FSU spouse politics

[tom&tanya 48]

Alla refers to it as "Soviet Union" or "SSSR", I have never heard her say "USSR" Does Tanya? Just curious. The name of our street in Donetsk translates to "50 Years SSSR" and was renamed in 1972 for the big celebration. It has not been changed back. Odd, since they went to huge effort to remove all the sewer covers with the hammer and sickle and replace them with new ones with the Ukrainian symbol.

Come to think of it, she doesn't say USSR. She says Soviet Union and sometimes "my country". She will say things like: "Before, in my country ... " when she talks about the Soviet Union.

[Lena and Igor 5]

Alla refers to it as "Soviet Union" or "SSSR", I have never heard her say "USSR" Does Tanya? Just curious. The name of our street in Donetsk translates to "50 Years SSSR" and was renamed in 1972 for the big celebration. It has not been changed back. Odd, since they went to huge effort to remove all the sewer covers with the hammer and sickle and replace them with new ones with the Ukrainian symbol.

Lena's street in Kharkov too was 50 Years SSSR. Soon it will take 1 Billion dollars to run for President.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Lena's street in Kharkov too was 50 Years SSSR. Soon it will take 1 Billion dollars to run for President.

I think that name is like "Martin Luther King Jr Blvd" Every city has to have one. Good news is that it is usually a good neighborhood!

The amounts of money needed for campaigning are ridiculous. Think of the amount that means for each day of a 4 year term? And whose @ss has to be kissed to get all that? Alla says "5 people ACTUALLY control the country and the President is NOT one of them and I don't get to vote for any of them" She applies that to ALL countries.

[Tanya and Barry 59]

I think that name is like "Martin Luther King Jr Blvd" Every city has to have one. Good news is that it is usually a good neighborhood!The amounts of money needed for campaigning are ridiculous. Think of the amount that means for each day of a 4 year term? And whose @ss has to be kissed to get all that? Alla says "5 people ACTUALLY control the country and the President is NOT one of them and I don't get to vote for any of them" She applies that to ALL countries.

Obviously you haven't been to St. Louis....

Edited April 23, 2012 by Tanya and Barry

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Obviously you haven't been to St. Louis....

I have, but I meant the "50 Let SSSR" street was usually in a good neighborhood. It came out wrong. Our street is just off the main square in Donetsk and for a bunch of old Stalin Bunkers, they are pretty nice.

[slim 1,514]

My wife could care less about politics there although she is concerned that "her" flat will be worth less if the government messes up.

As for politics here, she's surprised by how stupid Americans are when they "just give up their rights." She recently said something pretty funny when we were joking about her becoming involved this year. I said, "but you can't become president, you were born outside the US." She said, "So was Obama."

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

My wife could care less about politics there although she is concerned that "her" flat will be worth less if the government messes up.

As for politics here, she's surprised by how stupid Americans are when they "just give up their rights." She recently said something pretty funny when we were joking about her becoming involved this year. I said, "but you can't become president, you were born outside the US." She said, "So was Obama."

[TBoneTX 42,990]

Mrs. T-B. (perhaps an honorary RUBbette, through me) shows next-to-zero interest in U.S. politics. On Election Night 2008, when 0. was announced as President, she was talking by phone with one of her sisters in Ecuador. She paused while I was going apeshat, then told her sister, "T-B. thinks that we're in deeper trouble than anyone has conceived of before." She appeared to be ever so slightly amused.

Mrs. T-B. knows that 0. was elected President, but she couldn't name ONE other U.S. governmental electee or official. When something corrupt happens here, she seems to take it in stride. She is aware that Ecu's President, Rafael Correa, is an Hugo Chavez wanna-be ("Chavez Lite"), and she says that more people hate him now than like him (even though the guy was re-elected outright a couple of years ago -- the first Ecu president in ages to have lasted a full term, let alone the first in decades to be re-elected). She thinks that Correa is very politically savvy, and she explained this to me in great detail.

She does seem to have gathered, however (and without my having said much), that if 0. gets or takes another 4 years, we'll have to seriously consider moving to Ecu, third-world outfit though it is.

She's aware that voting is voluntary in the U.S. (whereas in Ecu, it's compulsory). She did once ask me how newly elected people here can act like little Napoleons when 20% of the electorate has voted and the victors gained barely more than half of THOSE votes.

When I read her the news reports about the lawsuit that Ecu filed against Chevron for when Texaco allegedly polluted part of the Amazon, she says "I know," and she sometimes adds more details. When I told her that two U.S. dudes secretly recorded the Ecuadorian judge in that case, proving beyond doubt that he was corrupt, she said, "I know [that he was corrupt]." She seems very serenely matter-of-fact that Government = Corruption.

She was horrified to see the total costs (before insurance) involved in the birth of Mini-Bone. The usually unexpressive, stoic Mama-Mrs.-T-B. was visiting at the time, and she too appeared momentarily startled. I quickly explained that we'd have to pay only a chunk of the total figure.

