Russian* Mail Order Brides
(*Management wants to assure the readers that it only uses Russian as a recognizable term because the amazing educational powers of American schools have yet to explain to its students that there are in fact other countries in Eastern Europe. Go America...?)
WBAB is full of fail. Now maybe 50% of it is Roger and JP trying to stir controversy, but the rest seems to be full-scale, unencumbered ignorance.
So. To clear up all the little misconceptions the radio was spouting this morning I have come up with this handy list.
1. Russian women are not subservient. In fact, communism repressed the population equally so much that, while there are bizarre gender stereotype misconceptions lying around, the women don`t feel any need to take a backseat in household decision making. I have Russian relatives. I`d like to see their husbands try to tell them what to do.
2. No, sadly the mail order bride business isn`t a scam. At least not that way. It`s just unscrupulous agencies using desperate women (many of whom are beautiful and educated and many who are beautiful and not so educated) to squeeze money out of American men. These women have no economic future in their countries so they are willing to sell their bodies and souls in a way that is worse than prostitution (remember, I approve of prostitution) to get to America, have a chance to better themselves and be able to send money back to their families.
3. A caveat to point 1 that grows out of point 2: because these women are desperate and they know they have to stay married a certain amount of time to get a green card, they do not realize they have any rights. So yes they may behave subserviently if they have the misfortune of marrying a jackass. And even more tragically, they will suffer abuse in silence if they marry an asshole because they fear going to the police will get them deported. I`m actually pretty sure there is an exception to the green card rules in abusive marriages, but they don`t know that.
So yes. Screw you WBAB and the horse you rode in on.
I suppose I should step back and say there are plenty of cases where the couple makes a genuine love-connection and treats each other with respect. But it`s rarely healthy to have that sort of power imbalance in a relationship. (Yes, yes, D/s relationships. But they choose that out of complete free-will, not economic hardship.)
WBAB is full of fail. Now maybe 50% of it is Roger and JP trying to stir controversy, but the rest seems to be full-scale, unencumbered ignorance.
So. To clear up all the little misconceptions the radio was spouting this morning I have come up with this handy list.
1. Russian women are not subservient. In fact, communism repressed the population equally so much that, while there are bizarre gender stereotype misconceptions lying around, the women don`t feel any need to take a backseat in household decision making. I have Russian relatives. I`d like to see their husbands try to tell them what to do.
2. No, sadly the mail order bride business isn`t a scam. At least not that way. It`s just unscrupulous agencies using desperate women (many of whom are beautiful and educated and many who are beautiful and not so educated) to squeeze money out of American men. These women have no economic future in their countries so they are willing to sell their bodies and souls in a way that is worse than prostitution (remember, I approve of prostitution) to get to America, have a chance to better themselves and be able to send money back to their families.
3. A caveat to point 1 that grows out of point 2: because these women are desperate and they know they have to stay married a certain amount of time to get a green card, they do not realize they have any rights. So yes they may behave subserviently if they have the misfortune of marrying a jackass. And even more tragically, they will suffer abuse in silence if they marry an asshole because they fear going to the police will get them deported. I`m actually pretty sure there is an exception to the green card rules in abusive marriages, but they don`t know that.
So yes. Screw you WBAB and the horse you rode in on.
I suppose I should step back and say there are plenty of cases where the couple makes a genuine love-connection and treats each other with respect. But it`s rarely healthy to have that sort of power imbalance in a relationship. (Yes, yes, D/s relationships. But they choose that out of complete free-will, not economic hardship.)