Family that moved to Russia for "trad" values followup: Husband being sent to the Ukraine frontline

[jmbar2]

What's more traditional than being sent as fodder for a meat assault against Ukraine?

Link to tweet

[GoCubsGo]

1. Oops.

[brush]

65. Something is fishy about this. There is a language barrier unless these fools speak Russian.

Is this phony? And then the guy joins the Russian army and is sent to the front that fast...come on, this has to be some made up shit.

[WhiteTara]

66. they take everyone and I'm not surprised

that he's on his way to the front. That meat grinder needs meat.

[brush]

70. But does the family speak Russian? Ordinary magats from AZ then TEX...

something is fishy/sounds like BS.

[WhiteTara]

72. she says no, he doesn't understand Russian

but neither did the North Koreans, they hit the front lines within a couple of weeks too.

[brush]

75. Please, the N. Koreans were army units sent by their government. This is not the same thing.

IMO it's phony bullshit that ordinary magats from AZ and TEX who don't speak Russian just pick up and move to Russia.

I may have been born at night, but no last night.

[WhiteTara]

82. Okay.

[Bev54]

92. We have a Canadian family that did the exact same thing, with their 8 children

all because they wanted to get away from LGBTQ and woke society. Nobody has ever claimed them to be the brightest of the bunch. They sold their farm in Sask and moved there and found out they could not even access their funds from the sale because of sanctions. I think eventually they got access to their money but did not speak a lick of Russian.

[brush]

93. Sad. I guess some are gullible enough. One family in Canada, one here. Not the sharpest tools in the shed.

[Bev54]

101. The Canadian Family has boys who are teen and pre-teen so let's see what happens to them in the near future.

[OMGWTF]

107. Fidiots! I would give almost anything to be Canadian.

Tired of being embarrassed and horrified by my country.

[brush]

128. Eons better than being in Russia with megalomaniac leader who starts wars, IMO.

[slightlv]

123. How full of hate that you move to a Communist country

just to get away from the demands that you tolerate and avoid... if you can't be nice... to people with different values than you.

[Ms. Toad]

104. The Feenstras from Canada went 2024,

https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/02/21/canadian-family-moved-to-russia-to-escape-wokeness/

The Hares in 2023 from the US, and now this most recent family from the US.

These are only the ones publicized well enough that I know about them - generally because they were unhappy enough after they got there to speak out so the Leopards-eating-faces memes garnered them publicity.

[mwmisses4289]

109. Mom and Pop in that Pic are grinning; the kids,not so much.

Mom and Pop attitude in the pic almost seems like they are trying to convey "Hah! We own you now, libs!"

Not sure about others but my response:

[brush]

130. Gotta watch those Russian leopards.

[3Hotdogs]

119. If t's bullshit, what's the payoff?

[brush]

131. All I know is, even with trump's crap, I still prefer living here than in Putin's Russia.

I still say something smells.

[quakerboy]

127. Plenty of folks from lots of places that dont speak much or any english

have moved to the US. And Canada. And Europe.

These folks really see themselves as refugees. They really think they, as white folks in countries where they cant consistently control government to their full, uncontested liking, are therefore oppressed, and the really dumb ones are willing to flee to fairly random places to try to get out from under their perceived burdens.

From what Ive heard, many Russians do speak English, at least enough its possible to get around the country. Meanwhile, for Russia, its a PR get, so they were most likely happy to play along until it wasn't useful anymore.

Now.. if it were dozens, hundreds of folks doing it, id have some questions. But one (clearly unserious, deluded, and not very bright) family to do something that is clearly deluded, not very bright, and unserious.. is not terribly hard to believe.

[brush]

129. The US, Canada and European countries don't have an ex-KGB megaloniacal leader who starts wars...

with neighboring countries...and they're not in much danger of falling out upper story windows.

Something is fishy.

