Jeff Monson’s political leanings are well known and the American anarchist has been prosecuted for expressing them in the past (the prosecution stemming from the fact that Monson’s chosen method of expression was to spraypaint a monument in breach of US federal law).
Recently Monson was in Russia and he used the opportunity to profess his appreciation of Russian culture and his apparently genuine desire to obtain citizenship there. He tells ValeTudo.ru that he has a deep admiration for Russia despite being aware of some difficulties that citizens have in relation to personal freedoms.
“I’ve heard the expression ‘Russia is a country of mystery shrouded in mystery’… It is unique. There are people of different races, they belong together and are united into one great culture. The culture is not like the others. This is very interesting.
“And another thing (starts talking enthusiastically) people here are very generous. I’ve got a lot of gifts piled on me by unfamiliar people. I was invited to their house, they threw open its doors, were very welcoming to me.
ValeTudo.ru: Is this a joke or the truth that you want to receive Russian citizenship?
– No, it’s not a joke. I’m working on it. Want. I am looking for an opportunity.
ValeTudo.ru: Tell me, in your opinion, what are the main differences between the U.S. and Russia.
– This is of course subjective … but … I think that in Russia people are more robust. Not in terms of rudeness or anything like that … just they have more difficult conditions in life. Maybe because of the weather. Maybe because of the history. You’ve had a lot of wars. A long history of the state. You had to fight a lot. And I think that you are more capable of coping with something. America, things are softer.
Russian are able to undergo harder things, pass tough tests and move on. And another thing, the political stuff. America is trying to become an empire. We have military bases all over the world. One hundred places, one hundred and fifty. We are trying to control the world. In Russia, the army is not like this. It is not aimed at the world. This is also a big difference.
During my childhood. I imagine this is what it was like in the Soviet Union. But in the U.S. there was a sea of propaganda, of course we did not know exactly how it was in reality… I thought you had a government that suppresses the people … We were told that in the Soviet Union were all starving, people stand in line for bread, that communism is bad …
ValeTudo.ru: Unfortunately, that is something your propaganda is not lying about…
– Yes, yes. I know.
