The Oppressive State of Russia has not Changed Much Since it was the USSR.

[UglyGreed]

Last edited Thu Aug 1, 2013, 06:37 PM - Edit history (1)

Please understand this is the Country who sent my Uncle to Siberia because he stated he did not like Stalin's face at a local bar never to be seen again. Who's troops used my Aunt as target practice while walking home from school at the age of 14. And finally chased my mother and father out of their own country during WW2.

I don't like what my country, The United States of America is doing right now and feel they are tracing the former Soviet Union's footsteps in the Middle East, but please people, Russia is not a nation to be trusted by no means.

[Pholus]

1. Your assertion has never been in question!

It was just a convenient talking point for some trying to turn the discussion from dragnet surveillance onto a Snowden personality party.

Nobody here seriously thinks Russia is better, if anything we're aghast because after 30+ years of propaganda telling us why we were better we seem to have turned on a dime and embraced the very policies we mocked.

[UglyGreed]

11. As I wrote in the OP

I agree. And since I spoke to eye witnesses (my parents, relatives ) to the horrors of both the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany I see our Country the USA going down the same path. Just thought I would pass the info along to others.

[Vinnie From Indy]

2. To be fair....

A Russian might respond and remind you that our country committed genocide against the American Indians, killed hundreds of thousands of slaves and held millions more in bondage for better part of a century etc. etc. etc. In short, the US is not sinless on the world stage.

Cheers!

[treestar]

72. Even all that is not nearly as bad

as the Soviet era. Sending people to Siberia and killing or imprisoning them for political disagreement? At least the American Indians were left free to fight back and won a few battles. Russia had slavery too and serfdom.

[Jackpine Radical]

86. Have you any grasp of American history?

"the American Indians were left free to fight back"

Well, except for genocide via smallpox blankets, and the deliberate destruction of the buffalo herds in order to eliminate their supply of materials for food and shelter, and imprisoning the children in "Indian schools" where their culture was destroyed (punished for speaking their native languages, forced into Christian observance, etc.), and herding them onto reservations where they were systematically deprived of promised food and starved, and wiping out entire villages down to the infants ("nits breed lice&quot , and a few other things.

[treestar]

90. Do you?

Remember Custer's last stand? There were many battles. The Indians won a few here and there. Or moved further west. It was nothing near as bad as the USSR.

A lot more happened than the things you list.

And don't start an outraged How Dare You Suggest the Native Americans were not the ultimate victims of all time. Hitler too tried to use them as an excuse. The Nazis were far, far worse and so was the USSR.

[nomorenomore08]

93. I don't think you realize just *how many people* died as a result of European and American conquest.

Many estimates run in the tens of millions. So while Hitler (and Stalin for that matter) may have killed millions in a more concentrated time-frame, saying the Nazis and the USSR were "far, far worse" seems fairly dubious.

[treestar]

94. Not so at all

There were no concentration camps in the US set up solely for the purpose of killing anyone. How you can even not see that is appalling.

There is nothing like the Siberia camps or the totalitarian state under Stalin - nothing like those killings at all.

If one is going to criticize the US that is fine but quit exaggerating. It is ridiculous to claim that even the treatment of Native Americans compares at all to the Third Reich or the USSR. And then going along with their using that "excuse" to claim it's OK what they did undermines that what they did was evil. And we do have a right, and are "better" to condemn them for what they did.

[nomorenomore08]

95. I'm saying that when it comes to killing off millions of people, the exact methods maybe aren't

the most important thing. And the point is not "Oh my God our country is as bad as the worst genocidal dictatorships ever!" Simply acknowledging that we, like perhaps most civilizations throughout history, have committed ghastly atrocities.

[Bonobo]

98. Holy fuck

Next you'll be saying that slavery was no big thing.

[JaneyVee]

130. To be fair, this shit still goes on in Russia.

[quinnox]

3. Russia helped defeat the Nazis in World War 2

Stalingrad was devastating to the Germans.

I'm happy Snowden found refuge in Russia, and that Putin granted this asylum. Not many countries are able to stand up to the big and bad USA these days. I would also add the cold war is over, we won.