[quakerboy]

137. Well.. Canada and most of europe dont, at any rate

I personally know people who have moved for all sorts of reasons. Because they thought one state or country was "more godly" than another. Because they wanted to go somewhere warm. Because they wanted to go somewhere that was "safe from global warming" Etc..

Im sorry, but its not fishy, its pretty shallow and obvious. Stupid wannabe influencers did something stupid.

[brush]

138. Russa? A totaatarian dictatorship? Please.

[quakerboy]

139. You dont know people that stupid?

Lucky you. I do.

Arguably, nearly a third of the nation who just voted to turn the US into a dictatorship.

[brush]

140. They're not in the crowd I associate with.

[jmbar2]

87. She says in the vid that they have special teams made up of foreigners.

You would assume they'd train them in their own languages. I'm assuming N. Koreans brought their own trainer/interpreters.

[brush]

91. The N. Koreans were N. Korean army units, not at all the same thing. And learning a language takes...

quite a long time, years even, to be able to operate in a strange land. Arizonans/Texans bordering the Mexican border would be familiar with many Mexican words, but the Russian language and alphabet are entirely different to Americans.

IMO this is some phony crapola...maybe some are gullible enough to fall for it. And I guess they've been living under rocks here in America, so he joins the Russian army, I guess not knowing of the Ukraine War Putin is sending everyone who can walk to.

Come on. Made up BS.

[Ms. Toad]

111. While it doesn't speak about US recruits, it does include many who are unlikely to speak Russian.

The BBC Russian Service has established that by the end of December 2023 at least 254 foreigners who served in the ranks of the Russian army had been killed (see ‘«Год мясорубок»: что нам известно о потерях России в Украине за 2023 год’). At the same time, however, it is impossible to determine even an approximate number of foreigners fighting for the Kremlin. Foreign nationals have served both in mercenary groups (mainly in the Wagner Group before its dissolution) and in regular units of the Russian Armed Forces.

. . .

Foreigners fighting for Russia include citizens of Cuba, Nepal, Syria, Serbia, Afghanistan, Somalia and Malaysia. Their total number is probably in the thousands. Russia uses various methods for recruiting foreign soldiers. In Cuba and Nepal (Moscow has recruited several hundred individuals in both these two states), groups involved in enlisting foreigners (including by using deceit) and transporting them to Russia have been broken up. The Cuban government has adopted an ambiguous approach which suggests its tacit approval of this practice. The foreign ministry has distanced itself from involvement in these activities and condemned the enlistment of mercenaries, while the Cuban ambassador to Moscow stated that Havana did not object to the participation of Cuban nationals in the war in Ukraine as long as it is “legal”. The government of Nepal, for its part, has prohibited its citizens from seeking employment in Russia and Ukraine, and requested Moscow to send the conscripted Nepalese nationals and the bodies of those killed back to Nepal.

In Syria Russia has most likely conscripted just a few hundred new soldiers, contrary to reports suggesting that several thousand individuals volunteered for military service in the Russian army. The Ukrainian war enlistment campaign was likely carried out with the backing of the Kremlin-friendly Bashar al-Assad regime. The fighters enlisted mainly came from the government’s troops; these may include the elite 25th Special Mission Forces Division and the Liwa al-Quds brigade made up of Syrian Palestinians, whom the Russians had previously trained to fight against the internal opposition and Islamic State.

Around a hundred Serbian nationals are also fighting on Russia’s side, including at least some who have justified their involvement in ideological reasons (a group of such individuals took part in the war in Ukraine back in 2014). Despite Belgrade’s pro-Russian sentiments and its restrained stance on the invasion, President Aleksandar Vučić has announced that Serbian mercenaries will face legal consequences, and has indirectly criticised Moscow.

The Kremlin has also attempted to enlist former soldiers of Afghan security forces who left Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover.

