Sochi is Russia’s tropical paradise

Dennis James Leary on February 28, 2016 · at 9:31 pm EST/EDT

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” Your beautiful eye makes me bolder.

“Beauty is more than skin deep.” You’re the one whose promises keep.

The Russia I see is deeper than travel ads, nice as those fads are.

Russia’s roots are with the early Christians who held all things in common and practiced uncommon love.

Russia’s roots are also with communism, a vain attempt to hold all things in common without a religion of love.

There must be a center that holds or things fall apart. Despite the false starts, Russia still harbors time tested hearts.

Sergei Glazyev puts it in economic terms. There has to be stability for business to thrive. Playing Russian roulette at the West’s roulette table is skin deep beauty. Even if you’re playing with blanks, that hot air hitting your temple will give you a headache.

Russia is showing true love on the West’s latest front but at home Russia is at best showing a watered down love.

Oh, I pray that true early Christian commoners and true later comrades will teleport here and finish what they started; and this time get it right.

Right on, Scott. You must be one beautiful man to show such beautiful pictures of your Lover Russia.

Scott on February 29, 2016 · at 2:22 am EST/EDT

Thanks, my dear Dennis

I believe that beauty and harmony that artists, architects, engineers create is reflection of heavenly beauty.

I also have a point that I want to bring up: that never before in the history of Russia have people lived as well as they do now.
- Martin from Soviet East-Berlin on February 29, 2016 · at 3:32 am EST/EDT
  
  Scott:
  
  > I also have a point that I want to bring up: that never before in the history of
  > Russia have people lived as well as they do now.
  
  All???
  Are you kidding?
  
  I won’t quote western propaganda mouthpieces.
  But watch this:
  
  Russians are getting wealthier but inequality grows
  Published time: 11 Oct, 2012 12:07
  https://www.rt.com/business/russia-households-wealth-creditsuisse-169/
  
  Gap between rich & poor in Russia among world’s biggest
  Published time: 9 Oct, 2013 16:00
  https://www.rt.com/business/russia-world-household-wealth-944/
  
  Gap between rich and poor the biggest threat to global economy – World Economic Forum
  Published time: 17 Jan, 2014 13:23
  https://www.rt.com/business/world-economic-forum-inequality-754/
  
  Is the Wealth Gap Growing in Russia?
  A new study claims that wealth inequality in Russia is getting worse, and proposes ways to rectify the problem
  http://russia-insider.com/en/2015/01/19/2533
  
  Sorry, Scott.
  But you lost me. I wonder more and more about your recent posts.
  Maybe you spent too much time in Israel or modern-day Moscow or Leningrad.
  And you must be living in some calm clean suburb (where you won’t ever have to see the homeless, that are everywhere – not only in Russia, but nevertheless also in Russia [yet not in the Soviet Union])
  
  Yes: *some* Russians live better than ever before.
  But my estimate is in concrete numbers, at least 85% won’t agree with you.
  - Martin from S.E.B. on February 29, 2016 · at 3:46 am EST/EDT
    
    Haha, let me migrate there and then let’s see how fast I (software developer) can manage to make my surviving there especially until I can participate in *that* style of living.
    
    (I already gave up that hope alltogether for several reasons I cannot discuss here, but I doubt it would work anyway)
    
    It can only work for some, the foot of a Pyramid makes its top rise so high.
    For the disadvantage of the bottom of the Pyramid, which has live carry the pain and live in darkness.
    - Martin from S.E.B. on February 29, 2016 · at 4:22 am EST/EDT
      
      1.3 million Russians on minimum wage, far below poverty line
      https://www.rt.com/business/russia-minimum-wage-poverty-711/
      
      Pensions gap a global problem
      Published time: 30 Mar, 2012 14:00
      https://www.rt.com/business/pension-retire-dempgraphic-budget-age-860/
      
      But today I learned: In your world every girl is 18 and looks like a star. And every Russian has at least 1 or 2 BMW’s and a chopper and 5 horses. Well – you didn’t say this word by word, but weren’t you trying hard to imply something like this?
      
      Sorry, but I heard a lot about the impossibilities to stay afloat in Russia in tough daily life, from those who have little reason to not tell me the truth (as mentioned yesterday).
      