[dballance]

4. Russia had a major part in defeating the Nazis. But they became our cold war enemy...

So any credit they were due was summarily minimized and victories by other Allied forces were put to the forefront. I don't recall ever hearing about the battle of Stalingrad in history courses until college.

I have to agree with the poster who mentioned the US has become everything I was taught was evil about the former USSR. People disappearing, people being prosecuted for political crimes, people being monitored secretly, people being tortured. Yep, just like what I was taught those evil, godless commies did. But not the great white hope, the city on the hill, the USofA.

[UglyGreed]

54. Thank you

for your reply.

[UglyGreed]

12. The Russians were

Last edited Thu Aug 1, 2013, 05:58 PM - Edit history (1)

devastating to my parent's Country for over 50 years....

[Scurrilous]

97. After signing a non-aggression pact w/ the Nazis and invading Poland from the East...

..a few weeks after the Germans invaded from the West.

@#$% Russia.

[NoPasaran]

115. Yes, the Soviet Union became Nazi Germany's greatest enemy

But only after being their allies for nearly two years.

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. The Soviet Union has not been around for a good while

And the Cold War is mostly over (I fear we are restarting it actually)

[UglyGreed]

13. If we don't learn from history, we are doomed to repeat it

is that how the saying goes???

[nadinbrzezinski]

15. The US is not above reproach and right now

We are making the McCarthy years look like a walk in the park, as well as the years of CONTRIELPRO.

[UglyGreed]

76. CONTRIEPRO Isn't that what Alex Jones

is always chirping about???? HHMMMMM

[nadinbrzezinski]

84. Are you that ignorant of American HISTORY?

Of course you are.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COINTELPRO

While at it google "Church Senate Committee" or "Church Committee" for short

Yiu might also google up HUAC or House on Un American Activities Committee

[UglyGreed]

104. Nah never heard of it........

gimme a break SMH

[nadinbrzezinski]

105. I will assume you have not

[UglyGreed]

106. When you assume N/T

[nadinbrzezinski]

107. It is your responses that are telling

Throughout this thread.

[UglyGreed]

111. Have a nice evening

my friend.

[nadinbrzezinski]

112. You too

[UglyGreed]

109. Anytime

I see Cointelpro posted I automatically picture the fat boy ranting. He has brainwashed me

[nadinbrzezinski]

110. So you think it is just a cool conspiracy

And not a historic fact? Keep digging.

Serious.

[UglyGreed]

113. Why do you

put words in my mouth and assume sooooo much???

[nadinbrzezinski]

114. I have not

This post is yours.

109. Anytime

I see Cointelpro posted I automatically picture the fat boy ranting. He has brainwashed me



Summer has come and passed, The innocent can never last, wake me up when September ends

[UglyGreed]

116. because I made a joke

about Alex Jones worshippers throwing that phrase around on the internet does mean I believe it or not.....

[UglyGreed]

118. Do you

listen to Alex Jones????

[nadinbrzezinski]

120. Speaking of assuming.

Son, I am a historian by training...we read shit like the Church Committee testimony....and as a reporter I get to read actual legislation for fun, or strategic plans for my local FD.

Alex Jones is just a nut that cherry picks to scare people. He's not even as sophisticated as El Rushbo.

Your question is even more revealing.

As I said...keep digging. I suggest a backhoe...it will be far easier.

[UglyGreed]

121. I asked a question

sorry to offend you...... as you offended me

[nadinbrzezinski]

122. Your question Sir, is not unlike those asked at the HUAC

It is tendentious and insulting.

Next I expect from you, in the best McCarthy impersonation, "are you now, or have you ever, been a member of the Communist Party?"

You missed your decade...by this much...

[UglyGreed]

123. Enough already

You did not like what I posted about my relatives and now you carry on with the name calling...

[nadinbrzezinski]

126. I did not question what you wrote

Because that is the history of Russia going back to Peter the Great and Katherine...a few centuries before Stalin. The modern regime is no longer running the system of internal displacement that reached it's maximum actually under Stalin.