The Somali citizens who have been forcibly enlisted into the Russian army (there are at least eight such individuals) are an element of a bigger group which was arrested for violating passport regulations (these people attempted to enter the European Union from Belarus and Russia, the countries which have been putting migration pressure on the EU borders). Moscow has also conscripted foreigners who were serving sentences in Russian prisons; this is how individual citizens of Tanzania, the Ivory Coast and Zambia were incorporated into the Wagner Group.

https://www.osw.waw.pl/en/publikacje/analyses/2024-02-20/putins-foreign-legion-foreigners-fighting-war-ukraine

[MorbidButterflyTat]

116. I agree

"And, oh yeah! He doesn't have any money and he hasn't been paid and I can't send him money because we haven't been paid...."

Gee, I wonder if she wants people to send her money.

What's she doing anyway? Just wandering around Russia with her "traditional value" cell phone.

[cab67]

133. The French Foreign Legion trains its members in French.

There's no requirement that recruits speak French.

Someone I know, who tried to join the FFL many years ago, told me about a fellow recruit from Mongolia. Not only did he not speak French, no one in the FFL spoke Mongolian. They managed to work something out, but I don't really remember what that was.

[eppur_se_muova]

115. The Nazis figured out how to do it, the Russians can certainly do so.

The simplest approach, but least likely, would be to issue orders in English(!), since it's understood as a second language by enormous numbers of people. French would be another obvious choice, especially for "recruits" from African countries. Impressed soldiers don't get the luxury of orders in their native language, a rule that goes back to antiquity. Ask the Romans, the Turks, the Mongols, the Cossacks, or anybody -- oh, heck even the Russians, who have been at it for centuries.

If you want to issue orders in Russian -- which I suspect is exactly what they do -- there's a *very* short list of one-to-three word phrases that would cover it. Like sailing a ship, which was often done by multilingual crews, and still is today.

[Captain Zero]

2. Ah, but they have broke free of western propaganda

Be careful what you wish for.

Any word on the Canadian farming family that moved there in the last couple of years?

[yardwork]

14. I am interested in what happened to them too.

[carpetbagger]

57. With government assistance they're getting along ok.

They have their land, everything's cheap, the university is teaching them Russian, they already know how to farm in the far north.
They're getting the compassionate, multicultural treatment they rail against when it's other immigrants. They're good until the kids hit draft age.

[SergeStorms]

110. Learning Russian is no day at the beach.

You have to learn the Cyrillic alphabet first.

[Bev54]

136. You can find their updates on youtube under countryside acres the Feenstra family

[Prairie Gates]

3. Guy will be fragged by his comrades for sheer stupidity

Incredible self-own.

[Diraven]

108. That's what happened to last guy from Texas

https://www.reuters.com/world/us-national-tortured-death-ukraine-by-russian-soldiers-moscow-says-2024-09-20/

[Torchlight]

4. They've thrown of the tyranny of All Things Considered & Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me.

And her husband now enjoys the privileges and joys of being a tiny cog fighting for Putin's portfolio in that wonderful machine they now call home.

[BoRaGard]

5. "Ha ha. Sucker. Ha ha." - Krasnov (R-Felon/Rapist) and KGOP Kronies

[Celerity]

6. he deserves the death he has coming down his life tunnel like a freight train

[Hassin Bin Sober]

10. Be a real shame if he gets snuffed by trump's new policy change on arming Ukraine

[newdeal2]

12. One of those Looney Toon type cartoon bombs

With MAGA/Trump written on it.

Even then I don’t think this guy would think anything of it.

[mwmisses4289]

7. Wonder if any other trad value types will join them?

Wasn't there something about russia doing some kind of ad or pr thing in the u.s. trying to appeal to others like this woman and her family?

[emulatorloo]

34. Yes. Russian NRA 'honeypot' Maria Butina is promoting this as a member of the Russian Parliament

https://theworld.org/stories/2025/01/24/what-is-maria-butina-doing-now-in-russia-after-her-release-from-a-us-prison

After being deported from the United States, Maria Butina is now a member of parliament in Russia’s Duma. She’s become a public persona, often appearing on Russian state TV, and has been active on social media, advertising multiple initiatives, including encouraging foreigners to move to Russia.

