🚀 go-pugleaf

Lane Wimberley wrote:
> 
> My wife was born in Moscow and emmigrated to the U.S. in '77.
> She is intelligent, and a voracious reader.  She is lucky to
> be able to read in Russian and English.  Occassionally she
> translates bits and pieces of whatever she is reading for my
> benefit.  Lately, she has been reading many recent accounts of
> Communist Russian history as well as analyses of past and
> current situations there.  Most of it is truly amazing.
> 

Your wife is most correct, regarding the "history" of the Soviet Union.
It is truly amazing. While I was there several years ago, our Intourist
Guide, who looked like Meryl Streep, BTW, was sitting beside me in the
Moscow Circus. The second half of that show was an arial ballet, and
obviously depicting the story of Prometheus(sp?) bringing fire to earth.
She turned to me and said, "Of course, you must know this is the story
of the Soviet God, (her pronounciation here, as best as I can
phonetically spell it) Prom-E-Toes, bringing fire to earth."

I allowed as how, yes, I'd heard the story, but we usually referred to
him as the Greek God Prometheus. To which she replied, "Oh, you have
heard story?"

[snipped]

> On a related note, anybody wishing to learn more about the
> Soviet-era Russian military machine -- our "mighty" foes during
> the cold war -- should read "The Liberators," written by a
> Russian who rose through the ranks.  Absolutely filled
> with unbelievable accounts of crazed exploits of an inept
> organization and, what's more important, provides insight into
> the minds of military leaders.
> 

If your wife can still return (and I suppose those days are still over,
while it lasts), and is interested in returning for a visit, you should
go and see it for yourself. The sheer history of standing in the
Kremlin, and realizing those walls are 800 years old!

> While I'm at it, I'll also throw out that my father was for
> a while recently employed helping many Russian manufacturers
> qualify for ISO 9000 certification -- something they are very
> eager to do so as to open up and exploit western markets that
> are reluctant to  do business with them for fear of inadequate
> quality.  His reports are also amazing.
> 

Many Americans have been employed, and/or worked in Russia, dating back
to well before the Communist takeover. Armand Hammer, head of Pepsico,
is quite revered in Moscow, and held an apartment there for years. He
continued to do business with the Soviet Union right through the Cold
War.

-- 
Olin Murrell
Austin, Texas
http://www.realtime.com/~olin