This is gonna be an angry nationalistic forum, with hate for Russia.

[B_Ungaro]

Greetings,
I do hope that the Russians find somebody that will bring them together. This thing in
Chechen, - the way I understand, they are fighting because the Chechens want a Muslim
State.? We have talked enough about Religion,
so let's not get into that here. My question is this: Why could they not have a Muslim
State within the Russian Confederation? On
second thought, secular is the way to go, with individual rights held sacred. Is that
possible in Russia?


[This message has been edited by B.Ungaro (edited 22 January 2000).]

[johnstruthers]

Yes, as a general statement. Chechnya was an autonomous area that enjoyed a lot of self-government, but their ambition was independence as a nation-state. There are arguments of a historical nature that bolster both sides in the argument regarding Chechnya's status. They rather disemboweled their own case, however, by exporting a vicious variety of organized crime to Russia while pleading for greater autonomy. The KGB and its successors had a devil of a time trying to bring "business" practices there into compliance with fairly lax law. The Chechens determined that even this tepid variety of oversight was intolerable, and crreated a revolution cloaked in Muslim religiosity, now supported by nasty elements from fanatical organizations.

[grandma]

This is the problem of Russia. If you are Spanish, it means you are from Castillan, or are Basque, or Catalan, or Galician, etc. So you can be eg. Catalan and say that you are Catalan and Spanish. But can you be Tartar and Russian??? If eg. I live in Russia, I never can feel and think that I am Russian. I live here and never I will think that I am a Basque. I can be Spanish (really I dont, but I can), but I cant change my blood and be what I dont.

About culture - look to the map, and calculate how many muslims live in Russia.

[marina_555]

Hi, guys and girls,
you all got me wrong...
but any way, I think it would be extremely wrong to fight in the virtual reality (or "irreality"). So, I would say : "Never Mind", instead of going into deep explanations of what exactly I meant for each of you, because to tell you the truth, only John got the message correctly.
I like to share the opinion with you on this board and I want to keep it this way.
And in general,
I am going for vacation soon to Ukraine (end of this week)...Does anybody want anything tasty from Ridnoi Matinki Ykraini?
Bye

[johnstruthers]

Oh, Marina, just say when you are tasting something good that "this is for Zhenya, or Phil, or Yulia, or John, or whoever," and I'll bet our tastebuds will feel it back here.

Where, exactly, will you be going?

[Phillip]

I am going to see if I can find a Ukranian girlfriend who can cook just to see what these dishes taste like!

[marina_555]

John, I will be in Kiev for a couple of days and then Donetsk, Kharkov, Odessa.
So it is a long journey!
I am leaving this Friday and be back after one month.