O'Neill and Russians

[Sealurk]

Okay, this thread might be better placed in the Characters & Relationships folder, I'm not sure.

I'm just watching Metamorphosis in season 6, and I'm curious...why does O'Neill have such a grievance with Russians? It just seems to go far beyond a lingering trace of Cold War distrust, it seems very personal - his reaction to being told the new member of SG-1 would be a Russian, his treatment of the Russian Stargate program and the Russian team members in Watergate, The Tomb and Metamorphosis to name a few - to me, they all point to a serious, very personal loathing of Russians.

I wondered if it was just patriotism combined with memories of the Cold War, but O'Neill doesn't seem the type to fall for that kind of feeling, he's too cynical of everything, up to and including his own government.

I'm wondering if I've missed a reference somewhere. I know he was involved in a covert op in East Germany in the Eighties that went horribly wrong and ended up with an officer being killed by Russian soldiers, so is that it, or is there something more?

[KEK]

Jack is a bit xenophobic, nothing new. Until proven otherwise, he usually assumes off world cultures are inferior and/or untrustworthy too. Don't remember any mention of that op though, was it in the show, or a novel?

[Sealurk]

Jack is a bit xenophobic, nothing new. Until proven otherwise, he usually assumes off world cultures are inferior and/or untrustworthy too. Don't remember any mention of that op though, was it in the show, or a novel?

I think it was in the episode The Gamekeeper, where he and Teal'c relived it over and over. You're probably right about his xenophobia, I just always sensed there was something more when it came to Russians.

[Starsaber]

I think it was leftover from the Cold War. He spent most of his career getting ready to fight the Russians (and probably did in some covert ops like the East Germany one you mentioned), so it'd take a while for him to see them as allies

[chrono trigger]

i actually thought it was realistic for an american soldier to have no love for the russians considering he had been a soldier during times when russians and americans werent exactly getting on.

[KEK]

I think it was in the episode The Gamekeeper, where he and Teal'c relived it over and over. You're probably right about his xenophobia, I just always sensed there was something more when it came to Russians.

Ah yes, I remember now.

[Sp!der]

I know, I noticed this hatred towards the russian too, but I thought, its .... well.... i kinda understand him, if i were in his position.

[Burns]

It was just how he was 'raised up' in the air force twas' the times. They make you hate so you will win. Plus it shows how he still hates/distrusts the tokra, have not proved their trust

[Sp!der]

It was just how he was 'raised up' in the air force twas' the times. They make you hate so you will win. Plus it shows how he still hates/distrusts the tokra, have not proved their trust

due true, but with the tokra it was a different story, they actually did not show many trust in the beginning... so... in this case a kinda understand him...

[Burns]

due true, but with the tokra it was a different story, they actually did not show many trust in the beginning... so... in this case a kinda understand him...

Did the Russians show trust? I'm thinking about WWII and after do they even really trust the US now?

[Ripple in Space]

Jack is a bit xenophobic, nothing new. Until proven otherwise, he usually assumes off world cultures are inferior and/or untrustworthy too. Don't remember any mention of that op though, was it in the show, or a novel?

O'Neill's policy of trust needing to be earned is what kept Earth safe for 15 years. After a group proved themselves, he'd take a bullet for them, but until then he wouldn't enter a room with one without his finger on the trigger of a P90. It worked for relations with the Asgard and the Aschen, one case they came to be Earth's greatest allies, the other, O'Neill had to save Earth from them.

[KEK]

It also alienated us from advanced societies like the Nox and Tollan. Without Daniel to balance the team out, I don't think SG-1 would have got very far.

[Flyboy]

I suspect you're *really* underestimating the tensions that can exist between soldiers of formerly opposing countries.

[Petra]

It also alienated us from advanced societies like the Nox and Tollan. Without Daniel to balance the team out, I don't think SG-1 would have got very far.

O'Neill alienated us from the Nox and the Tollan? Really? Care to share how exactly did he do it?

Because from what I remember the Nox decided we were "too young" and while it certainly was based on SG-1 using force, it was Daniel , not Jack, who convinced the rest of the team that they should do it because he wanted to capture Apophis.

And the Tollans had a funny way of showing their distrust/dislike of O'Neill, what with choosing him for the mission to catch technology thieves because he was the only one they trusted.