[DFW]

8. As always, theory crumbled in the face of reality

The “traditional values” he was reading about on some RT or similar blog vanished in a puff of smoke, and were replaced by the traditional values of not-so-ex-KGB agent Putin.

He freed himself of western propaganda, and subjugated himself to Soviet-style propaganda. It may not have been what he thought he came for, but he did get what he came for.

[yardwork]

13. The consistent theme appears to be a desire for authoritarianism.

I wish that more Americans would self-sort themselves and go to authoritarian places like North Korea and Russia.

Then we could resume welcoming people who want to live in messy democracies.

[DFW]

29. Well put.

The Germans have a good expression: “die Revolution frisst ihre Kinder auf.” The revolution devours its children.

Although it didn’t really apply to the thirteen colonies, it certainly happened in France, Russia, Iran, and other countries over the centuries.

The one aspect that took me longest to accept was that so many people WANT to live under an authoritarian regime. It ran SO contrary to my own personal nature, that I couldn’t get inside the heads of people who preferred it. I couldn’t grasp that some people liked living in Franco’s Spain. I couldn’t grasp that some people liked living in East Germany. What I perceived as freedom, they perceived as insecurity, and what I perceived as repression, they perceived as security, and they were willing to make the trade. In a way, it’s still what we’re up against. There is a reason so many churches are so full of people that don’t really believe what they hear. As long as it is what they want to hear, they don’t need to believe it. Same with Fox “News.” They feel no need to believe everything Fox tells them. They just need to hear it often.

[3catwoman3]

45. The desire for authoritarianism does seem to fly in the face...

…of so many Americans not wanting “the gubmint” telling them what to do.

[JI7]

99. It's about telling the women and minorities what to do

while they can be real men and don't have to worry about having to put on a dress or some shit.

I watched a bunch of Russia travel videos and the comments alwsys had racist Americans saying how great it looks becsuse they are all white and no gays send women look like women and other shit.

[NJCher]

50. I solved that problem early in life

by finding a copy of Escape from Freedom in the school library. I can even remember finding it on the shelf, pulling it off the bookcase and scanning over the contents. Probably spent a day and a half reading it and I recall the feeling of "well that explains that." I bought a copy and still have it. I think I was around 12 or 13 when I discovered this.

For MAGAts, it's kinda' like Barbie saying "math is hard."

Here's a few paragraphs of a review:

This book gave me a bit of an existential crisis, but in a good way. In Escape from Freedom, Erich Fromm explores the historical affinity of man towards external authority, from God, to kings, to fascism, and questions why the freedom societies fight so hard for becomes unbearable. According to Fromm, the separation of man from society to enjoy his individuality creates a positive and negative version of freedom. In the former, he can be “himself”, but in the latter, he is unable to be alone. This negative freedom results in a desperate search for solidarity that culminates in authoritarianism, which depends on the interdependence of sadism and masochism to fulfill the primal satisfaction of power and submission.

I also enjoyed Fromm’s discussion of the dilemma of freedom in modern democratic nations, where we are encouraged to be free, but this freedom is defined for us already and nobody truly has any thoughts, ideas or goals independent from society. Fromm isn’t recommending anarchy, but that society’s goals shift to the cultivation of minds and individuals rather than capital. Fromm’s solution to the freedom question is spontaneity, or a creative expression of love and work that unites man with nature and others and allows him to truly be himself without isolation.

There’s so much more that this book gets into, from how Protestantism created the ideological grounds for capitalism to how media in democracies is designed to placate the masses. In the end, this book made me think a lot more about what I really think, and I’d recommend it to anyone who’s interested in redefining their perception of freedom and individuality.

Had I not found this book, I'd have been as puzzled as you were by anyone wanting to live in an authoritarian regime.

