & order and them parks and businesses prospering and kicking ass and low taxes makes it a cultural and artistic backwater?

whyyyy, Singapore will never become a world-class city like san francisco THAT way!

In reply to You underestimate Kim Jong… by Scipio Africanuz

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spieslikeus

vato poco

Tue, 07/10/2018 - 21:38

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The real question is are the bathrooms gender neutral?

In reply to wait, where are all the… by vato poco

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hxc

quesnay

Tue, 07/10/2018 - 17:53

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Pinochet saved Chile from the exact same fate, got it done quick with a few helicopters.

In reply to It's difficult to imagine… by quesnay

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roddy6667

quesnay

Tue, 07/10/2018 - 22:27

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A lot of Americans would consider Singapore extreme. Vandalism of public or private property is punished by flogging. This is a severe beating administered by a wooden stick that removes skin and flesh from your back. Chewing gum and a lot of other common Western practices are illegal. Chewing gum is seized at customs. Crime is almost non-existent because it is punished by extreme measures, even for small offenses. This does not meet most Westerners definition of "small and light government." Libertarians would freak out.

In reply to It's difficult to imagine… by quesnay

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vaporland

roddy6667

Wed, 07/11/2018 - 00:16

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flogging taggers? sign me up for that.

In reply to A lot of Americans would… by roddy6667

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Lost in translation

roddy6667

Wed, 07/11/2018 - 01:22

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Singapore is often touted as “how to make multiculturalism, work.”

Curiously absent from any discussion, however, is the amount of State force that is required to keep such a society, running.

In reply to A lot of Americans would… by roddy6667

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lakecity55

roddy6667

Wed, 07/11/2018 - 04:50

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Bath House Barry would enjoy the caning part.

In reply to A lot of Americans would… by roddy6667

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SergeA.Storms

Tue, 07/10/2018 - 14:41

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Yep. And to add, considered one of the safest cities in the world. How are they doing with diversity and importing MENA refugees?

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besnook

SergeA.Storms

Tue, 07/10/2018 - 15:08

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there is a big difference between asian diversity (singapore is very diverse including religious diversity) and western diversity among a bunch of barbarians.

In reply to Yep. And to add, considered… by SergeA.Storms

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rf80412

besnook

Tue, 07/10/2018 - 15:50

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Singapore keeps its diversity in check by rejecting identity politics, to the point of equating it with sedition. There are no laws or internal policies that favor one group over another, though it's predictable that many people think this is itself unfair.

The West suffers because it's elevated identity politics to a moral imperative, which invites people to strive to regulate every aspect of life according to some racial, ethnic, religious, sexual, etc. scheme.

In reply to there is a big difference… by besnook

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Lost in translation

besnook

Wed, 07/11/2018 - 01:35

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Not sharing an open border with Latin America surely helps.

In reply to there is a big difference… by besnook

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nickt1y

SergeA.Storms

Tue, 07/10/2018 - 17:03

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Diworsity above all else. After all that's what really counts

In reply to Yep. And to add, considered… by SergeA.Storms

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SergeA.Storms

nickt1y

Tue, 07/10/2018 - 17:11

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Someone can read /s. Sometimes I think I need to /s tag everything for the literalists here.

In reply to After all that what really… by nickt1y

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mo mule

Tue, 07/10/2018 - 14:52

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Well if NK can get the US to buy all their nukes, they would have the monies to start a new world order.....LOL

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ToSoft4Truth

Tue, 07/10/2018 - 15:04

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NK will always be an American dog exploiting their citizens for our cheap products of amusement - like X-mas decorations.

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Pernicious Gol…

Tue, 07/10/2018 - 15:30

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Kim went to school in Switzerland. He's seen cities outside Korea and China.

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ALANBEEKMAN

Tue, 07/10/2018 - 15:34

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Some Singapore laws would give SanFran libtards

nightmares. No spitting on sidewalks, no gum chewing,

no graffiti (that one will get you caned), no public

urination and horror of horrors, no homosexual relations.

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morongobill

ALANBEEKMAN

Tue, 07/10/2018 - 17:13

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Caning is the answer to a lot of societal problems.

