From: Ludmila Foster (ludmila001@comcast.net)
Subject: a comment on Mr. Goble's posting/JRL #52
Date: Mon, 10 Mar 2008
Mr. Paul Goble's interpretation (JRL 52, #9) of President Putin calling D.A. Medvedev "russky natsionalist" and not the usual "rossiisky" is incorrect and implies some sort of a bias.
A person can not be a "rossiisky," this adjective applies only to broader - political, economic, geographical, etc. - categories. Unfortunately, the English language does not have two terms for this concept: both are called "Russian." This does create confusion for foreigners.
As far as Mr. Goble (and many other writers) implying that the word "nationalist" is derogatory when applied to a Russian person or policy, why is it considered good for Americans, British, French, Ukrainians etc. to be "nationalist" or "patriotic" but very bad for Russians to love their country? This resurgence of the "nationalist" idea in Russia seems to be a reaction to the abyss that the Yeltsin years have plunged Russia into.
Ludmila Foster
Congress of Russian Americans.