And notice in the above 3 paragraphs how we here at DU picked up on all this and we frequently criticize it (media, for example).

[NJCher]

54. only slightly OT, but

does anyone remember the thread about China pulling ahead of us in the economic race? I think it was posted yesterday or the day before. I read it but didn't have time to comment, and when I did, I couldn't find the thread.

I recall thinking we in the U.S. should focus on something else, other than constant "capital." Note in particular this statement from the review I posted:

Fromm isn’t recommending anarchy, but that society’s goals shift to the cultivation of minds and individuals rather than capital.

[Hugin]

71. Winning hearts and minds...

Which the US currently sucks at and is getting worse with Smuk's total destruction of USAID and other tools of soft diplomacy.

All in pursuit of the golden calf of... Wait for it... Crypto.

[Wicked Blue]

58. These people don't want to think for themselves

They want a strong leader who will tell them exactly what to think and do.

[Mr. Evil]

60. That is spot on.

That is Focksnooze (aka: Fox News) business model to a tee. They literally exist to tell a certain segment of our society what they want to hear. I can never wrap my head around how people can be like that. They can't seem to live without having their politics spoon-fed to them.

As for this family moving to Russia to experience more 'traditional values,' seems to me to be code for, 'they're mostly white.'

[SpankMe]

51. Hear, hear! Republicans, please...

Please, self-deport. Move out. Don't try to change America into a totalitarian state. There are already existing totalitarian states that you can move to. Some of us prefer our messy democracy. Let us have it here.

[yardwork]

73. Back in the day, it was Republicans who used to say...

"America. Love it or leave it."

Maybe it's time we picked that up for ourselves.

[Fullduplexxx]

19. And now he can be heard saying I didn't vote for this

[yardwork]

74. DUzy!

[dalton99a]

9. Well, he is already brain-dead

[tanyev]

11. Wow, they moved there in early 2025 and he's already been drafted & sent to the front lines?

That was quick. Also interesting that he hasn’t received any pay, but he’s supposed to pay them $100 for supplies. Good luck with those traditional Russian values.

[LisaL]

20. I think he voluntarily enlisted in the army.

NT

[Omnipresent]

59. He volunteered to get into a truck, or be thrown into it.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

26. He "volunteered" because it fast-tracks them for citizenship.

[LisaL]

27. It probably wasn't his brightest idea.

But yea. he volunteered, he wasn't drafted.

[PhilG]

47. Woke?

I'll bet he rests easy knowing there isn't any "woke, Marxist ideology" in fox holes.

[Hugin]

68. Hey, it's a job in a place totally without social security nets or a free market economy.

Operating largely on barter and corruption.

Just like the Republicans are crafting for us here in the USA with their BOHICA Law! MAGA!

The dude is getting exactly what he bargained for...

[Lucky Luciano]

106. They do have universal healthcare at least (I think)!

[dalton99a]

15. "I want to contribute and earn our place here by serving in the Russian army."

https://infodefense.press/2025/05/23/american-father-of-three-relocates-family-to-russia-joins-special-military-operation/

American Father of Three Relocates Family to Russia, Joins Special Military Operation
23 May 2025, 22:01

Derek Huffman is the father of three daughters—aged 10, 11, and 12. In 2022, the family moved from Arizona to Texas to escape what they saw as the growing influence of LGBT ideology. But as political shifts spread across all states, the Huffmans made a drastic decision: to leave the U.S. altogether.

“The final straw was when we found out my daughter Sophia learned about lesbians from a girl in her class. She didn’t fully understand it, but for us, that was enough to realize something had to change,” Derek Huffman told RT .

By May 2023, they began exploring relocation to Russia. A week-long trip to Moscow sealed their fate:

“The city was cleaner, safer, and more orderly than we ever imagined. Most importantly, we found a place that respected our values—where we finally felt at home.”

Friends and relatives supported their move. Derek’s wife, an English teacher, plans to continue her profession in Russia. As for Derek himself, he enlisted in the military and applied for Russian citizenship before going to the war zone.

