title:  Ballet Dancing Great Who Defected From Soviet Union Says Trump’s America Would Be Like Russia
text: Mikhail Baryshnikov is one of the greatest ballet dancers of all time. Hailing from the Soviet Union, he was born during the Cold War and knows exactly what Soviet Russia was like   and continues to be like today   under Vladamir Putin.Baryshnikov was already a world-reknowned ballet dancer when he chose to escape the communist hellscape to live in America, where he continues to proudly live today.He has never endorsed a political candidate beyond doing his civic duty by exercising his right to vote, but this election is different.In Donald Trump, Baryshnikov sees a man who is too close to Russia and Putin. He sees a man who would make America closely resemble the old Soviet Union where freedom of speech is stymied and tyranny rules. He sees a man who would close America off to the rest of the world and a man who would stamp out any opposition against him under his boot heel.And that s why Baryshnikov has chosen to endorse Hillary Clinton for president in a video he released on Wednesday along with a written statement. While watching the presidential election unfold, and hearing Donald Trump s flirtations with the Kremlin, I feel compelled to add my voice to the mix   specifically regarding immigration   something I am obviously familiar with. I have never publicly endorsed a political candidate before, or inserted myself into politics in any way other than by voting, but this video is a direct call to action: We must elect Hillary Clinton as president in November. Forty two years ago I left a country that built walls to come to a place without them,  Baryshnikov said in the video.  But today, as a citizen of the United States, for the first time, I m hearing rhetoric that reminds me of the Soviet Union of my youth, where it was a crime, and continues to be, a crime to be different. Baryshnikov referred to Trump as a  dangerous totalitarian opportunist  and went on to voice his support for the Democratic nominee who opposes him. The America I love welcomes people of all nations, all religions, and supports all forms of human expression. America welcomed me, an immigrant, and that welcome has made my life possible. I trust her to lead us in the right direction, to protect the rights of all citizens, and to provide sane, steady leadership in a complex world. Here s the video via YouTube.Donald Trump is a wannabe dictator who hates facts and thinks he can do whatever he wants and say whatever he wants. He wants to oppress people based on their race and their religion and their sexual orientation. He treats women like objects and uses fear and hate to advance his agenda. This sounds frighteningly a lot like something you would find in the Soviet Union. But while Trump fits in with Russia, his political agenda runs counter to American values.If elected president, Trump would destroy those values and he would be Putin s puppet. And then conservative fears of FEMA camps would come true. Except that in Russia they call them gulags.Featured image via screen capture