A full seven years ago, when RUSUK was in its infancy, we wrote about The American Dream, The British Dream and the Russian Dream.
This week, we look back at those blogs, and ask ourselves: “Would we change anything we wrote? What do we think today?”
The Russian dream
Let’s go back to November 2017, the time when I was working on my Fulbright journalistic project in Alaska and RUSUK was young.
So that was my Russian dream; to live in my home country, in a big proud country that accepts the right values and turns its face to people, not to some ideology. A country where people would live, not just survive. It would be too simple to draw direct comparisons with America, but I felt like Russia was on its way; getting back to be a ‘normal country’, open to the world, ready for challenges, building up the future.
This is how I felt in the 1990s and early 2000s. We are getting back, we’re accepting the world and the world is accepting us. Being a part of the whole picture, no more strange Russians building Communism or something else that doesn’t really fit human nature.
I’ve got friends all over the world, from the United States to Nepal and from Japan to North Cyprus. So I’ve always felt myself as part of a bigger picture. Like living in a global village.
Now it is all getting away. Russia is trying hard to once again become a pariah, just like in the Soviet times. Not an Iron Curtain, but some kind of curtain is introduced again, dividing it between ‘us’ here in Russia and ‘them’, some distant strangers or enemies, across the border.
The country is now looking back, looking for some ‘greatness’ in the past, forgetting how bright the future could be and that this bright future is being made today.
What a load of BS! It feels like I am losing my home, a comfortable place to live in.
I want to be back home and want my dream back.
Now, a giant leap into the present, November 2024. What happened to Russia since 2017 has overshadowed my worst antiutopian scenarios. We invaded a sister country for no reason and caused death and suffering on both sides, combined with outrage of the, let’s put it, normal world, and political repressions at home, comparable only to what was during the Stalin era.
You know what? Being a bit naive in life, I probably didn’t learn the lesson, and still keep my dream alive; to live in my own country, a free and friendly country. Yes, it can only happen – but not guaranteed – after Putin dies.
Well, I believe in magic.
The British Dream
Don’t bother looking….……there’s no British Dream, I wrote seven years ago. Here’s a couple of lines from that blog.
Us Brits fear immigrants. We find it repulsive that they come to our country, start off on the generous benefit system, then look jealously at them as they make good. As if they have had an advantage over us, when in fact all they have done is work their socks off. In the meantime, us Brits stand aside and wonder why we are not owed a living because, damn it, we’re Brits!!
I was lucky enough to have a successful career as a broadcaster in Jersey with the BBC. But, even after five years following my retirement, I am still slagged off on local social media sites, because, “he wasn’t even local, he wasn’t born here.” How dare I have a responsible job, when I am not worthy, because I wasn’t born there?
The smaller the area, the more small-minded we become. The British Dream? There are far too many Brits who are intolerant, bigoted and prejudiced to ever offer anything that would resemble a British Dream…….
That was written seven years ago, and I wouldn’t change a word. My country is truly fucked-up by over a decade of the worst Conservative government in memory, and now a ruling Labour party that is proving to be one of the most ineffective and talentless bunch of no-hopers, making even more Brits resentful and drifting ever more away from any form of the British Dream.
That Dream appears to be the right not to work hard, but to moan, complain, and of course insult, but expect no disagreement or challenge. Be ready to act insulted and affronted at anything you don’t like. Deny facts and reality. Some Dream…….
The American Dream
To be honest, there’s not much at all I would change about my American Dream article from seven years ago. It could be reprinted as is and nothing would change.
It’s not a coincidence that Trump won on an economic message. The former middle-class has been hammered and they blame the Government while celebrating the Techbros. So, they are about to get another spanking. I wrote in 2017: “Despite what Trump’s constituency would have you believe, America is already a great country. As I write this, I’m in a jet flying from Istanbul to Washington and I happen to know of what I speak.”
But this dream is on life support. Again from 2017: “As you know, the American Dream is under real stress. The middle class has not only stagnated, it is shrinking and most folks are dropping out the bottom. These people are under economic duress and it is only getting worse.”
What I have taken away from the last seven years is the power of propaganda to destroy. CCTV Beijing, Russia 24 Moscow, and Fox News New York, are all controlled by the rich, ruling class and they ALL drive towards common goals:
- Divide “us” from “them”
- Create a sense of victimhood through lies
- Xenophobia and nationalism are celebrated
- Glorify the Dear Leader
The ruling Oligarchy watches these outlets closely because these broadcasts are, in fact, their base of power. It’s no coincidence that Trump calls into Fox on almost a daily basis while going months and months without a single White House daily press briefing for the lame stream media.
I’ll close by pointing out that all three of these countries are working, zombie-like, to destroy their respective economies. Because the supporters of these governments consume their information from “real” news outlets, each government has rabid support from a minority of vocal citizens. I suppose that’s a kind of dream too.