My New Washing Machine Was Made in Russia. I’m Cool With That.

There’s been a lot of talk lately about the need to wean Europe off its dependence on, or “addiction” to (as Boris Johnson put it) Russian oil and gas, and much of the world is working assiduously on that. But it’s worth noting that unlike America, Russia is next to Europe and for some, like the French President Emmanuel Macron, it is an integral part of it. That’s not exactly a shocking statement. Just look at the city of St. Petersburg, the so-called Venice of the north. Or Kaliningrad, the Russian province tucked between Poland and Lithuania, both members of the EU. Or take a look at my new washing machine, which I just bought from Kotsovolos, a big box store in Athens, and that was made in Russia.?

Did I know it was made in Russia before I bought it? No. Do I care? Nyet. The saleslady told me the machine was made in France. But a Greek friend tells me the manufacturer, Indesit, is an Italian company. Wikipedia says it was an Italian company. The label lists an Italian address underneath the words Made in Russia, but there’s also a more familiar American brand name listed, Whirlpool. Again, should I care? The machine, which was fairly priced and looks rather dapper in my thimble-sized apartment, was ostensibly manufactured before Russia invaded Ukraine on February 23, which absolves me of any sort of moral dilemma, at least superficially.?

The fact is I am happy thus far with my new purchase — even if it was an Indesit fridge freezer that in 2017 caused the Grenfell Tower fire, the deadliest blaze in London since World War II. But here we are on the brink of a third world war, or some would have us believe, and in the march to kick Russia out from what everyone said was a global village I guess I am supposed to feel like a villain for supporting the Russian economy in even the tiniest of ways.?I am, and you are, being told that by the unofficial enforcers of American public sentiment, the tech firms that are mostly a stain on my home state of California and that have taken, grosso modo taken a page out of Vladimir Putin's playbook in policing what can be said and written online. The drift toward a permanent spin cycle in the American public discourse should make no American proud. I'm pretty sure my grandfathers didn't fight to keep Nazi claws out of America so that corporate goons at Facebook and Twitter could dictate what to you what they think is safe to read.

Mostly, the thought of where we are right now just makes me sad. Maybe I’m not the only one. The director of research at the renowned Sciences Po in Paris, Jacques Rupnik, told the Greek newspaper Kathimerini yesterday, “This whole idea of peace through commerce reached its limits. We discovered that we do a lot of commerce with a number of countries, especially with Russia, but it does not necessarily lead us to peace. So now we are forced to rethink the fundamentals.” Without putting too fine a point on it, Mr. Rupnik added, “We are facing the return of tragedy in European politics. When I say Europe is waking up from its dream, I would also say that it was a dream that is being confronted by a tragic nightmare.”

Part of the nightmare, if much the lesser the part, is the deprivation soon to be visited upon Russia, first and foremost by its despotic ruler, Vladimir Putin, but also by Western sanctions and the decision by many American companies such as McDonald’s to hang “Sorry, we’re closed” signs on the doors of their Russian stores. Principled stances, given the carnage Mr. Putin has unleashed in Ukraine. But did anyone stop to think about what this might mean for Russians who have families to feed, and who might loathe Mr. Putin too??

London’s Independent reports that a Russian fast-food chain called Uncle Vanya and that is backed by the Russian parliament will replace McDonald’s and has reveals near-identical branding. Russian fast-food chain backed by parliament to replace McDonald’s reveals near-identical branding. The products will reportedly be 100 percent Russian. Obviously the marketplace abhors a vacuum, but this development?strikes me as the exact opposite of commercial glasnost, and bespeaks a cultural failure and a failure of leadership that crosses many borders. Without equivocation do I say that it is my hope that my shiny new Russian-made washing machine is not the last Russian product that I am able to buy.?

I also hope that it does not blow up my building once I plug it in.?

By #permanentpress