So you got insulted because not just me, but a few others who know that history, understand that the modern Russian Federation is actually better than Soviet Russia...and we dared tell you this. How much better is a good question, but the Gulag system is gone, as well as the internal exile system. Joe Stalin has been dead for a few decades, and the USSR has been gone for almost two as well.

You also got all in a tizzy when we mentioned what this country has done, including genocide and slavery, or the fact that this is a closing society.

There is a saying that applies here, but you will get even more insulted, so I will save it. I suggest ignore poster if you so chose. I won't feel insulted...in fact I don't care.

[UglyGreed]

128. I don't use the ignore feature

because hopefully someday the person I place on ignore might post something of interest that I can learn from. Other times they might just continue to be a rock in one's shoe and be as troublesome as a cloudy day. Either way my relatives and I have been through (and survived) much more than name calling on an internet forum.

[nadinbrzezinski]

129. And I lost 50 family members at Treblynka

And your point? This is why we learn from history, are not fixed on it...and never get over it, which is what you are doing. The Russian Federation, no matter how hard you try, is not Soviet Russia under Iosef Stalin...or Tsarist Russia under Peter the Great.

[UglyGreed]

134. Sorry for

your loss, I know how it feels to lose people and never meet anyone from one side of a family and only and few from the other. It's a lonely existent and I for one would never make light of the pain.

[nadinbrzezinski]

135. The difference is that never again for me having worked to

Improve human rights for others.

I don't dwell much on it...I work to try to stop it from happening again, and again, and again...genocide is a pattern in human history.

Nor would I call modern day Germany like that Germany, or Poland. They have their warts...

[UglyGreed]

136. Every Country

has it warts and my parents "homeland" has some very ugly ones which continue on to this day. Since you are a historian I don't think I need to post what I'm referring to.

[nadinbrzezinski]

137. But it is not what it was

The gulags are gone. Not that I would call Putin a paragon of human rights, but now...I would not call the US that either.

[UglyGreed]

138. secret

prisons are a secret for a reason, how do you or I know who goes in and better yet who never comes out????

[nadinbrzezinski]

139. We have them.. So what...the us has secret prisons, right fucking now.

[UglyGreed]

141. That's what I was saying N/T

[AgingAmerican]

144. Alex Jones agrees with your OP

The Russian Bear Is Back, The Soviet Union Is Being Revived And The Cold War Is Not Over

[Pab Sungenis]

102. The people running Russia now

are the same ones who were running the USSR. It's getting to the point where the only thing that has changed is the name.

[DevonRex]

124. Yes. I am so happy

that we agree. Putin is a man with dead eyes.

[GlashFordan]

6. And THIS is the nation that dropped

2 nuclear bombs on innocent civilians. So I suggest you step off of the righteousness pony.

The US is more closely related to Truman today than Russia is related to Stalin. In case you missed it, Russia had a change in government and governing philosophy a few years back.

Russia today is just as " trustable" as the US on a global stage.

[UglyGreed]

28. Check out my

post history, you will see I do not blindly support the Military but like most you did not even read the my OP in this thread. SMH

[treestar]

71. I don't think using that helps your point

The Russians would have been happy with the bombings, and they were undertaken to stop the Japanese. Who did some pretty horrible things in WWII also.

The Russians would have carried out such bombings if they had the bomb at the time.

[dbackjon]

117. Wow - you are a Russian Apologist

Russia has ZERO redeeming qualities.

Oppression of minorities - anti gay, jewish laws.

Corruption to the max

No individual rights.


Russia can not, nor should they be trusted - they have no respect for anything.



And the nuclear bombs? WTF does that have to do with anything?

[NuclearDem]

7. Anyone who feels Russia AKA Soviet Union are heroes

...please stand up, because I haven't seen any of you around here.

[Rex]

9. +1

All this 'pretend outrage' stuff is getting boring.

[UglyGreed]

18. Who's pretending

Who are you pointing fingers at???

[Rex]

22. Did you fail to read the OP?

nt.

[UglyGreed]

17. I bet Snowden would be

standing.....