“I want to contribute and earn our place here by serving in the Russian army. Ultimately, we aim to fully assimilate, gain citizenship, and build a bright future in this country,” the American stated.

#MovingToRussia
Source: RT

[tanyev]

17. Oh, I didn't realize enlisting was his plan all along.

Guess I got them confused with the Canadian farming family.

Seems like one of his first tasks, when they started working on this back in 2023, would have been intensive work on learning to communicate in Russian. But anyone who thinks moving to Russia and enlisting in the military is a good life plan is already exhibiting poor thinking skills.

[Botany]

31. " ... moving to Russia and enlisting in the military is a good life plan is already exhibiting poor thinking skills."

Good thing that there are no lesbians in Russia.

The man is gonna be dead before the fall and his family will be shit out of luck.

[BigMin28]

36. Yes, he will be dead by fall.

Then she will hurry back to the US to collect Social Security benefits for her children from the country she so distrusts. If Texas is too liberal for you, you have deep issues.

[Botany]

38. The North Koreans in Ukraine have a 33% casualty rate and any Russian who is spotted now is

quickly becoming drone bait. I hope the kids get back home and away from whatever fucked up
religion they are forced to follow.

[SickOfTheOnePct]

21. Depending on interpretation

He could be seen as forfeiting his American citizenship by joining the Russian military and seeking Russian citizenship.

[Captain Zero]

134. In some ways his path parallels that of Lee Harvey Oswald

I doubt it gets him back to Dallas though.

[lostnfound]

23. The morons can't grasp: Some people are WIRED DIFFERENTLY & how dare you be arrogant enough TO JUDGE OR MISTREAT THEM?

Judge not lest ye be judged.
Even if you aren’t open-minded or accepting of gays, the fallback position for ‘Christians’ is supposed to be humility and kindness.

[3catwoman3]

43. The "judge not lest ye be judged" exhortation seems to be the most often...

…forgotten/disregarded part of the teachings attributed to the Jesus the phony Christians claim to follow.

[Cirsium]

97. Matthew

Matthew 6 and 7 are full of things Jesus said that that are ignored by MAGA.

6:5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal.

6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.

7:3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

7:12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

[LudwigPastorius]

88. What an idiot.

Why didn’t they just move to Utah?

[Johnny2X2X]

16. Their ignorance is costing them everything

His life. Her freedom. Their whole families future.

[FakeNoose]

61. I have no doubt that the 3 young girls will grow up hating and resenting their parents

Sucks to be them!

[Botany]

18. And the leopard says, "Burp."

[WalkingMan1959]

22. Still on the run

Fled AZ, fled TX, fled US… this will not end well for this family. Those poor children’s lives will be forever wrecked.

[AverageOldGuy]

24. I'm just heartbroken . . .

. . . heartbroken I tell you.





/s

[riversedge]

69. For the kids yes I am.

[rpannier]

25. His uniform can be the Red Star Trek shirt

[Best_man23]

28. If the MAGAT is truly Trad, he requests assignment to Motorized Infantry

That way, the "patriotic MAGAT" can get right up close and personal to the action.

[LonePirate]

30. Bigotry is a hell of a drug

[mzmolly]

32. FAFO

oops!

[UpInArms]

33. They are where they belong

What stupid people

ETA

An American named Derek Huffman, along with his three daughters aged 10, 11, and 12, relocated his family to Russia and engaged in the Special Military Operation (SMO)

In 2022, they moved from Arizona to Texas to escape what they perceived as the influence of LGBT propaganda. However, as political changes swept across the country, the Huffmans decided to leave the United States altogether.