      CrossTalk: The Greedy 1%
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPhSUedypnQ
      - Uncle Bob 1 on February 29, 2016 · at 5:13 am EST/EDT
        
        I think all that would “depend” on what is meant by “living better”. If it means for the middle and upper classes. If it meant are there more “trinkets” and “perks” available (at a price). Then yes people do live better today than ever. But if it is meant,in education,health,security,employment,and the ability for all the citizens to enjoy a “decent life”. Then no they don’t. It would be well to remember the story of the native Americans selling Manhattan to the Dutch for trinkets in the old days. And ending up with nothing left after those trinkets broke.The old ways left much to be desired for the middle and upper classes. And those of the other classes searching for Western trinkets.That’s certainly true. But today’s Russia leaves something to be desired for the working and lower classes. The difference being,the old life allowed “all” the people, rich and poor both to have a life. Today,leaves little of a life for any outside the favored classes.That also BTW is true of almost all countries in today’s World.There is a saying from a song about another subject that fits this subject as well,”the rich get the gold mine,and the poor get the “shaft”. The key today,is to construct a society that assures “everyone” a decent life. While leaving room for a few trinkets as well. So far,no one seems to be interested in doing that. They spend too much time worrying about which side can get the most trinkets for their side. And not how all their citizens can share them.
        
        mmiriww on February 29, 2016 · at 7:07 am EST/EDT
        
        You realize throughout history, enlightenment happens for a few years to a decade and then it is back to the dark ages. Although sometimes it happens in multiple places like the 1900’s.. But often when something happens in china, nothing happens anywhere else and then another hundred or so years go by.. I think we have been through a unique moment in history where things changed and the people had power and there was progress. But they are trying hard to take all that away now. Which basically means another dark age. And maybe in another 50-100 years it will happen again but people don’t recognize the rarity of things and assume things are different now. So instead of holding and fighting for what they just got, they just squander it. I don’t imagine we will ever have this opportunity again. The sudden connectivity of he entire world and the opportunity would have been be a historical event where people actually were ahead of the control. We can see that the powers be are smacking down hard on the dissenters and those who oppose control. Knowledge is again tightly controlled and access is even rarer. We might have another chance when bitcoin breaks free.. maybe.. but they are already on top of that one.. So even that might be too late now.

Rogozin for President on February 29, 2016 · at 12:06 am EST/EDT

Off Topic:

Could someone explain why Putin’s economic team seem determined to destroy him? Their policies seem increasingly irrational and contradictory.

On one hand the Central Bank has thrown the economy into recession by imposing insanely high interest rates in the name of fighting inflation while, on the other, the Finance Ministry continues imposing regressive and highly inflationary new taxes on the Russian people. (Examples include the “tax maneuver” which replaced the oil export tariff borne by foreign customers with extraction taxes passed on to Russian and foreign consumers alike as well as a gasoline excise tax borne only by the Russian people, That was, in turn followed, by another Finance Ministry decision to impose more gasoline excise taxes effective April 1. The inflationary effect of the taxes allowed the Central Bank to maintain interest rates at 11%, may see it raise interest rates in March (deepening the recession), and will endanger Russia’s nascent agricultural revival.

Is economist Mikhail Delyagin correct that economic liberals in the government — all appointed by Putin — are trying to wreck the economy and trigger a Maidan?

Scott on February 29, 2016 · at 12:44 am EST/EDT

Delyagin is always unhappy. Look at the past 5-10 years. All he is saying that Russia is near death, and will die tomorrow. He isn’t an economist, he is a fiscal mourner-for-rent.

He hopes that when liberals will come to power, he will be a minister of finance, or even prime minister. They will never come to power. He won’t become anything. In a year, Putin will be elected as a Prime Minister and will be in change for economy and finance, and Sergey Shoygu will be elected a President and will be in charge for Military and International Affairs.

Aleksandra Trophimowsky on February 29, 2016 · at 12:37 am EST/EDT

Anyway, I think that in this videos Sochi, as happened with Yoshkar-Ola, looks very new and almost unreal, at least does not seem where really Russians live, but, in any case, the richest people in Russia….

I guess that all those here wishing to travel to Russia, would enjoy something more authentic as could be some little villages where to contact with the countrymen/women, taste some good cooking made by an authentic Russian babushka and feeling what Russian Culture really means…..

