--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Today's difference between Russia and the…" description: "\"Today's difference between Russia and the United States is that in Russia everybody takes everybody else for a spy, and in the United States everybody ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95e/friedrich-d-rrenmatt-4497_criminals_today-s-difference-between-russia-and-th_2608682.png" --- # Today's difference between Russia and the United States is… ![“Today's difference between Russia and the United States is that in Russia everybody takes everybody else for a spy, and in the United States everybody takes everybody else for a criminal.” quote by Friedrich Durrenmatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95e/friedrich-d-rrenmatt-4497_criminals_today-s-difference-between-russia-and-th_2608682.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95e/friedrich-d-rrenmatt-4497_criminals_today-s-difference-between-russia-and-th_2608682.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95e/friedrich-d-rrenmatt-4497_criminals_today-s-difference-between-russia-and-th_2608682.png) > “Today's difference between Russia and the United States is that in Russia everybody takes everybody else for a spy, and in the United States everybody takes everybody else for a criminal.” [Friedrich Durrenmatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-d-rrenmatt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Both societies view each other with suspicion, casting others as threats. **In simple terms:** Mutual suspicion dominates. Key Takeaway Question assumptions. Themes politics trust stereotypes Mood skeptical critical Type political philosophical When to use this quote - international diplomacy - media analysis - community building Key Concepts paranoia social perception Questions to Reflect On - Why do we label outsiders as threats? - How can trust be rebuilt? A Different Perspective Overgeneralization ignores nuance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Criminals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criminals/) [Differences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/differences/) [Russia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/russia/) [Spy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spy/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) [United states](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united-states/) ## Related quotes > [Everybody calls everybody a spy, secretly, in Russia, and everybody is under surveillance. You never feel safe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-smedley/everybody-calls-everybody-a-spy-secretly-in-russia-and-everybody-is/) [Agnes Smedley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-smedley/) > [There is an enormous difference between Russia and Western Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-gorter/there-is-an-enormous-difference-between-russia-and-western-europe/) [Herman Gorter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-gorter/) > [If you get into crime you gotta know that everybody's a criminal and everybody's a liar, and everybody has the potential to backstab you,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ice-t/if-you-get-into-crime-you-gotta-know-that-everybody-s-a-criminal-and/) [Ice T](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ice-t/) > [I like everybody at 'Criminal Minds.' I would like to guest star, but I don't know if that is in the cards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paget-brewster/i-like-everybody-at-criminal-minds-i-would-like-to-guest-star-but-i/) [Paget Brewster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paget-brewster/) > [I think in the policies that have been followed since the president Donald Trump came into office, there really hasn't been any slack cut…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-gates/i-think-in-the-policies-that-have-been-followed-since-the-president/) [Robert M. Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-gates/) > [It doesn't seem to be that huge a commitment that would create, you know, some kind of really powerful constituency. But the history has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/it-doesn-t-seem-to-be-that-huge-a-commitment-that-would-create-you/) [John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/) > [President Trump say that relations between the United States and Russia may be at their lowest point since the end of the Cold War.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-woodruff/president-trump-say-that-relations-between-the-united-states-and/) [Judy Woodruff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-woodruff/) > [Georgia and Ukraine are not just states in Russia's neighborhood; they are on its doorstep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mearsheimer/georgia-and-ukraine-are-not-just-states-in-russia-s-neighborhood-they/) [John Mearsheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mearsheimer/) > [There is just a small difference between the United States and Russia - Russia does not teach the whole world democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margarita-simonyan/there-is-just-a-small-difference-between-the-united-states-and-russia/) [Margarita Simonyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margarita-simonyan/) > [Of course the United States and Russia have different interests. Nevertheless, both are strategic partners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valentina-matviyenko/of-course-the-united-states-and-russia-have-different-interests/) [Valentina Matviyenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valentina-matviyenko/) > [I don't separate one era of jazz from another, because I listen to everybody... Everybody takes from everybody else and adds their own thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonny-criss/i-don-t-separate-one-era-of-jazz-from-another-because-i-listen-to/) Sonny Criss > [If you love someone so much and you don't want to lose them, never ever show them the too much part. Everybody takes advantage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann/if-you-love-someone-so-much-and-you-don-t-want-to-lose-them-never/) [Ann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann/) > [Everybody takes what they life from the teachings of the church, and ignores the parts that don't suit them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-follett/everybody-takes-what-they-life-from-the-teachings-of-the-church-and/) [Ken Follett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-follett/) > [Leave me in peace, everybody takes dope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-anquetil/leave-me-in-peace-everybody-takes-dope/) [Jacques Anquetil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-anquetil/) > [Everybody takes at least 20, so even if you see a good selfie, it probably wasn't the first one. So my tip is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-carpenter/everybody-takes-at-least-20-so-even-if-you-see-a-good-selfie-it/) [Sabrina Carpenter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-carpenter/) ## More by Friedrich Durrenmatt > [Rome has betrayed itself. It knew the truth and chose violence, it knew humaneness and it chose tyranny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-d-rrenmatt/rome-has-betrayed-itself-it-knew-the-truth-and-chose-violence-it-knew/) [Friedrich Durrenmatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-d-rrenmatt/) > [A major power can afford a military debacle only when it looks like a political victory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-d-rrenmatt/a-major-power-can-afford-a-military-debacle-only-when-it-looks-like-a/) [Friedrich Durrenmatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-d-rrenmatt/) > [“...he had read von Lambert's book on terrorism, there were two pages devoted to the Arab resistance movement, von Lambert refused to call them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-d-rrenmatt/he-had-read-von-lambert-s-book-on-terrorism-there-were-two-pages/) [Friedrich Dürrenmatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-d-rrenmatt/) > [People like us who are on their last leg can only understand comedies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-d-rrenmatt/people-like-us-who-are-on-their-last-leg-can-only-understand-comedies/) [Friedrich Durrenmatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-d-rrenmatt/) > [Before anything else, we need a new age of Enlightenment. Our present political systems must relinquish their claims on truth, justice and freedom and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-d-rrenmatt/before-anything-else-we-need-a-new-age-of-enlightenment-our-present/) [Friedrich Durrenmatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-d-rrenmatt/) > [So then learn to conquer your fear. This is the only art we have to master nowadays: to look at things without fear, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-d-rrenmatt/so-then-learn-to-conquer-your-fear-this-is-the-only-art-we-have-to/) [Friedrich Durrenmatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-d-rrenmatt/) > [We are not cave dwellers anymore, we live in the age of technology. When someone needs a car, he does not need to build…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-d-rrenmatt/we-are-not-cave-dwellers-anymore-we-live-in-the-age-of-technology/) [Friedrich Durrenmatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-d-rrenmatt/) > [Every work of art depicts an aspect of reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-d-rrenmatt/every-work-of-art-depicts-an-aspect-of-reality/) [Friedrich Durrenmatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-d-rrenmatt/) > [Justice is horrible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-d-rrenmatt/justice-is-horrible/) [Friedrich Durrenmatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-d-rrenmatt/) > [Then the American flag was saluted. In general, in the United States people always salute the American flag.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-d-rrenmatt/then-the-american-flag-was-saluted-in-general-in-the-united-states/) [Friedrich Durrenmatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-d-rrenmatt/) > [Communism is a proposition to structure the world more reasonably, a proposition for changing the world. As such, we have to analyze it and,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-d-rrenmatt/communism-is-a-proposition-to-structure-the-world-more-reasonably-a/) [Friedrich Durrenmatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-d-rrenmatt/) > [The content of physics is the concern of physicists, its effect the concern of all men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-d-rrenmatt/the-content-of-physics-is-the-concern-of-physicists-its-effect-the/) [Friedrich Durrenmatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-d-rrenmatt/) > [This inhuman world has to become more humane. But how?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-d-rrenmatt/this-inhuman-world-has-to-become-more-humane-but-how/) [Friedrich Durrenmatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-d-rrenmatt/) > [Humans need justice in the here and now and grace in the thereafter. Justice in the here and now is possible only without freedom,and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-d-rrenmatt/humans-need-justice-in-the-here-and-now-and-grace-in-the-thereafter/) [Friedrich Durrenmatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-d-rrenmatt/) > [The only remedy against hunger is reasonable birth control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-d-rrenmatt/the-only-remedy-against-hunger-is-reasonable-birth-control/) [Friedrich Durrenmatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-d-rrenmatt/) [Explore all 95 Friedrich Durrenmatt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-d-rrenmatt/) ## More Criminals quotes > [We need to incorporate that age-old concept of redemption into the work that we do in the criminal justice system in California.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamala-harris/we-need-to-incorporate-that-age-old-concept-of-redemption-into-the/) [Kamala Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamala-harris/) > [They're criminals, they brutalized Afghanistan, they killed our people, they destroyed our land.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamid-karzai/they-re-criminals-they-brutalized-afghanistan-they-killed-our-people/) [Hamid Karzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamid-karzai/) > [There are over 500,000 registered sex offenders across the country, and statistics have shown that the recidivism rate for those criminals is high.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-sensenbrenner/there-are-over-500-000-registered-sex-offenders-across-the-country/) [Jim Sensenbrenner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-sensenbrenner/) > [Discovering witnesses is just as important as catching criminals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-wiesenthal/discovering-witnesses-is-just-as-important-as-catching-criminals/) [Simon Wiesenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-wiesenthal/) > [The proliferation of right-to-carry laws throughout the states has drawn plaintive complaints from the criminal element. They feel that it makes their profession too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-cooper/the-proliferation-of-right-to-carry-laws-throughout-the-states-has/) [Jeff Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-cooper/) > [What most needs explanation is not why some people are criminals, but why most people are not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-q-wilson/what-most-needs-explanation-is-not-why-some-people-are-criminals-but/) [James Q. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-q-wilson/) > [A criminal trial is never about seeking justice for the victim. If it were, there could be only one verdict: guilty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/a-criminal-trial-is-never-about-seeking-justice-for-the-victim-if-it/) [Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/) > [There's some criminals that wear badges. Guess what? There's some criminals that work in the media. There's some criminals that are football coaches. There's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dabo-swinney/there-s-some-criminals-that-wear-badges-guess-what-there-s-some/) [Dabo Swinney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dabo-swinney/) > [Nobody can really compare a relationship in which the victim is 15 years old to one where she's 6. While both criminal, they're very different circumstances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/nobody-can-really-compare-a-relationship-in-which-the-victim-is-15/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [Humanity is not perfect in any fashion; no more in the case of evil than in that of good. The criminal has his virtues,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos/humanity-is-not-perfect-in-any-fashion-no-more-in-the-case-of-evil/) [Pierre Choderlos de Laclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos/) > [“criminals were all derived from the same ethnicity – scumbag”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-h-thomson/criminals-were-all-derived-from-the-same-ethnicity-scumbag/) [L.H. Thomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-h-thomson/) > [New Orleans food is as delicious as the less criminal forms of sin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/new-orleans-food-is-as-delicious-as-the-less-criminal-forms-of-sin/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“When a doctor does go wrong, he is the first of criminals. He has the nerve and he has the knowledge.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/when-a-doctor-does-go-wrong-he-is-the-first-of-criminals-he-has-the/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [Sometimes the law defends plunder and participates in it. 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