Derek shared with RT, "The pivotal moment for us was when we learned that my daughter Sophia had heard about lesbians from a classmate. Even though she didn’t fully grasp the concept, it was enough for us to realize that we needed a change. "

In May 2023, they began considering a move to Russia. A week-long visit to Moscow proved to be a turning point for their future:

"The city was cleaner, safer, and more organized than we had anticipated. Most importantly, we found a place where our values were honored, and we felt at home. "

[tanyev]

48. And how long do they think they can keep the children ignorant about things outside their bubble?

Reality has a way of intruding. There’s an even greater risk of it intruding horribly if you live in Russia.

[UpInArms]

52. You can't fix stupid

The children will definitely pay a high price … it is a tragic tale

[mucholderthandirt]

63. Moscow is cleaner and safer because anything else gets you dead. What an inspiration.

[kkmarie]

35. Wow that sounds wonderful

At least they don't have to worry about anyone talking about LBGTQ + stuff

[dem4decades]

37. 3 weeks of training to become cannon fodder? He'll be over trained.

[chouchou]

39. I could understand Sweden, Finland but, Russia?

His daughter was confused about various sexual feelings? Ah...explain it to her...unless she's a vegetable.

[mwmisses4289]

40. I wonder if any of the friends and family who supported their move are also considering making the same move?

[nowforever]

41. Front lines

I'm sure this American will be drone fodder in about a month. It's the damn liberals that killed them with all there crazy ideas about freedom and human rights.

[mgardener]

42. They bought to kool aid

Now they can drink it.

[Liberal In Texas]

44. Hope he's enjoying Putin's trad return to Soviet society.

Complete with food shortages, work drudgery and cannon fodder for Putin's dreams of conquest to remake the USSR.

[Pototan]

46. Just when you think that

you have met the dumbest American possible, you then see a story like this and realize there is no bottom to these people.

[Rebl2]

49. Can I

just say, I don’t care, do you? 🙄🙄🙄

[Ray Bruns]

53. What else is there to say but

[WinstonSmith4740]

55. Sorry, not sorry

She's complaining that her husband's training is being done in Russian, which he doesn't understand. How much you want to bet she was at school board meetings demanding "English only" in schools? He didn't get the position he was told he'd get? Poor guy, but hey...he obviously has experience being lied to. No financially support? Only lazy people need a safety net, right?

I feel sorry for their daughters...their lives have been upended. Their father will in all likelihood go through Putin's meat grinder. I wish there was some way to let them come back, but make their mother stay there.
Democracy is messy and maddeningly slow. But it works.

[Warpy]

56. Hard to believe anybody's this stupid, this has to be a troll

While I know a few people did fall for the family values lie (Russia's divorce rate is 73%, DV is legal), as soon as they found out a few things like they couldn't buy their own little chunk of Siberia to farm and no, they couldn't bring their guns with them and whaddya mean $400/month isn't enough to live on, eat potatoes 3 times a day like everybody else....they very quietly moved back here.

[Stuckinthebush]

62. Actually it is very sad

They were brainwashed into believing that Russia is a great place for "traditional values". Their children will forever be impacted because:

Dad will not survive Ukraine. The probability that he will be snuffed out in a few months is very very high.
Mom will meet her demise from falling out of a high window due to her publicly shinning a light on how bad it is there
The kids - well - they will be in an orphanage or given to some Russian family and they will never see family in the USA again.

This is just one of the results of the far right insanity that we have experienced for years now.

[Basso8vb]

64. Stupid would be an improvement for these meatheads.

I only weep for their children.

[Upthevibe]

67. jmbar2............

The sheer stupidity..........Good Lord...........

[jmbar2]

79. It would be supremely ironic if his daughter turns out to be LGBTQ after all this.

I'm sure that won't happen because they don't have "those" in Russia.

[reACTIONary]

118. Probably why she was talking to her friend about it....

.... parents don't alway know what's going on with their kids. And some are more clueless than others.

[Bev54]

76. There was a Canadian family that did the same with their 8 children

I haven’t heard much since they moved. Will have to look up and see if same has happened to them.

