Russian History called "Too Depressing", rewritten
After recieveing critisizm for their new boldly inaccurate and uncomprehensive new history books the Russian government has replied with a surprisingly honest defense. Rather than spouting such typical responses shuch as, "everyone sees history differently" or "we are doing the best we can with spotty information" or "shut up and drink some more" the Russian government has taken a different approach. They claim that certain historical facts needed to be altered or omitted because otherwise Russian history was "just too depressing".
I would really like to get my hands on one of these textbooks to see just how far the alterations and omitions go. Do they change Ivan the Terrible from a monster who had petty criminals burned alive and caved in his own sons skull with his septer into Ivan the Awesome who built Russias first candy factory and changed the national currency to politeness? We they claim that during the siege of Lenningrad rather than starving for 3 years everyone was feasting day and night on a delicious form of frozen yogert that tastes exactly like whatever your favorite food is? Or will they simply say that Joseph Stalin was mearly a fictionalized character played by Hollywood legend Boris Karloff?
On the other hand I can see why they would want to change their history slightly.
A basic history of Russia reads as follows:
Founding of an empire, Utterly slaughtered by the mongolian hoard, slowly regain control of their country, hundreds of years of serfdom, invaded by france, much more serfdom, find themselves completely by all the industrialized nations of the world, World War I, bloody communist Revolution, years of communist dictatorship, World War II, years of communist dictatorship, long bloody war with Afganistan, more dictatorship, than the acceptance of capitalism, and an economic collapse. And throughout that history they were able to produce some of the worlds most brilliant and depressing alcoholic authors, and several rock bands bad enough to mae Poison look talented.
Thus its small wonder that Russia should wish to alter its history. But it does make me happy to live in America. A country that at least has the decency to pretend that its teaching its children the truth.
I would really like to get my hands on one of these textbooks to see just how far the alterations and omitions go. Do they change Ivan the Terrible from a monster who had petty criminals burned alive and caved in his own sons skull with his septer into Ivan the Awesome who built Russias first candy factory and changed the national currency to politeness? We they claim that during the siege of Lenningrad rather than starving for 3 years everyone was feasting day and night on a delicious form of frozen yogert that tastes exactly like whatever your favorite food is? Or will they simply say that Joseph Stalin was mearly a fictionalized character played by Hollywood legend Boris Karloff?
On the other hand I can see why they would want to change their history slightly.
A basic history of Russia reads as follows:
Founding of an empire, Utterly slaughtered by the mongolian hoard, slowly regain control of their country, hundreds of years of serfdom, invaded by france, much more serfdom, find themselves completely by all the industrialized nations of the world, World War I, bloody communist Revolution, years of communist dictatorship, World War II, years of communist dictatorship, long bloody war with Afganistan, more dictatorship, than the acceptance of capitalism, and an economic collapse. And throughout that history they were able to produce some of the worlds most brilliant and depressing alcoholic authors, and several rock bands bad enough to mae Poison look talented.
Thus its small wonder that Russia should wish to alter its history. But it does make me happy to live in America. A country that at least has the decency to pretend that its teaching its children the truth.
posted by Blake Stockdale at 5:58 PM
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