Mrs. T-B. almost never watches the news, but she's riveted in horror at the stories of loser parents beating their 2-month-old babies because they won't stop crying, or of 9-month-olds being killed when a television falls on them, or anything having to do with crappy parenting. Mrs. T-B. is sweet and loving and peaceable, but she's a fiercely dedicated mother to little Mini-Bone, and anyone trying to do Mini-B. harm would immediately be dispatched to the Next World, C U man.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Mrs. T-B. (perhaps an honorary RUBbette, through me) shows next-to-zero interest in U.S. politics. On Election Night 2008, when 0. was announced as President, she was talking by phone with one of her sisters in Ecuador. She paused while I was going apeshat, then told her sister, "T-B. thinks that we're in deeper trouble than anyone has conceived of before." She appeared to be ever so slightly amused.

Mrs. T-B. knows that 0. was elected President, but she couldn't name ONE other U.S. governmental electee or official. When something corrupt happens here, she seems to take it in stride. She is aware that Ecu's President, Rafael Correa, is an Hugo Chavez wanna-be ("Chavez Lite"), and she says that more people hate him now than like him (even though the guy was re-elected outright a couple of years ago -- the first Ecu president in ages to have lasted a full term, let alone the first in decades to be re-elected). She thinks that Correa is very politically savvy, and she explained this to me in great detail.

She does seem to have gathered, however (and without my having said much), that if 0. gets or takes another 4 years, we'll have to seriously consider moving to Ecu, third-world outfit though it is.

She's aware that voting is voluntary in the U.S. (whereas in Ecu, it's compulsory). She did once ask me how newly elected people here can act like little Napoleons when 20% of the electorate has voted and the victors gained barely more than half of THOSE votes.

When I read her the news reports about the lawsuit that Ecu filed against Chevron for when Texaco allegedly polluted part of the Amazon, she says "I know," and she sometimes adds more details. When I told her that two U.S. dudes secretly recorded the Ecuadorian judge in that case, proving beyond doubt that he was corrupt, she said, "I know [that he was corrupt]." She seems very serenely matter-of-fact that Government = Corruption.

She was horrified to see the total costs (before insurance) involved in the birth of Mini-Bone. The usually unexpressive, stoic Mama-Mrs.-T-B. was visiting at the time, and she too appeared momentarily startled. I quickly explained that we'd have to pay only a chunk of the total figure.

Mrs. T-B. almost never watches the news, but she's riveted in horror at the stories of loser parents beating their 2-month-old babies because they won't stop crying, or of 9-month-olds being killed when a television falls on them, or anything having to do with crappy parenting. Mrs. T-B. is sweet and loving and peaceable, but she's a fiercely dedicated mother to little Mini-Bone, and anyone trying to do Mini-B. harm would immediately be dispatched to the Next World, C U man.

I say we nominate her for Honorary RUBette and henceforth she can be called Mrs T-Boneova, the wife of Mr. T-Boneov

She exhibits the common reactions of RUB wives to medical bills and has similar views on raising children. In RUB government DOES mean corruption and always has. Alla seems amused that we pretend it is not or pretend (as she says) to be "outraged" over things like Rod Blagoyovich. "This man can choose the Senator? All by himself? What do you expect he will do? Stupid Americans."

She was OK with Herman Cain feeling up women ("he is a man with power, what do you think he does? All of them do it") But when she heard he refused to pay for dinner...that did him in. "If he is going to expect to feel up the women, he needs to pay from the 'sex side' of the menu" She lost interest in him because she says "he is greedy"

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

She's aware that voting is voluntary in the U.S. (whereas in Ecu, it's compulsory). She did once ask me how newly elected people here can act like little Napoleons when 20% of the electorate has voted and the victors gained barely more than half of THOSE votes.

Good point and Alla had the same idea. "Only half of people that can vote are registered?" Yes. "And only HALF of them vote" Maybe, maybe less. "So the President is chosen by 13% of the people?" Um...yeah.

[slim 1,514]

I second both T-Boneov and Mrs. T-Boneova.

[Jamie and Sveta 18]

Sveta says "politics are for men". She will discuss things with me (and ocassionally we do talk politics), and her views and mine seem to be very close... Both could be considered moderate. Not liberal, not conservative. I will be very surprised if she ever decides that she wants to vote. Of course, she certainly has an opinions and I am always very intrigued at what things she says!!

[Jamie and Sveta 18]

Sorry, forgot to "follow" this thread!!

Edited April 23, 2012 by Jamie and Sveta

[slim 1,514]

You have to wonder why anyone would spend hundreds of millions of dollars to get elected to a position that pays $400,000/year.

[Jamie and Sveta 18]

You have to wonder why anyone would spend hundreds of millions of dollars to get elected to a position that pays $400,000/year.

I guess some people just like abuse? ?