In communist Romania, people were either comrades or Americans. My grandmother was an American and so was her family. Basically, they were capitalists or Americans which was the derogative term used by the Communists to finger point people who refused to side with the regime despite constant pressure and human rights abuse exerted upon them.
Putin vs. Obama / Credit: NowTheEndBegins.com
Being an American in Husasau de Tinca (Romania) was an extremely pejorative term. However, when the 1989 Revolution broke in, most of the children of the hard-core communists ran away… to America or Canada. The latter’s parents turned capitalists over night and became the people who “bravely” paved the way for a democratic country.
The standoff in Crimea has brought about talk about the re-enactment of the Cold War or even World War II practices. Hilary Clinton threw in a comparison between Putin and Hitler while commenting on Putin’s concerns for the “Russian brothers” or comrades from Crimea.
To my grandmother, it’s highly reminiscent of the clash between East and West.