[Rex]

26. So where are all these DUers expressing love for Russian heroes?

Your OP is incredibly lame without any facts to back up your assertion.

[UglyGreed]

30. Lame????

It's about the lives (some very short) of my family members..... What facts would you like to see???

[Rex]

31. Where DUers are worshipping Russian heroes, like your OP says.

DO you not read what you type?

[UglyGreed]

34. Here ya go

http://www.lettia.lv/en_a_baigais-gads.html

[Rex]

36. That does not link to any DUers praising Russian heroes.

Why are you dodging the issue? Cannot admit to making stuff up out of whole cloth? Lame.

[UglyGreed]

53. you asked if had

proof of what happened to my relatives that's as close as I can find. Sorry if I did not video tape my parents and upload it to youtube before they died.

[Rex]

56. Why are you purposly lying now as to what I said?

I said point out WHO on DU (since you addressed everyone) that worships Stalin or the USSR! I see you cannot come out and admit to making that all up. Sad really.

I won't say a word about your personal life or history, since I have no reason to believe you. Since you cannot be honest enough to point out the USSR lovers here as stated in your OP title.

[Bluenorthwest]

62. That's not what you were asked at all, you were asked why you were addressing DU as if DU

had anyone praising Russia as heroes. Anyone with eyes today could see that many people on DU are promoting a boycott of Russian products and the Olympics set to take place there, the very antithesis of praise and the ultimate criticism. This makes thinking readers want to know why you felt compelled to post this chiding of our community.

[Rex]

64. Thanks for saying it better then I ever could have.

I am INSULTED that the OP would think anyone here loves the USSR or Stalin for that matter! Makes me think of a mindset we know oh so well...I bet you can guess.

[Bluenorthwest]

89. The OP is still sliming me and did not respond to this post at all

It is what it is. I only comment on this crap because the OP was being so unfair to you. I can't stand that tactic, it is ultra dishonest and deeply corrupt language.

[Rex]

92. I appreceate it, they did change the thread title to something

more accurate. I hope that makes some difference. Surely there is no proof that any DUer has ever posted a love letter to the former USSR.

[Cleita]

8. The Soviet Union under which those atrocities occurred no

longer exists, but I agree with you that the Putin government is not to be trusted anymore than our present military/industrial and energy interests, which are influencing the USA government, are to be trusted. We have to trust in the power of the people in both nations to excise the factions in our governments that are trying to bring back totalitarian police states in place of democracy.

[UglyGreed]

58. No longer exists

because they went broke, like our country is going broke now.

[dbackjon]

119. Wow - you really think Russia is the same as the US?

REally?

[Luminous Animal]

10. Nobody on this board thinks that the Russian govt. is heroic.

Nor does anyone feel that it should be trusted.

[UglyGreed]

14. Tell that to the Ron Paul supporters

posting at the RT youtube channel.

[Luminous Animal]

29. Are they on this board?

[UglyGreed]

37. Well Paulbots are know to

try to persuade liberals and such, so perhaps many are here and you and I would not even know.

[UglyGreed]

39. Go check the link Rexy N/T

[leftstreet]

16. Where are all the DUers saying 'Russia AKA Soviet Union are heroes?'

Is there a secret forum I don't know about?

[UglyGreed]

20. Check out my other replies

and those praising Russia for welcoming Snowden. Wonder what the Russians have to gain

[leftstreet]

24. I think you're a few decades late for the HUAC n/t

[Rex]

32. .

[UglyGreed]

23. Yup shh

I'll direct you there

[disidoro01]

19. Perhaps

When you are done, you can reach out to some Native Americans and African Americans...

[UglyGreed]

21. When cornered

divert attention. Why don't you checkout my post history............

[disidoro01]

45. Not interested in your

post history I'm addressing your BS here. Nobody is cheering Russia and placing them as an example of freedom. Nobody. If you disagree please post those examples.
I want you to understand the blood steeped history of the United States. You don't get it.
Any port in the storm. Snowden ran to protect his life.
And tomorrow we can address why Snowden ran when Mannings sentence is handed down.

[UglyGreed]

48. I know of the history of the United States

but this is not the subject of this thread, you have chosen to change the subject of my thread.

