There is nothing more reviled by people who were born during the cold war than a criminal who defects first to china and then to russia.
I am a Russian American and I see this the other way around. The fact that Snowden had to escape to Russia (of all places!) to maintain his freedom is an indictment of the sorry state of affairs in the U.S. Traditionally the U.S. has been a beacon of hope for political prisoners and has a proud history of shielding dissidents. Just think of it -- Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Yelena Bonner, Joseph Brodsky, I mean, the list is endless!
To me (and a lot of other people whose cultural identity is tied to that era) the idea that we're now moving into a world where things are flipped upside down is incredibly weird. I really can't think of other events that cause greater cognitive dissonance. Just think of it -- political dissidents seek asylum in Russia now?! Does that not seem odd?
It seems odd because Russia always gets demonized in the media. It's always the same: mafia, corruption, hackers... I can't remember the last time a positive story was published in the English speaking press.
The Thai government have just dissolved parliament and called new elections due to protests. Can you imagine that happening in many so-called "democratic" Western states? You can't even get a crack-smoking mayor to resign these days!
I am a Russian American and I see this the other way around. The fact that Snowden had to escape to Russia (of all places!) to maintain his freedom is an indictment of the sorry state of affairs in the U.S. Traditionally the U.S. has been a beacon of hope for political prisoners and has a proud history of shielding dissidents. Just think of it -- Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Yelena Bonner, Joseph Brodsky, I mean, the list is endless!
To me (and a lot of other people whose cultural identity is tied to that era) the idea that we're now moving into a world where things are flipped upside down is incredibly weird. I really can't think of other events that cause greater cognitive dissonance. Just think of it -- political dissidents seek asylum in Russia now?! Does that not seem odd?