WHEN DID WE FINALLY REALIZE THAT RUSSIA ISN'T ALL THAT?

 

Brownsville Observer editor at 11

Sure, the Russians beat us into space, putting the Sputnik into orbit in 1957, but we had so many things the Russians didn't, including Chevy Bel Airs and McDonald's hamburgers.

For me, it was a source of pride that then Vice President Nixon wouldn't allow Russian President Nikita Krushchev go to Disneyland like he wanted.

Anyway, Krushchev looked fat and clumsy, doudy, not cool like our later President Kennedy.

Speaking of Kennedy, comedian Vaughn Meader captured his Boston accent perfectly on The First Family LP.

I played a borrowed copy of that record over and over in my bedroom, trying to remember the lines and mimic the voice.

President Kennedy, we were told on the nightly news, stared Krushchev down during the Cuban missile crisis and we were proud of that in a "my president is tougher than your president" kind of way.

But, still, we feared the Russians, always aware that they could bomb the shit out of us at any time.  After all, they had those ICBM's, Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles, aimed our way.

Then, at some point, it dawned on us that the Russians weren't all that.  Maybe that revelation came during the Russian/Ukrainian conflict or maybe it came sooner.

We realized Russia is no match for the U.S. militarily or otherwise.

It's odd it took us so long to figure that out.