[matthews]

33. And obviously, neither is this one. Shall we talk of all the things we've done to

destabilize governments, aid in the overthrow of duly elected foreign leaders, the record of the School of the Americas,how we secretly tested nuclear radiation on unsuspecting civilians, massacred innocent people in Viet Nam, spying on it's own people...?

Split that hair as finely as you want.

I want my country to be better than that.

[UglyGreed]

49. Once again

this is not the subject of this thread, you have chosen to change the subject of my thread.

[matthews]

61. No. I don't like being told what to think by people spouting irrevalencies

and talking about how bad someone/someplace else is.

The hypocrisy is annoying.

And YOU picked the subject. How bad an actor Russia is. Well part of that discussion will always include the other side of the story. Always. And the other side of the story is that we've done some pretty rotten shit ourselves so many you should quit throwing those stones.

But I see so many people have tried to explain how pointless your OP was in the first place and you just can't grasp what they're trying to tell you.

And they've also tried and tried and tried to tell you that no one here has ever tried to claim that Russia and Shambhala are the same place. But you just refuse to pay attention.

Not my fault if you got in over your head.

[treestar]

69. The Soviets have done all of those things and worse

The Russians of present would continue to do so, but their economy is in the shit hole.

[matthews]

78. You know that for a fact, do you? You could be right,

we're still up to our old shenanigans. And some have even been improved upon.

[DevonRex]

125. Pretending Russia is no worse than WE are is ridiculous.

Absolutely ridiculous.

[matthews]

127. Got my arguments confused. I'm on task now

All I'll say is that they certainly have their troubles. Yes, Putin is an ridiculous ruler who came out of the old KGB.

But I'm a member of School of the Americas Watch (SOAW). I had friends die in Viet Nam and I know a couple who did not come back from Aghanaistan. Same kind of corrupt wars, BOTH OF THEM. I remember Kent State like it was yesterday. I know what we've done to people.

The 13 Most Evil U.S. Government Experiments on Humans

In the 1940's, with penicillin as an established cure for syphilis, the US decided to test out its effectiveness on Guatemalan citizens.

To do this, they used infected prostitutes and let them loose on unknowing prison inmates, insane asylum patients and soldiers. When spreading the disease through prostitution didn't work as well as they'd hoped, they instead went for the inoculation route.

Researchers poured syphilis bacteria onto mens' penises and on their forearms and faces. In some cases, they even inoculated the men through spinal punctures.

After all the infections were transmitted, researchers then gave most of the subjects treatment, although as many as 1/3 of them could have been left untreated, even if that was the intention of the study in the first place.

On October 1, 2010, Hilary Clinton apologized for the events and new research has gone on to see if anyone affected is still alive and afflicted with syphilis. Since many subjects never got penicillin, its possible and likely that someone spread it to f*ture generations.

http://www.ranker.com/list/the-13-most-evil-u-s-government-experiments-on-humans/robert-wabash?page=1

***

I'm not going to get into a pissing match with you or anyone. But I will say that I known for a very long time that we are no better (but certainly no worse) than anyone else out there. We have committed genocide (Native Americans, Iraqis) we have committed war crimes (My Lai and plenty of them in Afghanistan and Pakistan). And we are now the old Soviet Union.

Don't lecture me. I've been around a long time. I've been paying attention. And I feel nothing but grief, sorrow, and pity for our children and our grandchildren.

[wtmusic]

38. Damn Commies! You Kids Get Off My Lawn!

There are plenty of reasons to not think of the Putin government as "heroes" (as well as not assume they're representative of the Russian people), but Stalin is not one of them.

Your country used Iraqis as target practice as recently as 5 years ago, so please refrain from a jingoistic rewrite of history, 'kay?

[UglyGreed]

44. It's not about Commies

it about Countries not respecting other countries. The US is the top offender at this point in time.

[leveymg]

42. People around here don't tend to like any imperial powers much, as far as I've seen.

As for our own, familiarity breeds contempt, and it is perhaps the only one we can realistically hope to do something to change.

