We recently ran across this interesting letter from Russia on a social networking site. While we obviously don't make any claims for its authenticity, we thought we'd post it anyway, because we feel it reflects - albeit in a humorous and remarkably well-balanced manner - the prevailing wisdom in Russia these days (widely disseminated and greatly encouraged by the power) that whatever the problem, it's always someone else's fault, preferably America's or at least the West's in general.
An Open Letter to the President of the United States of America
from the workers of the Open Joint Stock Company "Promstroy" from the city of Kurgan.
Esteemed Barack Huseinovich.
Mister Obama!
We turn to you in connection with the heavy situation that has developed at our enterprise. The fact being is that for many months already, our employer has been holding back our wages and, not desiring to enter into any negotiations whatsoever, is striving in every possible way to violate our constitutional right to labor and the fair remuneration thereof. In recent times, attempts have intensified to drive us out of the enterprise, which we too, as best we could, had led to prosperity.
To our just question about the reasons for such unlawful behavior, the employer (in the person of the head engineer and chief of production) responded that it's all the fault of the mortgage collapse in America. They thereby simply and straightforwardly indicated to us the address to which we ought to turn as the result of our misfortunes. We of course are sorry about your mortgages, but please do understand us as well.
Proceeding from what has been set forth above, we decided to set before
you several variants of a solution to the situation that has developed
for you to choose from:
1. Fully admit the guilt of the American administrations and of you as
President of the USA. Thereby take upon yourself the obligations for
paying out the payroll debts to the workers of OAO "Promstroy".
2. Not admit the guilt of the USA in the situation that has developed
and, thereby, recognize the representatives of the employer and the
employer himself at OAO "Promstroy" to be malicious slanderers and
execrators of the policy of the United States of America.
3. In connection with the fact that the quantity of those rushing to
arrange a Schengen visa has sharply increased among the managers of OAO
"Promstroy", we ask you, Barack Huseinovich, to discuss our problem
with your G8 comrades from the countries of Western Europe. Perhaps
they (your European friends by the name of Angela and Nicolas; and even
Silvio, we think, won't refuse) would be able to organize chats on the
topic set forth above with the employer and his representatives right
at the border crossing points.
Respectfully, best regards,
the workers of OAO "Promstroy", city of Kurgan (sometime between Ural and Siberia)
There is another mening for PROSOY in russian, it is the state of some enterprise (factory for example) to stay idle without work done.
Sorry to be pedantic but the missing letters on the workman's blues renders something far more pointed in Russian: the word "stoppage" ('prostoy' does also mean simple; the two words are homonyms).
I think trying to oversimplify problems and attribute their causes to "them" is a quite common practice everywhere (have a look at how European politicians blame all they can on Brussels...).
What I wonder is if the Russian public is simple-minded enough to fall for it. Four legs good, two legs bad... The nation that generated a Solov'jov and a Berdjaev should be capable of more than that.