Anbody else here speak Russian or been to the former USSR?

Anybody else here speak Russian and/or been to the former USSR?

I've got some good anecdotal evidence that the whole "cold war" thing was a bogus front (excuse for) military buildups and not much more. I find they are freer there now than we are here.

Also, I'd love to find a fellow "conspiracy nut" to keep my Russian freshened up with...probably a wicked long shot, I know, but what the hay...


signature
Stephen J. Martin

how is this related to terrorism ?

Just curious. thanks


oh yeah, have you been there ?


I just re-read your post too, you actually think that people in Russia are more free than in the US ?


As far as the proof you speak of, where is it ?


[Edited on 20-4-2004 by elevatedone]

i was born in the ussr and russian is my main language, how can i help?

A coworker right next to me, who is reading this post as I type it, is Russian, born and raised in the USSR, and speaks Russian. He almost exclusivly does business with Russian business here and his wife speaks english poorly. I get to hear him speaking it a lot And now he's laughing at me...

EDIT: And I should note, The US and the USSR were on the fast track to being enemies well before WWII. I don't think the cold war was just an excuse, I think the military planners were really trying to subvert the other side's abilities to launch a safe pre-emptive attack, while at the same time trying to be able to launch a safe pre-emptive attack.

An interesting note, I heard of an interview (from a person conducting the interview, but not from the horse's mouth) that took place shortly after the fall of the USSR. It was with a General of the USSR's army, and the Admiral in charge of Naval Operations. They were both asked what they thought brought down the USSR. Both of them agreed it was SDI. The USSR had been spending like mad, as we had been, to outclass one another. When Regan announced SDI, the Russian military's mouths dropped. They didn't see any way that they were going to be able to keep up spending wise with the US, but they knew they would try. And they did, and these 2 military leaders believed that the Russian attempts at establishing a Star Wars system of their own played a large part in the collapes. Personally, I think there was a lot more to it, but the was coming from the Russian military leader's mouths -- they were there, and had access to a lot of information we'll never get to see.

[Edited on 4-20-2004 by junglejake]

Flanker...can I call you and practice my Russian on you occassionally and talk comspiracy, etc?? I'm not very fluent but can hold basic conversations with most of the basic verbs...difficult verbs throw me still.

JJ: I know we had our little go-around on the "zionist" theme, but otherwise I am pretty normal guy. I write for a historical jounral (The Barnes Review) which chided me recently for an article on the Rockefellers I wrote (they always published everything else I've written) because it wasn't anti-Jewish in viewpoint enough for them?!?!? I will not yield, am not anti-Jewish, and may wind up my "career" there. Interesting take on the Cold War...not sure I buy it, but it was very interesting. Say:" Preevyet, moye drook" to your friend for me...

ED: Yes. I spent 3.5 months in Ukraine in 2002. There is more freedom there now, except in one sphere which I'll leave for later discussion.

I've got some good anecdotal evidence that the whole "cold war" thing was a bogus front (excuse for) military buildups and not much more. (quote mepatriot)

look what happened to the us. easier to defeat your so called enemy by faining weakness and let them lay down there arms while you keep producing yours, of course the whole thing is a front.

i was in communist countries in the 80's








[Edited on 20-4-2004 by razorbackhater]

Originally posted by mepatriot
I've got some good anecdotal evidence that the whole "cold war" thing was a bogus front (excuse for) military buildups and not much more. I find they are freer there now than we are here.

Hey! put those anecdotes on a thread. I'm sure there are a lot who would be interested. Seek a member named Russian... I'm pretty sure he's Russian.

DC

Originally posted by DeltaChaos

Originally posted by mepatriot
I've got some good anecdotal evidence that the whole "cold war" thing was a bogus front (excuse for) military buildups and not much more. I find they are freer there now than we are here.

Hey! put those anecdotes on a thread. I'm sure there are a lot who would be interested. Seek a member named Russian... I'm pretty sure he's Russian.

