Sometimes it just feels wrong to be right. This is one of those times.

I just finished watching another YouTube video from the Feenstra family in Russia — the most blatant piece of bullshit propaganda imaginable, reminiscent of those old Stalin-era films of happy farmers singing happy songs while slashing away at the fields of golden wheat with their shiny scythes; and happy children with shiny faces, singing happy songs in their happy kindergarten classrooms.

And all my wishful thinking — that I might still be wrong and the Feenstras might actually live happily ever after in Russia — went up in smoke.

When last seen, they were in Moscow for several days to attend an agricultural show, and to see the sights. They were to have returned home on a Friday, but now we hear that they were asked to extend their stay until Monday in order to appear on Russia’s version of the Tonight Show — Sevodnya Vecherom — to be filmed at the preeminent Mosfilm movie studios, and shown later on state-controlled TV Channel One.

And who could resist an invitation like that? Not this group — and not when everything is being arranged and provided for you, from extra days in your rented house, to transportation, a driver, an interpreter, and a very appreciative live studio audience.

There were a few shots of the entertainment portion of the show — a bit of Russian folk dancing — while the Feenstras were in the “green room,” enjoying snacks and having makeup applied for the cameras.

And then it was interview time.

The host of the show spoke as slides were shown of the family arriving in Moscow the previous year, of their new farm, and — not surprisingly — of the day they raised the huge Russian flag on their property. There were also scenes of some of the children harvesting eggplants during the summer, while singing a Russian song. I hadn’t seen that one before, and it was . . . well . . . charming. Staged, but charming.

Then the questioning began.

The family had to be at least a little nervous — anyone would be on national TV for the first time — but they hid it quite well. After a year of being paraded around like a carnival exhibit, I suppose they’re getting used to it. The children did not speak at all, and Anneesa only chimed in when she was asked how they had made the decision to move from Canada to Russia. She said that it had been her husband’s idea, but that they had decided together. She may have said more, but that’s all that was included in the video.

Arend, as always, was the spokesman for the family. And, as always, he said all the right things. The main questions, of course, were geared toward what had influenced their decision to make the move, and whether they were glad they had done it. And the answers were textbook.

He said they had left Canada for multiple reasons: economic considerations; reasons of faith; the freedom to live according to their beliefs, which they said no longer exists in Canada; and finding the right path for their future.

And, of course, they are extremely grateful that — in his words — “God led us here.”

At that point — as the host thanked them for appearing and wished them good luck and good health in the future — I had to ask myself what this close-knit, conservative, hard-working, religious family could possibly have done that was so bad that God would punish them by leading them to choose Russia as their Promised Land.

And I had no answer.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
2/6/25