In Oregon, they marry gays, die “with dignity” and treat them with “weed”
25.10.2006
A group of Russian journalists, before their trip to the USA, were initially very afraid of becoming dull from the sticky gum of the only correct American way of life, which the whole world has already had its fill of to the point of nausea. But in reality, the "abode of evil" and "stronghold of the enemy", replicated on TV screens, turned out to be not so scary.
America is the "center of the universe"
Our correspondents visited one of the most exotic places on the planet - the state of Oregon. Today, few people know that during the times of "Russian Alaska" the Oregon lands were the subject of rivalry between Russia, England and the States. From the west, this paradise is washed by the waves of the Pacific Ocean, and just three hours' drive from the coast, a strip of incredibly beautiful coniferous forests, decorated with silvery threads of rivers and snow-capped volcanoes, give way to semi-desert landscapes.
However, what was most striking was not the natural, but the legislative exoticism, which abounds in the constitution of this state. Oregon is one of the few places on earth where same-sex marriage is legal. Blue and pink colors are in favor here. And even one of the four managers of the largest city in the state - Portland - did not hide the fact that he was gay.
It's also the only place in the United States where euthanasia—the voluntary death of a terminally ill person, a kind of mercy killing—is legal. It's called the Death with Dignity Act, and up to 15 people use it in Oregon each year.
And finally, smoking pot (marijuana in American) is legal in this state, though only for medical purposes. People with AIDS, cancer, glaucoma, and even multiple sclerosis who believe that this light drug will ease their suffering can easily get a one-year permit and smoke weed every day.
True, sometimes it reaches the point of absurdity, when, for example, Oregonians buy batches of drugs on doctor's prescriptions that are comparable to the volumes of small drug trafficking. Once, a completely funny incident occurred here. One of the patients went to the police station with a statement: "My marijuana was stolen! Find it immediately!" The police had no choice but to look for the legalized drug.
But even in this reckless Russian state, there was much that provoked protest. It was not even the stereotypical way of life that was striking, but the absolute certainty that it suits everyone. This is essentially ideological indoctrination brought to perfection and the daily imposition of a sense of exclusivity from the fact that they live in a “great country of unlimited opportunities.”
In general, America very easily and categorically declares itself the center of the Universe. The Americans have even rewritten generally accepted geographical concepts in their own way. In the center of all the world maps that correspondents have seen there is precisely the New World. Everything else is the outskirts. Even Russia on these maps looks unusually stretched out into a narrow strip. Against the backdrop of the United States, it looks pitiful.
You can drive from 16, kill from 18, and drink from 21
And, of course, their laws drive people crazy, and sometimes their law-abidingness is disgusting. It is unlikely that a Russian will ever be able to unravel the secret meaning of American laws: why, for example, is alcohol not sold to people under 21, while driving a car is allowed from 16, and carrying a weapon from 18?
This is further aggravated by the fact that literally at every step they try to "pay you a compliment" by demanding a passport when asking to bring vodka. You can beat yourself in the chest as much as you like, proving that you are already well over 20, and simply forgot your passport at the hotel. Arguing with a waiter in such cases is like whistling underwater. American catering places great value on its license to sell alcohol, which can be revoked by any inspector.
By the way, alcohol addiction, like nicotine addiction, hits the pocketbook very hard here. A pack of cigarettes, which costs a quarter here, will cost 150 rubles there. A bottle of the most unpretentious vodka, like Stolichnaya, costs 650 rubles. But a decent dinner in local restaurants can be ordered for only 7-12 American rubles. And the portions served are not small, equivalent to our two or three.
Our correspondents could only eat half of the American dosage, while the Yankees sitting next to them easily rammed the contents of huge plates into themselves, periodically demanding more. In fact, American food itself, and especially fast food, does little to promote the idea of healthy eating. And in such unthinkable quantities, even less so. In the States, they eat more than they drink in Russia, and therefore we can state: TV screens do not distort anything, and among the representatives of this permanently chewing nation, there really are a lot of people suffering from obesity.
It was all the more surprising to see how obsessed Americans are with their health. The slightest bruise may be a reason to go to the doctor. At the same time, American medicine, even with insurance, is by no means a cheap pleasure. Doctors here are businessmen first and foremost, and healers second.
All the beauties were “forcibly” taken to Hollywood
At the same time, all the talk about perverted forms of American feminism and the stories that a harmless attempt to meet an American woman can be considered sexual harassment were not confirmed. At least not in Oregon. As in Russia, it is customary to meet people on the street, and people are open to communication, especially after they find out that you are from Russia. However, none of our group dared to hit on the locals due to the impression that all the beautiful American women were gathered and forcibly taken to Hollywood.
Another debunked myth is connected with the supposed complete eradication of racist sentiments in America. Maybe in New York or Washington no one pays attention to skin color, but not in Oregon, where African Americans were strictly forbidden to enter at the beginning of the 20th century. To this day, chauvinist sentiments are still strong here, and in Portland there are even organizations that preach the ideas of the Ku Klux Klan, albeit in a milder interpretation. Americans themselves call their country a "melting pot of languages and cultures", but despite their nationalistic views, they consider themselves one people, a single nation.
