Is it wrong that I find all this Russian spy stuff just a little bit amusing?
I mean, they haven't really shared any secrets, they are not being charged with espionage, and it all just seems so quaint.
Except, of course, for the trolls on various news sites screaming that McCarthy was right. That is not so cute.
Look, I'm not dismissing this entirely, nor do I think the notion of spying shouldn't be taken seriously. I'm sort of amused that people are shocked that this is still happening. Of course it happens, for very serious reasons, and judging by the swap being carried out in Vienna, we are apparently doing it too.
A few years ago we arrested a bunch of people spying for a country most would consider a friend - Israel. Why? Because even friends don't tell each other everything.
As someone who was admittedly drawn in by the seemingly romantic drama of it all, featuring a stunning red head who could play herself in the movie, I'm a little sorry that it is over so quickly.
The great thing though, is that neither country is really making too much of it. There has been some improvement of relations that might have been jeopardized by jingoistic sabre-rattling of, say, the previous administration (cough, Dick Cheney, cough). It's my hope that the two countries might someday become more partners than adversaries, but that's probably just a dream on my part.
Oh by the way, you know when just about anything with a Russian origin is advertised in American the company seems to feel compelled to use that backwards R. You know, in cased you missed the fact that it was Russian? What would you say if I told you that backwards R does not carry an "rrr" sound at all. The Russian R actually looks like a "P." я actually sounds like "ya."
Ya know?
Recently, in a roundabout way related to the professional part of my life, I came across this blog post about Russian Etiquette (and Folk Medicine (!)). In it were some things that might go a long way to explain why Russian children are perpetually over-bundled if it is the slightest bit cold out, and this item:
When pouring wine, you should never pour back handed. This was a way of doing away with your enemies. You wear a ring full of poison, as you pour the wine out backhanded the poison drips into the glass un-noticed.
Source: .windowstorussia.com
I actually had one of those rings once.
The one thing you can bet is that spying is never over. -John LeCarré
