Communist Countries

Our bathroom is being worked on because there was a leaky pipe and so we are spending a few days at the Benesfields house. I am really enjoying having some adult company during the day. The Bensfields are fairly new to the Branch, they were previously living in Russia. We had an interesting conversation over lunch and she shared some interesting insights. Both Russia and China have long harsh histories and have been ruled by communism yet there are some very starch differences between the moral and social climate of the two countries. I have never been to Russia of course but from some comments the Bensfields have made it sounds like a really scary place. The russian people budget about the equivalent of one months wage for Bribes to keep corrupt money-greedy police happy. Yikes. Sherry said that she had 32 co-workers and she had wanted to corrdinate a time that was convenient for everyone to meet. Only 2 people answered an so she was asking people why they didn't answer. They told her, you don't ask us what we want you just tell us what to do. One guy told her "Sherry, you are just too nice. When people are nice to us we get suspicious that they are going to hurt us. She said that the difference between Russia and China is night and Day. She is kind of doing her own physicological study to find out why? Why are Chinese people so kind, happy, peaceful, generous, compassionate and helpful and Russians so opposite. She said that they have a saying in Russia "Life is hard but at least it is short". The life expectancy of a man in Russia is 53 and a Chinese man 81. Almost 30 year difference. I don't have the answer but it is interesting to wonder about.