And these people are truly amazing. Simple and unpretentious, but at the same time demanding and punctual. What we can learn from them is self-confidence and steadfastness in this confidence. Americans may seem arrogant and haughty, but only because we underestimate ourselves, because, unlike us, they grew up in a country where everything is aimed at success.
At the same time, the complete absence of everyday rudeness is surprising. It is hard to imagine what you need to do to be treated rudely. Unless you go to a bad neighborhood at night. And even that is not a fact. You are unlikely to hear anything in response to rudeness here. They will only look at you with regret and say the standard phrase: "All right." Americans will reduce any everyday conflict to a minimum. It is another matter when property interests are affected. Then there may be a war of extermination.
But in any case, the famous American smile will never leave their faces. The secret of this smile, as well as the degree of its sincerity, remain unsolved. Americans are supposed to be cheerful by definition, at least at work. For this reason, our correspondents conducted “checks” of the personnel in stores. You only have to catch the eye of any of the sellers, and they will break into a smile, reminding you that you haven’t been to the dentist for a long time.
By the way, as for American stores, almost all of them are filled with Chinese products, which for some reason are of incomparably higher quality than those sold here labeled “made in China.”
American dream in Russian style
Meanwhile, in the American "melting pot" there are also many of our former compatriots, who, regardless of their nationality (be it Georgian or Kazakh), are called Russians. Of the more than a million people in Portland, about 40 thousand are Russian speakers, thrown here on the crest of emigrant waves of different generations. True, in order to get a green card (the status of a permanent resident of the USA), many of them at one time "became" Baptist Pentecostals, persecuted in their homeland.
Acquaintance with local representatives of the Russian-speaking diaspora began right from the airport, from where the correspondents were driven by a Russian taxi driver, who spent the entire journey telling them about the advantages of the life of a simple American driver over that of a Russian engineer from the Moscow region.
Another new American acquaintance from the old Russians poured out his soul for a long time over a glass of vodka, periodically splashing out phrases like “how unbearably boring it is in the States” or “I live in the hope of returning back to Russia.” And indeed, some kind of persistent melancholy shone through in his well-fed gaze. But either he was somehow sluggish in his desire to return to his homeland, or confidence in the future turned out to be more attractive than the unpredictable and interesting Russian reality.
It's hard to say, but of all the Russian Americans I've talked to, I haven't met a single one who has made their American dream come true. Some naively believed that as soon as they set foot on American shores, blessings would fall from the sky, but it turned out that here too, they had to fight for a place in the sun, toiling like Americans themselves. For others, the goal and meaning of life was the move to the States itself, and, having arrived here, they decided that they could stop there. In any case, there are few absolutely happy people among them who have completely accustomed themselves and adapted to the American way of life.
And it is unlikely that the broad and unpredictable Russian nature can condescend to American stereotypes. They are inveterate materialists, for whom only money matters, while we are connoisseurs of the spiritual, or at least consider ourselves to be so. Unlike us, Americans do not wander through philosophical nooks and crannies in search of a hidden national idea, replacing it with the American dream, which contradicts the Russian proverb "money can't buy happiness" and has a slightly different meaning than our expression "from rags to riches."
The new American motto is: "Remake yourself!"
However, one Washington diplomat named John Brown, apparently sensing our rejection of this very American dream, said: "Today, a new dream has taken hold of the minds of Americans. A person must constantly reinvent himself throughout his entire life. Even the traditional desire of Americans to work for one company their entire lives, to go from a small clerk to a boss, is gradually becoming a thing of the past."
It is hard to disagree with this when even one of the most popular TV shows in the States is called "Remake Yourself" and is dedicated to plastic surgery. However, according to the diplomat, not only people but also entire cities have become infected with the idea of "change". The most striking confirmation of this is the "sin city" Las Vegas. Americans used to come to the world capital of the gambling business with their mistresses. Today they come with their children. The "city of debauchery" itself has turned into a cultural center, where even the works of impressionists are brought from the Hermitage.
But even in this idea of "remaking" there is a clear goal to "cash in" on it. The same Las Vegas became a cultural center only because it was profitable for someone. As a result, this city is now visited annually by 32 million guests, more than Mecca. So even the culture there is put on a conveyor belt, and behind the propaganda of mass culture there is a culture of consumption, which is the basis of the same notorious American dream.
One can talk as much as one wants about the permanence of the American dream and the fragility of our ideas. The only thing that the journalists firmly learned after the trip was that any standard opinion about this artificially created, well-fed and well-fed and so diverse country will be wrong, or at least ambiguous. Here all myths and stereotypes collapse, both good and bad, causing either disappointment or delight. Anything but servile admiration for the actively promoted American way of life.
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