[TeemFilla]

Japher is wrong.

[Longwow]

If you had to live in Russia you'd drink too.

[Dr.Hoodoba]

That's antabuse. Naltrexone is an opioid blocker, so no matter how much alcohol you drink you won't enjoy yourself.

[Julik19]

Because they don't have any good weed?

[usatramadolusa]

Yeah, I guess if you are going to get liver damage it might as well come with all the other nasty side effects of alcoholism; career instability, dysfunctional family life, isolationism, dead plants, etc.

[Grainiary]

little ice age

N Europe lost wine production and went to beer/booze and brought it with them to the new world during the little ice age. S Europeans continued drinking wine... So climate and culture

is it true cancer rates are higher for people living at higher latitudes? I heard somewhere we get more vitamin D closer to the equator and that may be why cancer rates are lower there

[Illirmpipse]

So WWII could have ended much sooner if we as a nation had fewer alcoholics?

Not only that but some 50 years later you would have occupied Iraq when Saddam Hussein got uppity.

[OccabsLam]

It's either climate or culture. I have to think that if the climate improved, all else would have to improve a little bit.
I'm voting climate.

[RjkVwPcV]

The Russians are alcoholics because (drum roll please) they drink too much.

[Karpattaisp]

Most sensible assessments: liquor is Russia is cheap (often homebrewed).

Something odd here:

"In the 1990s, Russia experienced a resurgence of tuberculosis, considered a disease of poverty."

Ummm, no: tb is a medical condition, caused by bacteria. The spread of tb is most likely connected with the collapse of the health care system, as mentioned in the last paragraph of the OP.

And what's with the inane poll?

INANE?

HOW RUDE!

[fotodemujerahldesnugdo]

Of course, you don't have to believe my words, because I'm Russian and I don't drink at all.

Clearly you are not a real Russian and you're part Chechen or something.

[pongeystrhjst]

I prefer our Russian developers over their Indian counterparts.
They communicate better and don't quite smell as bad.

[mygalinasoo]

People, culture, and climate. Melancholie people caught in a very cold climate, with a culture that does not condemn heavy drinking leads to heavy drinking. Or so it seems.

[statistica]

You are not very bright.

That may be, but I'm at least brighter than you.

[Annyllop21]

I've been looking for but have failed to locate a political cartoon in three panels, first panel is a Russian worker with hunched shoulders sitting at a bar with a vodka bottle and the caption "Russia under the Tsars," second panel is identical but the worker is further hunched over and the caption "Russia under Communism," third panel the worker is passed out and the caption "Russia under Democracy."

[Eagevawax]

Most sensible assessments: liquor is Russia is cheap (often homebrewed).
"In the 1990s, Russia experienced a resurgence of tuberculosis, considered a disease of poverty."

Ummm, no: tb is a medical condition, caused by bacteria. The spread of tb is most likely connected with the collapse of the health care system, as mentioned in the last paragraph of the OP.

I'll be charitable and assume this is a language issue. "Disease of poverty" means that the disease is very highly correlated with poverty, not caused by it.

[Pa33anger]

No.



I say it's because of Russian gloominess. Russians have to have the most depressing culture in the world. Their art is all about pessimism, sadness, angst, etc. Nobody leaves a Russian opera whistling the tunes cheerfully, they leave needing a stiff drink...

Russian gloominess? How very intelligent of you. QED.

[GalasaKoll]

He must be Nordic.

[Romarionsion]

He must be Nordic.

Dutch.

[shinesw]

Dutch.

Same ****, different border