Prabhupāda: Doubtful—that means not perfect knowledge. So how they can say that there is no God? They can say: "Yes, there may be or may not be. We do not know." That is a gentleman. How they can say there is no God? And people are misled, "Oh, such-and-such scientist has said there is no God. Therefore there is no God." He does not know that he's a perfectly foolish. His statement has no value. Yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhaḥ lokas tad anuvartate (BG 3.21). Because he has posed himself as a very big man, people follow him blindly and they're misled.
Karandhara: Like the Russians . . .
Prabhupāda: Oh, they are set of fools.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: They do not believe in God, the Russians?
Prabhupāda: No. They are all rascals. I have studied them in one week.
Karandhara: They struggle so hard, but they still cannot produce enough food.
Prabhupāda: They are simply set of rascals. All people are unhappy there. Unhappy. They cannot speak anything against the government, and they have got so many protests to lodge. So many. But they cannot speak. If you speak, immediately he's sent to the concentrated camp. Some . . . nobody knows where he has gone. You see the Krushchev, such a big man. Nobody knows where he is. That is their policy. As soon as you are suspicious . . . therefore Lelin . . . Lelin, Lelin . . .?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Lenin . . .
Prabhupāda: Not Lenin. Stalin.
Karandhara: Stalin.
Prabhupāda: Stalin. He's estimated to be the greatest criminal in the world. As soon as he'll suspect you . . . you may be a great friend; next day you are finished. He'll ask his friend, "Now, here is poison and here is revolver. What do you want? If you want to die yourself, take this poison and die. Otherwise, you'll be shot." So what he will select? He will take poison. Finish. This was his business. As soon as little suspicion, he'll call him: "Now here is poison. Here is revolver. What do you want?" Yes.
Karandhara: Their scientists are very proud.
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Karandhara: The Russian scientists are very proud in their working, and they're atheistical. But still they're not able to produce enough food. Every year there's not enough food.
Prabhupāda: No. There's not enough food. Yes. I have experienced it. You cannot get food as you like. What government supplies, you have to accept. That's all. And that is rubbish, all rubbish. Generally, they supply meat. No fruit, no vegetable, no rice, no . . . nothing. You cannot get. You simply eat meat. That's all. And milk is available. This is their arrangement. And in all store, lines. You have to ask. Even if you want to take meat only, you cannot go and immediately purchase. You have to wait for three hours, control. This is their position.
No bank. No motorcar. No taxicab. Simply . . . there are—simply symbolic. And people are poverty-stricken so much that one taxi driver, he was trying to cheat us. They have no sufficient money. So they saw us that, "Here is a foreigner, Indian and American. Let me cheat." This is their position. Just like India. India, being poverty-stricken, they also cheat. Of course, cheating is a disease. But especially those who are poverty-stricken, generally, they cheat, they steal. No character. And all women are engaged for sweeping—fat, fat women.
(pause)
Karandhara: Now in Russia, the people are starting to become disillusioned.
Prabhupāda: I, I, I have traveling all over the world. My opinion is that materially, America is happy. And spiritually, some portion of India is happy. Otherwise, there is no happiness all over the world. And material happiness is illusion. That is not happiness, because it will break at any time. Therefore that is not happiness. And spiritual happiness is real happiness.
So in Russia, there is neither material nor spiritual. So they are unhappy in all respects. I asked Professor Kotovsky to call for a taxi. So he said: "Well, it is Moscow. Very difficult to get taxi." So he came down himself, he showed us the way—"Please go in this way, in this way, and you get your hotel." He's a big man. He knows that taxi will not be available. And there are few taxis only, show. I did not see any store very neat and clean, well decorated. Not a single. All old, with dust, as if antique shop—the antique shop, just like in your country. I was daily having my morning walk in the Red Square, the most dangerous square . . . (chuckles)
Svarūpa Dāmodara: What square?
Prabhupāda: Red Square. Yes. I think you have got my picture.
Karandhara: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Many visitors are waiting to see the tomb of Lelin (Lenin). Yes. They were worshiping Lelin. As we are worshiping Kṛṣṇa, they are worshiping Lelin. So I, I asked Professor Kotovsky, "Where is the difference in principle? You are also worshiping somebody. So you, you have not been able to stop worshiping. How you can be godless? You have made your God, that's all—somebody false God."
I did not say him also that, "This is your false God," but I said that, "You are worshiping Lelin. We are worshiping Kṛṣṇa. Now where is the difference in philosophy? You have to worship somebody. Now it is my selection whether I shall worship Lelin or Kṛṣṇa. That is different thing. But the principle of worshiping is there in you and in me." He could not answer. What he'll answer? Everywhere it is going on.