“Civilization, that great fraud of our times, has promised man that by complicating his existence it would multiply his pleasures. … Civilization has promised man freedom, at the cost of giving up everything dear to him, which it arrogantly treated as lies and fantasies. … Hour by hour needs increase and are nearly always unsatisfied, peopling the earth with discontented rebels. The superfluous has become a necessity and luxuries indispensable”.

Isabelle Eberhardt

Martin from Soviet East-Berlin on February 29, 2016 · at 1:09 am EST/EDT

@Aleksandra:

+1

As far as I have heard, real (proletarian) country side / rural area Russians at best get some 2nd class jobs in these big rich new western-style cities (must travel there day in day out), but when asked if they would want to live there, say, NO, NEVER (apart from the fact that it is out of the question, because they never in their lives could afford it).

Porn industry, drugs, mafia – I don’t know what.
Maybe there are also normal businesses other than that or Gas/Oil/Mining.
But is that a society for all people like during CCCP?
I’m just asking.

I really cannot say it from here. I’m not there often enough.

Martin from Soviet East-Berlin on February 29, 2016 · at 4:36 am EST/EDT

Olimpiadas Unión Soviética 1980 Apertura
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFI0xP5_VaQ

Оргия Праведников. Наша Родина – СССР
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwAXO7IzomU

Учат в школе….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kt0EyZcPjtg

Прекрасное далеко (нарезка видео фрагментов)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8xyOkb5M74

Фильм Чародеи – Три белых коня
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZ9kZo7D_mA

You are on the wrong path.
After the next bust it will also affect China and Russia, because instead of doing something better the greedy elites embraced devilish Capitalism for their own benefits.

Proof, just this minute on ZH:

China Stocks Crash 4% to new 15months lows
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-02-28/china-stocks-crash-down-more-4-fresh-15-month-lows

Virendra on March 01, 2016 · at 6:31 am EST/EDT

Hi Saker,

Which are the safest cities of Russia, for foreigners?
Any tips for people to visit Russia without having any bad experience, would be helpful.

Thanks
V

Martin from S.E.B. on March 01, 2016 · at 11:50 am EST/EDT

@Virendra:

Stay in bed (but be warned: most folks die in bed).
Sorry, but what kind of silly question is that? Trolling attempt?

If you are from the US then it doesn’t matter to which city or region of Russia or the north-saharan world you travel, because it is by definition safer than in the USA:

police brutality usa
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=police+brutality+usa

Dennis James Leary on March 02, 2016 · at 6:46 pm EST/EDT

Conversation regarding Scott, mmiriww, Uncle Bob 1 and Martin from S.E.B.; 2/29/16, 2:22am to 7:07am @ Sochi is Russia’s tropical paradise:

Scott, thanks for you kind feelings towards yours truly. I truly appreciate them and sometimes need them when I’m under the empire gun, gutting me from within, as it is trying to do unto Russia.

Et Alii, I benefited from your qualifications and distinctions.

Scott is no doubt aware of the dark side of Russia but on a pro-Russ site that can be used by dark forces one must err on the side of caution.

My own country, the US, has a very dark underbelly but it is the attacker whose very life is not being threatened. Even so I only get the seamy side from alternative sites unless it’s sensationalist to grapple viewers.

The architecture and public venues are beautiful and were so in the Soviet Union with the churches missing in action. The problem arises when the public is denied access.

The monster pyramid which Martin decries has not gone away. It does crush those at the bottom even when they think they’re being lifted above the very dirt. I was once homeless and lived on the street and slept in the woods but I was not destitute or poverty stricken as long as I had a proud bone in my body.

There’s nothing wrong with wealth’s display as long as everyone shares equitably and the earth is not killed off in the process. There’s nothing so beautiful as simple love which the fathers and mothers of old knew well.

The patrix pyramid model is evil incarnate. The fall of man rebellion flipped the feminine triangle 180 degrees and we all fell down to worship the new male oriented member.

Russia is the earth with her back to the north wall. The patrix point is being shoved up her south. If Russia doesn’t expand the war to its causes in the rich-poor pyramid valley of the kings we will go on getting what we’re giving.

Sochi may be a great paradise to visit if it’s open to all. But where do folks go to live? I’d love to visit Sochi for fun and then return to a home of lovers living in cottages among the flowers. High-rises are for the birds.

We’ve got to get this war over so we can build a paradise of sochi’s on the scope and scale of “small is beautiful.”