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sean anderson's avatar

Stephen Covey, a self-improvement author, said that in a sense people and institutions develop a “goodwill” account not unlike a bank account. If they behave in a credible way and deliver the goods and services with quality and timeliness their goodwill account grows. But once they start cutting corners and deliver less and are tardy in doing so the goodwill progressively diminishes until they become overdrawn and the person or company loses all credibility. I think in the case of Russia as far back as the time of the Tsars the Russian people have had enough bad experiences with authority to have a healthy skepticism towards any scamdemic. By contrast the Finns seem to have enjoyed such relatively transparent and beneficent government to have developed an almost implicit trust in their governments. So sadly they tend to show little skepticism towards their own scamdemics.

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Alex Ilex's avatar

Yeah you got it right. After both Czars and Soviets there's next to zero trust to government and media left in Russian society. It was handy now. I myself have zero trust to any government and any Big Daddy. Finns on the contrary trust their government 100% for the reasons you stated, and it fucked them up now.

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The Word Herder's avatar

Yeah... I think maybe most people just want to LIVE their lives, and not have to question everything some bunch of suits is telling them. They don't want to have to go research everything they're told, or be suspicious... They just want to live a decent life and do what they do, yeah? People are generally just trying to get along... or so it seems.

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The Word Herder's avatar

And what if some of those better govt's ALSO fell for the con? Thought they were doing the right thing? Felt the fear of contagion, etc etc?

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Ofelia Ugalde's avatar

Fascinated to see how those who were raised and seasoned with Communism had the courage to stand firm against coercion And intimidation. They know what fascism is! I’m so proud of the Russian population. I have always wanted to go to Russia but was afraid 😱 I could not return. Yet I see Pres Putin trying to be pragmatic or so it appears. Thank you for your article.

I

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Alex Ilex's avatar

You're welcome! Yeah seventy years of USSR told Russian population to mistrust their media and government. People in the West in the contrary relaxed due to 'years of democracy', and were lulled into carelessness.

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The Word Herder's avatar

Guess they taught us, huh? smdh sheesh.

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Alex Ilex's avatar

Hopefully now Westerners will wake up too.

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The Word Herder's avatar

Indeed. And I AM seeing some hopeful signs... I'm in WA State, US, where are you?

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Alex Ilex's avatar

Sorry, don't wanna reveal my location details for security reasons but I see the hopeful signs too!

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The Word Herder's avatar

That's okay. They know where I am, and I know where THEY are, LOL. ;)

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Danilo's avatar

Thanks! Good article with good information.

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Alex Ilex's avatar

Thanks!

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The Whole Truth's avatar

COVID was perhaps the peak of “we know the strategy is ineffective, but we need to do SOMETHING”. (Remember those dumb social distancing circles?) As a society, we’ve had enough of that type of posturing. Relatedly, come check out our latest article “Just Say No to Performative Policy”! https://thewholetruthpublications.substack.com/p/just-say-no-to-performative-policy?r=4dg1kb

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m cameron's avatar

During covid just about all of my customers were Finnish fishermen. They all rushed to get the vaxx, let the airlines threaten them with not being able to fly to Alaska to fish, which was against the law. They'd do anything for $$. Ghdy masked up & stayed masked up. Even told me to "join the human race & go get the vaxx", while they were shedding all over me making me sick as a dog! The town in NW Oregon (bad enough) has mostly Finns. Now they all look very old, having lots of problems, etc. Russians, on the other hand, have been thru alot & have learned to think for themselves. Apparently they have cornered the market on common sense. Good for them!

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Alex Ilex's avatar

Yeah, I lived in Finland few years and confirm they're 100% sheeple. So I left them.

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The Word Herder's avatar

That's sad.

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Alex Ilex's avatar

Sad indeed. Finns still believe in COVID scam, older generation gets regularly boosted and all of them tremble Putin will invade them despite they joined NATO. It's clinical imbecility at this point.

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The Word Herder's avatar

Sounds like Americans... older generation. Maybe their times were... better?

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Alex Ilex's avatar

I think Americans are much smarter. They voted Trump which means they aren't buying this bullshit anymore.

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The Word Herder's avatar

But also... I'm not sure our elections are actually ELECTIONS, either. I don't know, but I don't TRUST THEM!

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The Word Herder's avatar

I am hopeful the tide is turning, but there's a ways to go... ONE SHIT MOVE and I think we'll get there. You know, like refusing CASH...

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GreatNorthMedia's avatar

anyone with cognitive abilitiesand basic undestanding of human History saw thid scam coming miles away

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Chris's avatar

Your article got me thinking back to 2021 (prime covid time) I was hospitalized (ruptured appendix then a few other major complications including aspiration pneumonia) I was put in a 4 person hospital room with 3 elderly women. No mask needed in the hospital room but step one foot out onto the ward and it was mandatory. Even with a severely diminished lung capacity (like 10-15% of normal) I had to wear a mask every time I was wheel-chaired down for an X-ray or CT scan……….it made no fucking sense

And you will like this part Alex……when I had a follow up with the surgeon I had to congratulate him on being the only man that has ever been inside me😂😂😂😂😂

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Alex Ilex's avatar

Lol, the last one was an achievement indeed XD

But yeah, overall those restrictions made no sense just like all the other COVID shit.

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Chris's avatar

Oh I forgot……no visitors were allowed, I would have died alone, thank god for podcasts. You write well Alex you should consider doing podcasts🤔

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Alex Ilex's avatar

Thanks! Hopefully you survived it, gives you an honor.

I think I'm better at writing but I'm planning to do podcasts in the future too! Good idea.