DC

I was just bout say that DC

Originally posted by mepatriot
Flanker...can I call you and practice my Russian on you occassionally and talk comspiracy, etc?? I'm not very fluent but can hold basic conversations with most of the basic verbs...difficult verbs throw me still.

my msn is [email protected]

Originally posted by junglejake
An interesting note, I heard of an interview (from a person conducting the interview, but not from the horse's mouth) that took place shortly after the fall of the USSR. It was with a General of the USSR's army, and the Admiral in charge of Naval Operations. They were both asked what they thought brought down the USSR. Both of them agreed it was SDI.

this is BS as russia/ussr had SDI and advanced laser systems even before USA..

Originally posted by Flanker
this is BS as russia/ussr had SDI and advanced laser systems even before USA..

Then please provide proof of these weapons that they had before we did.

I tried to find them and came up with nothing more than papers written on the subject.

beginning in the 1960s, the Soviet Union conducted a substantial research program to develop a defense against ballistic missiles. The Soviets built, and Russia continues to maintain, the world's only operational anti-ballistic missile system. Additional programs focused on the development of other ground- and space-based weapons using laser, particle beam, and kinetic energy technology.

The Soviets first explored the use of space-based particle beam weapons in the late 1960s, the weapon would have targeted satellite or intercontinental ballistic missiles with high-velocity particle beams. The Soviet Union also studied other space-based directed-energy weapons, including some using laser and kinetic energy technology




The Strategic Value of
Space-Based Laser Weapons
www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil...

The Soviet Union is credited with a high-energy laser program that is estimated to be three to five times larger than the American one, suggesting that interest in exploiting this rapidly emerging military technology is even stronger in the U.S.S.R. Senior American defense officials have stated that the Soviets may be beginning the development of "specific laser weapon systems" but cautioned that they may be moving prematurely to the engineering phase before adequate technology is available to support such decisions. Soviet deployment of moderate-power laser weapons capable of antipersonnel and tactical air defense applications may be far enough along for such systems to be fielded by the mid-1980s, according to DOD. In the latter half of this decade, it is possible that the Soviets may demonstrate laser weapons in a wide variety of ground, ship, and aerospace applications. The very large Saturn-like space booster under development in the Soviet Union reportedly "will have the capability to launch very heavy payloads into orbit, including even larger and more capable laser weapons.11

Given the large resources and high priority that the Soviet Union apparently has decided to invest in HEL research and development, Soviet leaders-not content to rest on the laurels of catching up by achieving strategic parity (or better) with the United States� clearly intend to play a major role in reshaping the military competition on terms consistent with their goals. Under the reasonable assumption that laser weapons will not prove to be a technological mirage, they are moving forward with vigor to develop and weaponize this new military technology at a point in time when Soviet-American relations are dangerously strained and the United States is gripped with anxiety about its declining status and inability to influence events in the world. The challenge posed by heavy Soviet investment in HEL weapon development is particularly formidable when viewed against the real possibility that as Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering James Wade testified to the Congress in March 1981: "Development of an effective and survivable space-based laser force could have a decisive impact on the character of warfare and on the strategic balance of power."12

here is an example of one laser system in work:

the Terra-3

10 October 1984 Terra-3 illuminates US shuttle.
After the American decision was taken into 1983 to initiate the 'Star Wars' strategic defence initiative program, Minister of Defence Ustinov requested that the Americans be challenged. As a 'warning shot' the Terra-3 complex was used to track the space shuttle Challenger with a low power laser. This caused malfunctions to on-board equipment and temporary blinding of the crew, leading to a US diplomatic protest.

www.astronautix.com...

gavoreet po rooski comrade?

Took Russian ages ago, don't remember half of it...but could read it and sound pretty good, hehe....

Ahh,

mepatriot has been banned....

bogus front for military build ups? hell we even had democrates in office and our military got bigger then. now a days its just the opposite. bogus front my ass