Charles Daringer: How important is Dostoevsky in Russian intellectual circles?

I came across the PRAVDA site and was sort of surprised that the world view was so different in some aspects and similar in others.

First let me say that the English translation is good, it allows an insight into your perception.

I'm however surprised about your generalised perception that the US wants war.

I don't believe that what you saw in the news reflected the reality of what was witnessed in the largest city in the USA and the centre of our media, and the capitol of the nation.

In the US there is a description of news: "intended for internal public consumption." That is to say that the news is marketed towards the "target market" of the patrons of the news networks.

During 9-11 the networks did not show the people who had been severely burned.

There is a famous piece of film footage of a woman who had just been horribly burned, burned to the point of human revulsion. Children would cower looking upon this women, as she exits the WTC (World Trade Center) she is pleading with the paramedics "please save my face." This was caught on film and though not televised was widely circulated. (her face had been burnt completely off...)

Imagine THOUSANDS of people looking up at the tallest building and watching people leap?

What would the Russian Capital feel towards foreigners after seeing not one, but 100's of people leaping to their death at 100 plus stories?

Imagine a city that would go to their mailboxes in the lobby of a building and pensioners would pick through their mail knowing that postal workers had died of Anthrax delivering their pension check?

What PRAVDA might not realize is that the US is still "reacting" to that crisis. The US through media has established an image of itself, but that has changed and I'm not sure if the old perceptions still hold?

I understand that the need for PRAVDA to meet the requirements of their patrons and their "internal public consumption" in a similar manner as the US press does.

The US press for a variety of reasons did not show graphic pictures of the suffering of 9-11.

As an American I'm amazed at the perception that the US has a bone of contention in every international event....

The general mood in the US from the public standpoint which is not always accurately portrayed in the press is one of fear that an event like 9-11could happen again. It is fear not arrogance and that I feel was the pressure that the public put on the politicians to "stay out of" the Middle East conflict, or on the other hand... to fight Islamic groups who might perform another act like the one on 9-11. They would never admit fear, would fight in the flight or fight dilemma, but really want to avoid the horror of witnessing the spectacle of people burning and jumping to their deaths from the tallest building in the largest city in this nation.

I know how difficult it must be to daily create the web content that you do, but the effort is worth it.

I feel the misunderstanding is sad.

Charles Daringer