Please don't confuse that for hero worship for the "other side", because it isn't.

[kestrel91316]

43. The Soviet Union has been dead for 25 years. Russia is not the Soviet Union.

Russia is NOT our enemy.

Sorry about your family, but the multigenerational hate has got to stop.

ETA: I've got plenty of reason to hate Russians, BTW, what with all the grief many of them cause people here in Los Angeles. But I can't work up any enmity toward today's Russia in spite of it.

[UglyGreed]

46. Our actions

today remind me of those of Russia and Nazi Germany and I can't help but not to compare Empires.....but in no way Putin former KGB should be trusted. Sorry old festering wounds sting the most.

[kestrel91316]

51. Of course Putin can't be trusted. Obama knows this, lol.

[UglyGreed]

63. My OP did not state anyone's

Love for Stalin...... trolling along are we????

[Rex]

65. Oh sorry, I thought you knew Stalin at one time led the USSR.

Sorry, I assumed you knew that kind of fundamental information. Nice projection, once again.

[UglyGreed]

68. One more time

I wrote that my Uncle was drinking at bar in his country and told the wrong person he did not like Stalin's face. Later in the evening he was removed from the bar sent to the Siberia labor camps like many others and was never seen again. Sort of what is happening today but instead of Siberia we send them to Poland, Cuba and such.

[Rex]

74. Then edit your thread title and we will have no problems.

THAT is my only contention here. NO ONE on DU loves the USSR. NO ONE.

[UglyGreed]

80. What would you suggest

I'm not a writer as you can tell, I use to bang nails for a living. Always open for suggestions to improve how I can communicate with others.

[Rex]

82. The Oppressive State of Russia has not Changed Much Since it was the USSR.

That way, there are no acusatory insunuations made in the thread title.

It is ironic that you and I are fighting like cats and dogs...I can tell you hate the Russian government as much as I do.

[UglyGreed]

83. Will do

Sorry if I took it all too personally.

[Rex]

85. Same here, I take it personally too.

And for that I am sorry.


The USSR was horrible, we can quibble about American history - but it doesn't change the fact that the USSR was pure evil and Stalin the biggest mass murderer in recent history. Putin could easily turn Russia into a bloodbath. He is The Don of the Russian mafia. Even worse, he has a huge military at his disposal.

[UglyGreed]

66. Did I say

Obama trusted Stalin??? geez, Russia has welcomed Snowden for political reasons and many young people are taking the bait. Look at the propaganda channel RT if you do not believe me.

[Xithras]

47. So, do you distrust the Japanese too? And the Germans?

The people who run Russia today had little, if anything, to do with the actions of the Soviet Union in the 1930's and 1940's. And the Soviet Union hasn't existed for 22 years. It's wrong to judge people, or nations, based on things that took place before they were even born.

[UglyGreed]

50. Well since

both Japan and Germany was destroyed and rebuilt by the US they tend to be lap dogs of US imperialism.Plus Germany (and Japan) has self-imposed legal restrictions on what their armed forces are allowed to do internally and externally. both countries have fully functioning armed forces that are capable of operating on their own for limited operations or in concert with coalition operations.

[napoleon_in_rags]

59. +1

This thread is as valid as blaming modern Germany's Merkel for holocaust or Obama for slavery.

[UglyGreed]

60. This thread is my and my relatives personal experience

I'm sure some of those in the Middle East could relate.

[Bluenorthwest]

67. No it's not, that is window dressing on the absurd accusation that DUers hero worship Russia

Ugly and stupid McCarthyite crap, it is a dishonor to your relatives that you should exploit their stories to do what you are doing. That's what I think as a person who has had Soviet guns pointed him, personally. At me. And I think your OP is sort of like their guns in philosophy and in application.

[UglyGreed]

70. It was a generic

post not accusing ANYONE give me a break. Just because you took that way perhaps you saw yourself as the "anyone" that's not my problem it's yours.

[UglyGreed]

73. And I lost family members

and my father suffered all his life because of the horrors of what he went through. My family thought it was import to tell the story so in return I told it to others. Just because you don't like I really don't care.