In reply to Some Singapore laws would… by ALANBEEKMAN

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Lost in translation

morongobill

Wed, 07/11/2018 - 01:24

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Yep.

In reply to Caning is the answer to a… by morongobill

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Ethelred the Unready

ALANBEEKMAN

Tue, 07/10/2018 - 17:37

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You left out pooping on the sidewalk - "Pooparoni, the San Francisco treat" - aka Sidewalk Surprise. Also San Franciscans love to smash car windows, enabling them to access any valuables within. The resulting shower of tempered glass on the pavement gives the city an almost fairyland-like look. Especially around sunset.

In reply to Some Singapore laws would… by ALANBEEKMAN

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PacOps

ALANBEEKMAN

Tue, 07/10/2018 - 19:46

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We (expats) used to joke that if you liked Nazi Germany you would love Singapore.

That was back in the late 60's.

Had an apartment in S'pore early 70's. Just a great place to live and play. I imagine still is.

In reply to Some Singapore laws would… by ALANBEEKMAN

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RafterManFMJ

ALANBEEKMAN

Tue, 07/10/2018 - 21:16

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Wait - can I not shit on the sidewalk in Singapore? As an Indian H1b it is my cultural heritage

In reply to Some Singapore laws would… by ALANBEEKMAN

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BarkingCat

RafterManFMJ

Wed, 07/11/2018 - 00:48

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You can still shit in the bathroom sink and wash your face in the private porcelain bowl.

In reply to Wait - can I not shit on the… by RafterManFMJ

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radbug

Tue, 07/10/2018 - 17:30

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Deng Xiaoping noted that as well and we all know what happened next in China.

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Chief Joesph

Tue, 07/10/2018 - 18:03

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America would do well to follow Singapore's lead. I have been there 7 times to know how well off they are, compared to the U.S.,. It's really like the difference between day and night. But, the U.S. has always dragged ass at adopting anything, just like health care. Its been 106 years since Teddy Roosevelt had introduced Universal Health care to America, and America still don't have it yet. Singapore does! Or like 100 years after the civil war to institute civil rights, or takes 30 years to get legislation for an 8 hour work day, or 129 years before women got the right to vote. For America to adopt a model government and economy, like what Singapore has, would take them at least 200 years, if ever.

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vato poco

Chief Joesph

Tue, 07/10/2018 - 19:04

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well, ya gotta understand Singapore is blessed by not having to work around a bunch of indians on welfare - 29 year old grandparents, etc - sitting around their reservations and whining about what happened 2 centuries ago - before getting shit-faced hammered by noon

In reply to America would do well to… by Chief Joesph

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RafterManFMJ

Chief Joesph

Tue, 07/10/2018 - 21:19

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Spent three weeks there in Jan 2017 ... Know what? In three weeks I saw cop cars exactly twice, and saw another cop patrol at the airport - 2 cops and a dog that I presume was sniffing for narcotics or a real boss chili oil.

Asked some locals - where are all the cops?

Basically they sit in their station until called, or until you stop by for a complaint

Imagine that

In reply to America would do well to… by Chief Joesph

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roddy6667

RafterManFMJ

Tue, 07/10/2018 - 22:37

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China is the same way. You usually only see cops at the large intersections directing traffic at the rush hours. They don't walk beats. They don't patrol neighborhoods. They don't carry guns. They don't even drive fast. If you call them, they will come out from the station, and most things cops do in America are not even police issues in China. There are twice as many cops per capita in America as in China.

The first thing I notice when I visit America is the overwhelming presence of police. American have gotten used to the police running their country.

In reply to Spent three weeks there in… by RafterManFMJ

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BarkingCat

roddy6667

Wed, 07/11/2018 - 00:55

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One of my cousins came for a visit about 20 years ago. He said the US looked like a police state to him.

The other thing was all the wooden telephone poles.

He said that it's like a 19th century throwback.

In reply to China is the same way. You… by roddy6667

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MrButtoMcFarty

BarkingCat

Wed, 07/11/2018 - 02:48

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From?

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