Is this the Russian mentality?

I read an article of the increasing health problems of Russians, with 37,000 dieing from alcohol poising last year compared to a few hundred in America.

The life expectancy for a male in Russia is only 53 or less with a female at 65 or less.

Plus most refuse medication for the AIDS virus thinking they will be OK!

Is this the Russian mentality: I have to say I found this funny!

A journalist in the Russian, Olkhon Island, asks his tour guide

Journalist ........."Is booze a problem on Olkhon?"

Tour guide......... "No, they sell it in the shops!"

Have you eve been to Russia? What do you think of Russians or do you not really care?

I have麓nt really opinion other than their so pig-headed they麓ll end up wiping out their ownkind

I read this article this morning in the Economist if anyone is interested in reading it. I have nothing against Russians and I know in America and Britain we are fairly unhealthy as well but the statistics were unbelievable, they are literally killing themselves!

I must say that this question gave me a badly-needed laugh this morning. I have many Russian friends and I don't know of any who fit your stereotype. In fact, a few are health fanatics who cycle and swim and who eat very healthily, do not smoke, and only drink an occasional beer.

On the other hand, look at the average obese American and, increasingly, British person whose lifestyle gives far more cause for alarm. Don't believe everything you read!

change of pace Report It

i study in russia now n i think u r quite right.russians r dif.their lives r much stressful,n they tend to scold ppl (i hate those salespersons they don respect customers).besides their vodka has 40% alcohol compared to other liquors with blw 1%!!so that's y they r killing themselves. Report It

sure they (russians) may be killing themselves, but think of all the americans eating fast food every single day....and all the obesity...every country has their own issues (and Russia does have plenty..) Report It

British people are as much drunkers as russians. They start and finish their days in the pub. And if you go somewhere away from london they even **** only when they are drunk.


So every nation has their own flows. And yet russia is a great country with amazingly beautiful and rich culture. Report It

the alchool makes them happier. and, besides, it's their problem if they don't care about themselves

Change word Russian in your question into "average american" and answer yourslef.
It is in any society ...
I am russian but I live in UAE

I've known a few Russians... from the sweetest, gentlest woman to the nastiest, uncaring man. But amongst it all I've noticed an almost morbid trend to "just leave it be, because you can't do anything about it anyway" attitude. I think it has been the years they lived through the Communist system... where you are taken care of it you just keep your mouth shut. It might take a generation or two to make them come out of their shell.

One guy I knew - a smart one at that - said after working in the U.S. for a year "I've never worked so hard in my life." He wasn't really pleased about actually having to come to work... to work... and not just sitting around reading and discussing things like Leo Tolstoy.

i like Russians. they were kept safe from all the garbage that corporate America (or Europe) tries to sell you as you grow up. just symphony and opera, how boring? creates a better person,, at least that was one good thing about Communism.

last year Fortean Times magazine reported a story about a Russian man who had so much to drink, that he staggered out onto a balcony, fell off the balconey, plummeted down by several storeys and landed hard on a concrete pavement. then he promptly stood up and went back to the party, completely non plussed...............

although it would be wrong to generalize Russia in this way, as with all countries there are really poor or deprived areas where finding enough cash to buy the next bottle of firewater is going to take precedence over other things. remember it has n't even been 20 years since the collapse of the USSR, there is still a lot of work to do socially and economically.

I visited Russia back in 79, 81 and 84 and had the greatest time. The Russian people I met were neither drunk nor stupid but kind, intelligent and very concerned with improving themselves and the lives of their children. Once in Moscow I saw a drunk laying on the pavement where back home I had to walk around them just to get down the street. Americans are too arrogant and focus too much on other countries problems and ignore our own. I am a 56 year old who needs a operation that will cost over $50,000 with no health insurance which means no operation. Look at the infant mortality rate in the US, it is lower than most South American countries. Our own country has its own share of alcoholics, drug addicts and AIDS infected to be concerned about.