[TeeYiYi]

75. Who feels that Russia AKA Soviet Union are heroes?...

re: "Anyone who feels Russia AKA Soviet Union are heroes"

Who is it that you are suggesting views Russia/Soviets as "heroes"? Since we're posting at DU, I presume you mean someone here at DU...???

TYY

[LanternWaste]

77. It's a good thing that government hasn't existed in over twenty years, then...

It's a good thing that government hasn't existed in over twenty years, then...

There are many things a culture may maintain culpability for. There are also many things that are no longer relevant to an existing culture.

I lack trust in most people who pretend the know the difference without offering the information directly relevant to the particular scenario on display.


"Russia is not a nation to be trusted by no means..."
It then begs the question: Precisely which governments are to be trusted, and on what objective, peer-reviewed evidence is that based on?

[The Link]

79. Talk to some Native Americans.

They live here still. Strike up a conversation.

[UglyGreed]

81. Are we going to

go down that road again???? This thread is what it is not what you want to change it to.

[UglyGreed]

87. Thanks to Rex

I changed the title of the post. I wanted to express my families experiences with the former USSR. Take it as warning and that's all. I thought using the word "anyone" was enough not to offend people.

[Rex]

96. Better yet, not trying to make you change anything

but if this was about your family, I would change it to something that told people in the title how bad Russia treated your family in that time period. I bet you A LOT of other DUers will relate. Anyone that is a DUer will get hostile with you for suggesting they think of the USSR was a great place. As you can see, it was not just me.

[roamer65]

88. We are two very paranoid superpowers...

that have brought this world to the brink of nuclear annihilation multiple times.

I don't seem many redeeming qualities in either nation.

[UglyGreed]

91. I agree

war is hell be it hot or cold. The ones hurt by it the most are the innocent bystanders such as women and their children.

[UglyGreed]

99. Hey I posted another thread

where are my friends who posted concern about the atrocities at the hands of the US Government?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023392331

I will posting more threads to honor the dead who died in vain be it by greed or strategic location, I hope to see you there.

[backscatter712]

100. But America's shit don't stink! Nosiree!

Sure, you can say that, as long as you ignore slavery, the Trail of Tears, Jim Crow, the Ludlow Massacre, Japanese internment, Joseph McCarthy, J. Edgar Hoover, COINTELPRO, My Lai, Nixon's plumbers, sodomy laws, the PATRIOT Act, Abu Ghraib, Gitmo, the treatment of Bradley Manning, Scott Walker's arrests and harassment of protesters...

[UglyGreed]

131. Do you people

read the thread????

[UglyGreed]

101. We live in ironic times

We live in ironic times; there is no debating that fact. The very week that supporters of Edward Snowden – the ‘hero’ of civil liberties – celebrate his being given asylum in Russia, that same country issues a edict that Olympic athletes and their friends and family better not be seen holding hands or waving rainbow flags or they will, indeed, be arrested and deported. ARRESTED AND DEPORTED?!

Do you not see the irony? Of course you do; how could you miss it??





Read more: http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/08/02/hero-or-hypocrite-snowden-happy-to-take-russian-asylum-as-they-invoke-new-anti-gay-law-video/#ixzz2av4CWA4E

[hobbit709]

103. In some ways it hasn't changed much since the days of the Tsars.

[nadinbrzezinski]

108. And that is partly the truth

Good for somebody who knows history.

[jazzimov]

132. Nope.

We must confront the things that make us different. But giving up our freedoms for lesser freedoms really doesn't make much sense.

[UglyGreed]

133. I guess now

they can't hate us for our freedom since we lost a hell of a lot of it since 9/11.

[malaise]

140. Interesting

The US has changed a lot since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Indeed it more resembles pre-Soviet America which is frightening.

[Safetykitten]

142. Trusted or not, they can do what they want. Why? they have the CASH.

Economically they have it all over us. And will continue to do so as we send/print money for the Bernank/Summers

[dipsydoodle]

143. The US only has a money machine

while the petrodollar recycling scam remains functioning. Thereafter printing fiat money would accelerate the demise of the US$.