[Kaleva]

85. According to recent news articles I read, they are doing well.

[Bev54]

86. Did the Russian government give them a farm as they expected?

Are they going to be drafted into the war?

[Kaleva]

132. A link

“After just over a year in the Nizhniy Novgorod region, whose climate and topography are remarkably similar to that of Saskatchewan, the Feenstras have acquired a 280-acre homestead, built a house, gained three-year residency permits, and are gearing up to start raising livestock and growing crops this spring.“


https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2025/0311/russia-migrants-canada-west-melting-pot#:~:text=Arend%20(second%20from%20left)%20and,the%20Volga%20River%20in%20Russia.&text=A%20couple%20of%20years%20ago,their%20lives%20in%20northern%20Saskatchewan.

[Bev54]

135. Thanks, I did find their youtube channel, their son is getting big, might be drafted soon.

They have built their house and barn and have vegetable crops along with some corn for the cows, which at this point is just a few holstein calves. They also have a community of expats, I suspect are either Canadian or American, not many but a few. They are playing it like all is good but going from Canada, where the government helps people, to Russia where government kills people, at some point is going to sink in. My guess these people are like MAGA and will never admit a mistake.

[RockRaven]

77. Get fucked, traitors!

[efhmc]

78. What a naive ditz.

[Ping Tung]

80. Now that he's in the army, some advice:

Never, ever, under no circumstances, volunteer for anything you imbecile.

[republianmushroom]

81. Live and learn, live the hard way.

[Bettie]

83. What's that phrase?

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

They made choices, they are getting what they chose.

Weirdly, I have no sympathy for them. None.

[peggysue2]

89. Traditional values?

Living the good life, eh?

Moral of the story: Don't move to Putin's Paradise.

[marble falls]

90. Ultimate FAFO. I am so sorry they thought things would be better in the Russia ...

?si=B1FyN-rUadH2fKQk

[Iggo]

94. Dude's gonna actually die for this.

That’s tragic.

[struggle4progress]

95. Happiness is a warm gun

[Blue Owl]

98. Probably believed Tucker Carlson's reporting on how wonderful Russia is

Suckers!

[Baitball Blogger]

100. She sounds too calm to fully understand how badly they fucked up.

Still praying it away. Yeah, do that.

[oasis]

102. Poor kids didn't have any say in the parents

stupid actions.

[Raftergirl]

103. The more people like them that move to Russia the better off we are.

[rurallib]

105. Pay attention kids: Be very careful what you ask for

You may get it

[soldierant]

112. Not saying this is for sure real,

but it's not as unbelievable as all that. Y'all who are sure it's phony are thinking of how an efficient professional military works. That is not how the Russians have. They have essentially anyone alive and breathing. Guns on't speak or undersand Russian and one doesn't have to in order to usethem - or for that matter to die.

[Javaman]

113. FAFO. Leopards, do your job nt

[patphil]

114. Oh well, they just found out what life in Russia is like for an immigrant.

Life is cheap, rights are non-existent, and there's nothing you can do about it.
Maybe he'll survive, but probably not.
Same for his family.,
Why don't I feel any concern for these people?
I should, but it's just not there. They were used, and too stupid to realize it until it was too late.
Those "terrible" days back in the United States must seem like heaven for them now.

[czarjak]

117. Enjoy the collusion, comrade!

[Joinfortmill]

120. Dumber than rocks.

[Hassler]

121. Vlad better have called this dumbass

The Donald Trump Brigade.

[democratsruletheday]

122. lIfe is tough....it's even tougher if you're stupid

......John Wayne said that I believe. Welcome to the war Derek.

[Skittles]

124. John Wayne would probably know that every well

he never came across as very sharp

[Renew Deal]

125. It's logical that he has to sacrifice for the fatherland

This is the cost of “freedom”

[Historic NY]

126. SUCKER.

[Rebl2]

141. 👍👍👍

[Scott Alan Swaggerty]

142. Oh no. Anyway...