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Chris's avatar

You’re a smart intuitive guy that isn’t afraid to speak his mind and challenge others and you have a unique Russian perspective because of your history………it would be an interesting podcast for sure.👍🏽

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Alex Ilex's avatar

Thanks for the compliment, you made me blush! I had done one small podcast actually, will try to find it and send to you.

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Naked King Kid News's avatar

I was very disappointed at the zero resistance to the Governors' COVID Mask Mandates... It opened the door for every other LGB Clip Level COVID based beat down on the American Individual's Daily Liberties and Pursuits...Counter/Anti BLM/ANTIFA Descendants and Defenders Of The Sit Ins, front seat bus riders, and water fountain drinkers Never Did FLASH Busloads of Feisty Old Ladies Armed with Wheelchairs and Canes COVID MASK LIBERATING during scheduled senior shopping hours choreographed to Theme From Summer Place... Big Disappointment... No COVID Masking for the Swamp... No COVID Anything else after that for the Swamp ... State News Peddling Media Outfits Failed The People, The Constitution ... This Is America... With optional passion level indicating descriptives... The words every Mask Mandating Governor should have got from Established Credible News Town Crying Outfits in their States... Strongly Suggested is as far as we go, Gov...Thanks ...Good bye... Kind Cop Clubs Failed The People, The Constitution ... They should have said This Is America... We're not making anybody wear a mask ... We Keep The Peace ... We Are Medical Advice Enforcement R NOT US... Amazon man and Pals Failed The People, The Constitution ... They should have said This Is America ... If Amazon & Pals can Operate COVID Safely, So Can Mom and Pop... BECAUSE THIS IS FUCKIN' AMERICA GOD DAMN IT...

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The Word Herder's avatar

I wonder...

What if those folks who are NOT wealthier, and NOT educated, are more cynical because they're used to getting a lot of tricks and BS? In the US, it seems the wealthier, more educated people are also the ones who TRUST more, as in, govt, doctors, et al... Because they're used to be treated with a bit more respect?

Just a thought.

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Alex Ilex's avatar

I think it's a part of it. Russian government ALWAYS treated people as shit - both under Czars, Soviets and now Putin. No sane Russian person would ever trust their government - and anyone else's too for that matter.

Actually the best COVID wake up call for many Russians including my friends and parents was the fact that Putin and his government who never gave a slightest fuck of Russian people, stole their money and subjected them to Western sanctions, all of a sudden began to feign an exaggerated concern for every single Russian life (now when Putin butchers Russians in Ukraine it's even more ironic). So when government started to feign care for people, most Russians knew something was deeply wrong.

People in the West who used to hovering caring for them didn't get the hint though.

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The Word Herder's avatar

Well, that's interesting you say that...

I've been listening to various people talking about Russia and they give a very different view of what's what over there... If you're by chance getting this from American TV news, that might explain it! But I don't KNOW, I can't go there and find out. :{

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Alex Ilex's avatar

Nope as I said I'm a Russian and get all the information on Russia from Russians. But yeah don't trust American news on Russia and especially don't trust the bullshit that Russians love and trust Putin!

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The Word Herder's avatar

I don't trust a whole lot of things these days. I trust DOGS and DEER and some cats.

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Alex Ilex's avatar

We're on the same page then. I trust animals more than humans.

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The Word Herder's avatar

Indeed. Well, good post, even if we don't trust each other, LOL.

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mois78's avatar

Great article. Wow, how do you get solidarity between the Russian people? Could it be that their media was not a propaganda tool to big pharma, or their politics was not totally dependent on divide and rule?

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Alex Ilex's avatar

Nope, media and government were as bad as in the West. Putin pushed both draconian lockdowns and fascist vax mandates.

People just didn't believe it because Russian people taught by seventy years of USSR learned to mistrust their government and media. Also, some political parties actually stood against COVID shit disobeying Putin, and openly called vax mandates fascism. And there were online platforms where people gathered too.

Don't think it was easy to resist. Some restaurant owners who defied vax mandates were jailed by Putin. Opposition politicians who resisted vax fascism were accused of corruption, evidence being planted by FSB, and then jailed too. Doctors who defied Pharma fascism were losing their license.

So, understand that Putin and Russian government and media were as brutal and propagandist as in the West. The resistance was 100% grassroot and came from people. People were not scared of jail and even execution and stood against Pharma fascism. And since people are majority, they were winning. ONLY 30% of Russians get 'vaccinated' with Sputnik despite all the media propaganda. So, majority were unvaxed. And you can't discriminate against majority even if you're Putin.

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Dec 9
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Alex Ilex's avatar

Yeah, in Russia resistance came from people. Putin imposed both lockdowns, mask mandates and vax mandates. People just defied everything. People refused to wear masks and shop owners didn't demand it. Only 30% got vaxed, and even they stood in solidarity with unvaxed majority and refused go places which implemented vax mandates. Restaurant owners defies vax mandates too. Even some political parties stood in opposition openly calling vax mandates fascism - did any other political party in the world dared to do that?

Putin jailed restaurant owners who defied vax mandates. Opposition politicians who opposed this shit were accused of corruption, evidence being planted by FSS. Doctors who stood against vax mandates were losing their licenses. So, it wasn't easy. But people still resisted. It was true fearless brave grassroot resistance from people against state tyranny and fascism.

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The Word Herder's avatar

Makes me wonder if we're not being told a MUCH higher number of people who took the jab than is actually the case...

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The Word Herder's avatar

Where I live, it's not just past tense, either. Arrrrgh.

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