Social Question

KNOWITALL's avatar

What is the REAL purpose of Russia's ban on American adoptions?

Asked by KNOWITALL (29685points) January 14th, 2013

MOSCOW (AP) – Thousands of people marched through Moscow on Sunday to protest Russia’s new law banning Americans from adopting Russian children, a far bigger number than expected in a sign that outrage over the ban has breathed some life into the dispirited anti-Kremlin opposition movement.

…Russia’s adoption ban was retaliation for a new U.S. law targeting Russians accused of human rights abuses. It also addresses long-brewing resentment in Russia over the 60,000 Russian children who have been adopted by Americans in the past two decades, 19 of whom have died.

…Protests against the adoption ban were held Sunday in a number of other Russian cities, but in most places only a few dozen people took part. In St. Petersburg, about 1,000 people turned out to show their opposition to the law and to Putin. Some held up a poster that read “Don’t play politics using children.”

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23 Answers

ragingloli's avatar

Colonials are notorious for abusing russian children.
The law is designed to protect russian children from colonial child abusers.

bookish1's avatar

@ragingloli: How would you like it if people on here referred to Germans exclusively by some derogatory reference to the country’s past…?

ragingloli's avatar

@bookish1
What do you mean, “past”?

mazingerz88's avatar

Maybe because Putin thinks there are so many unadopted American kids over here so why import Russians?

KNOWITALL's avatar

Apparently it’s much tougher to adopt an American child for everyone, one article says, so even Americans go elsewhere rather than pay a ton of money and jump through a million hoops.

I know a man here in my town that paid over $70,000 to adopt two American children. That total includes lawyer/ adoption fees.

ucme's avatar

Put’s me in mind of this song.

PhiNotPi's avatar

The law was probably created out of spite.

@ragingloli Will you please stop referring to Americans as “colonials”? You should know that the word is derogatory, and I have a strong feeling that is exactly why you are saying it. It feels like prejudice and xenophobia.

mazingerz88's avatar

@KNOWITALL And it’s cheaper with Russia? Wonder why it’s cost prohibitive here?

KNOWITALL's avatar

Not sure, I’m researching but it all seems to be about money thus far——-

“The site of the U.S. Department of foreign adoption also provides the information of the amounts that the Americans have to pay for an orphan from another country. In China the number is $15,930 USD, in Moldova – $23,365, in Poland – $17,375 dollars. Russia is not listed. It is clear that intermediary agencies take money for their help in the adoption, and it is unlikely this amount is any lower than in other countries. Nevertheless, it is cheaper for the Americans to adopt abroad as in the U.S. this procedure is no less than 30,000 dollars.

Of course, $15–20 thousand dollars is a lot of money, and one can only be happy for a country whose citizens are willing to spread such amount for the right to become parents of a child from another country. However, it should be noted that the government stimulates this desire. For example, the adoptive parents are entitled to an interest-free loan to buy a home.

Their employers are entitled to a substantial tax credit. That is, all money spent on the adoption is offset, which means that it is profitable to be adoptive parents in the United States. This explains the fact that adoptive parents are sometimes the people who already have children of their own.”
http://english.pravda.ru/society/family/13-03-2012/120760-russia_children-0/

WillWorkForChocolate's avatar

Oh, dear. Well I guess the “colonials” should just start adopting “nazis.”~

KNOWITALL's avatar

@WillWorkForChocolate I’m American and I don’t see anything wrong with calling us colonials, as by defination, we occupy a colony, which is true.

PLUS how cool is it that our ancestors didn’t like the way they were treated, got up -left, and founded an entirely new colony?! It’s bad-a$$!

*Fun Fact- Did you know that the Amish, before coming to America, weren’t allowed to sing hymns? They were only allowed to recite them. True story. Learned on the new reality show, Amish Mafia on A&E. lol, I crack myself up sometimes.

WillWorkForChocolate's avatar

@KNOWITALL It doesn’t offend me, it’s simply not accurate. Just as most black Americans are not actually “African Americans,” I’m not actually a colonial. Technically, I guess you could call me a Nazi Indian. (Feather, not dot.)

And my husband watches that show, LOL!

KNOWITALL's avatar

All righty then, I won’t argue semantics, but I think I’m right….lol

I’m also a Nazi Indian feather not dot. And add a little English Rose. ;)

*That show is insane, but my husband loves it and thinks it’s real. He’s cute but not the brightest bulb….hahahahaha! (He can never find this website or I’m in big trouble!)

tinyfaery's avatar

I can’t count how many Russian children who were adopted by American people that I have seen in group homes and Juvi.
There is even an account I read recently where a couple bought two kids one-way tickets to Russia with notes indicating they were returning the children.

Orphanages are horrible in Russia. A lot of kids housed in those institutions have psychological, emotional and behavioral problems. Adoptive parents are hardly ever told this and then suddenly their precious child has RAD and ODD and parents don’t know what to do. So, these kids are put into institutions once again, and again, they have no one.

It’s too bad really. Americans go to Russia to adopt little white children and Russia was able to get children out of their institutions.

I blame lack of knowledge about mental illness. Some people need more than meditation and herbal teas.

filmfann's avatar

What does it mean? Fuck you. That’s what it means.

mattbrowne's avatar

Putin’s lack of national self-esteem.

KNOWITALL's avatar

@mattbrowne You’re joking right?

@filmfann I tend to agree.

mattbrowne's avatar

Not at all, @KNOWITALL.

Putin has been pissed about Russia no longer having superpower status for a long time. Putin is pissed about Western countries criticizing the human rights situation in Russia. Putin wants to demonstrate how strong his country is, because deep down he knows that his country no longer is a major player. There are natural resources, but very little innovation. Mature democracies don’t have the need to tell the rest of the world all the time how great they are. Why are there schoolyard bullies? Because deep down, these guys have a self esteem issue. They need to show off their power.

ragingloli's avatar

I would consider any country that has enough nukes to turn the planet into a burning cinder several times over a superpower, regardless of their ability to project conventional military power.

KNOWITALL's avatar

@mattbrowne Oh sorry, I misunderstood and completely agree with you. They are building so many solid alliances with countries that are Anti-American to get back on top, arming radical Muslims, I get it.

mattbrowne's avatar

Arming radical Muslims? What do you mean? Putin is fighting against Chechen Islamist, doesn’t he?

ragingloli's avatar

funny though. During the cold war the soviets were pummeling the Taliban with their Hind helis, while it was the americans that were arming the taliban with modern weaponry.

ucme's avatar

I blame Rambo, that third movie stank the place out.

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