What Russia Has To Offer America

As somebody who spent my childhood during the Cold War, I am delighted that the president of America and the president of Russia are friends. I have very good reasons to think that this serves for the betterment of both countries. I write this about what Russians have to offer America.

Now the Russians do not have much to teach Americans about politics and economics; but there are many other issues on which they can influence America rightfully.

Probably the most important one is family. A former Reagan administration official once told me that Russians have much to teach Americans about family. In Russia, marriages tend to stay together even if they are troubled. Whereas in America many men skip out on their families and many women divorce for trivial or capricious reasons. These same women howl abuse about the tiniest things that happen to them while supporting vicious abuses by Muslim or inner-city men as well as abuses against women nicer and prettier than themselves. Russian women stand to put things into perspective, both for these women and for many others.

Another thing that Russians stand to do is confront the monstrosity known as political correctness. Political correctness is one of the most foolish things that have ever been tried. Not only does it fail to achieve its stated goals of respect and tolerance, but it makes them impossible. For me to actually respect or tolerate the next person I have to know their actual perspective. For me to do that they need to express to me their honest opinions, however offensive these may be. If they cannot express their honest opinions because someone may consider them offensive, then I will never know their actual perspective, which means that I will not know whether to extend to them tolerance or respect.

Instead of respect and tolerance, political correctness has accomplished this: A climate of suffocating insincerity. And it is this that the Russians are uniquely suited to address. The Russian people are rude; they are also genuine and sincere. They aren't nice, but many of them are good. Their honesty, their forthrightness and their courage stand to defeat the society of smilie-faced lies disguising snakepits. And that stands to go a long way toward improving not only American culture but also American character.

The Russians also stand to improve American womanhood. American womanhood has gone to hell as a result of the Third Wave feminism, and it is the kinder and prettier women who have suffered for it the most. The Russian women will put things into perspective, both for the women and for the men. They will show American men what they have been robbed of. And they will show American women that attitude is not the same thing as strength, nastiness is not the same thing as intelligence, and there is nothing at all incompatible between being physically attractive and being smart, being strong or having a good heart.

The Russians also stand to improve American cultural output. American culture likewise has gone to hell as a result of postmodern and avant-garde movements. Russians stand to set these people straight. Russian literature is real literature. Russian poetry is real poetry. Some of Russian songs are amazing. And Russians excel at such things as circus, theater and ballet. The Russians therefore stand to improve American culture greatly, and I, as someone who has translated five books of Russian poetry (https://sites.google.com/site/ibshambat) and many Russian songs ( https://sites.google.com/site/ibshambat/russian-songs) into English, am honored to be a part of this.

Finally, Russians stand to end the false identification that many American people have between culture and weakness. Now maybe you may get this expression when you have been dealing too much with French people or San Franciscans, who are cultured but who are wusses. But you will not get this impression if you are dealing with Russian people, who are cultured and are not wusses at all. And this may improve the reputation of culture in America, resulting in greater respect for culture. And if that creates a cultural boom such as what America had in 1920s, then that is probably the best thing that can happen in America today.

Donald Trump can very much be a help in this matter. He has commissioned some of America's most beautiful buildings, and he has a love of beauty. He is the proof that there is nothing at all contradictory between culture and strength or culture and money. There are people in culture who have a low view of business, and there are people in business who have a low view of culture. Both are wrong. The two can very well co-exist, and in 1920s - the time that saw America become the undisputed leader of the world - they did.

So now we are seeing Russians learning rightfully from Americans on how to manage business. And I am hoping to see more Americans learning rightfully from Russians on how to do family and culture. I hope that this positive symbiosis continues. And I hope that both Russia and America continue to benefit as a result.