Portland, Oregon
Chris McGreal, The Guardian: Russian defectors living the dead end of the American dream in distant Oregon
For Janosh and Victorya, who in Russia lived as a former bag man for a Moscow bank and an FSB agent, the dream of a life as defectors has been plagued by spats with the FBI, and an unexpected life in a city they’d never heard of
The Russian who now goes by the name of Janosh Neumann had a clear plan for how things would unfold once he crossed the threshold of the US embassy on the Caribbean island he chose as his hideout.
Neumann would offer the CIA chapter and verse about his years as a Russian intelligence officer and his work after that as a bag man for a Moscow bank specialising in money laundering. He would lay bare the intricate web of ties between Russia’s security service, the FSB, organised crime and Moscow banks. He would name names.
Neumann also knew he would have to frankly admit he too was on the take, accepting bribes and his cut of illegal deals.
Update: Former Russian spy who defected describes what it's like to be broke and living in Oregon -- Business Insider
WNU Editor: My family, friends, and associates in Russia always asked me the same question about life in the West .... is it easy to live well in the West .... and how well do you (I) live. Sighhhh .... I tell them the truth .... you can live well but life is hard and you must be willing to sacrifice, work hard, work long hours, save, be prepared for tough times, and be prepared to be disappointed. Unfortunately .... when I say this everyone's eyes "blank over" .... yup .... the perception is different "over there" .... the general belief is that U.S. life is easy, money is easy, and (for Aleksey Artamonov) the U.S. government will be willing to give you tons of it if you are a so-so FSB agent with a murky past and who is willing to defect. I have only one word to say to that .... idiots. And my advice to Aleksey Artamonov and his wife is simple .... take any job, get another one, work 100 hours a week, save, and (maybe) in 5 years buy a car (with cash), and maybe 5 years after that buy a home with a decent mortgage, and maybe ten years after that buy a country home in the woods.
7 comments:
The general belief is that U.S. life is easy...seriously?
"My dogs are barking" and I'm a little offended.
Wtf Russia I know there's a lot of animosity and no trust as of late. But y'all got to understand that our feet hurt just as much (corns and all).
Would never catch me working 100 hours!
I cant rub two nickels togather... still yet there is nowhere else id rather be!
D. Plowmann .... in the 1990s when I earned my Canadian citizenship I was under contract with ICAO (United Nations) in Montreal, I had my own computer company, I was taking care of an office building, doing import/export between China and Russia, kept my an interest in the family's real estate company back in Russia, and .... doing anything and everything else to make a buck. 100 hours a week .... that was a minimum week for me.
Today .... 20 years later .... my age is catching up to me and I am starting to slow down .... I now take it easy on weekends. :)
I like this post, it is the reality of the majority of American. Very busy, and going up slowly, but than stalled (desillusion). Because of that, some can't do it and look for other way of leaving or dying (terrorism). We like to show and feel we are in control and wealthy, but trust us, it is a lot harder than being a criminal.
Good thing about being a criminal is if your caught you you get three meals a day and a place to stay. I call that a win!
A little reverse Philby.
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