![Kamil Galeev Profile picture](data:image/svg+xml,<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="73" height="73"><rect fill-opacity="0"/></svg>)
I generally agree, but I would add some nuances. For example, in my experience a major difference between Russians and Americans in is that Americans make so little difference between public and private spheres ethics-wise, whereas for Russians this difference is nearly absolute
As a general rule it is how you act in your private sphere that defines whether you are a good or bad person. How you act in public sphere is far less important. Also "honesty" would mean honesty in private rather than in public sphere. In private talk, not in public speech
After college I worked in a government organisation for a couple of months. My boss would sometimes walk into a cabinet where three of us were working to talk or give a monologue. Like: "How I came to the oppositional political views". That's private talk. It can be very honest
When you talk with people privately including (some) bureaucrats they can be surprisingly critical of the regime provided that they know you and somewhat trust you. In some cases this includes the specific narrow field they work in, like "yeah, what our agency is doing is absurd"
But the same people never ever will allow even the slightest public criticism. Sometimes it makes me feel this is also a part of a social contract. Officials are allowed to do quite a lot of regime bashing behind closed doors. But not publicly. You'll be destroyed for that
Another observation. Some officials are way smarter than they seem. Once I walked into an office of someone who now acts as a cheap propagandist & saw many books on economic theory that I like. "This guy must be smart", I concluded. But he very much dumbs down on public
You can't judge what officials think by their public talk. That's mostly lie
You can't judge how smart they are by their public stance. Smarter ones dumb it down to fit in
Fake public appearance doesn't make you bad in their world. It's how you behave privately what matters
You can't judge how smart they are by their public stance. Smarter ones dumb it down to fit in
Fake public appearance doesn't make you bad in their world. It's how you behave privately what matters
On the contrary, Americans make very little difference between the private and public spheres ethics wise. Most of continental Europe in my experience lies somewhere between these extremes, obviously varying from region to region. The end
PS my Romanian friend once visited me in Russia. We are in a bus. Some granny asks him where is he from:
- I'm from Romania
- Then you should enjoy being here. Romania is a backward country
- What?
- I mean backward, uncivilised
In private speech Russians are straightforward
- I'm from Romania
- Then you should enjoy being here. Romania is a backward country
- What?
- I mean backward, uncivilised
In private speech Russians are straightforward
PPS There's a traditional Russian saying to rebuke someone who uses stuff carelessly, damaging it:
"It's not government property"
Like it's private. It actually belongs to someone. Don't you dare to treat it as if it were public (казённая = "of the treasury") property
"It's not government property"
Like it's private. It actually belongs to someone. Don't you dare to treat it as if it were public (казённая = "of the treasury") property
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
