Udie, the first paragraph you quoted isn't Soviet propaganda. It's sad truth. BTW, Soviet media never talked about Dresden. I heard about it from my Granny's friend who worked there as ostarbeiter.
Sorry for being so pathetic, but you know, I love Grunherz, he reminds me of my young days. He's absolutely like a young righteous Comsomol activist. Brain-dead.
People really didn't "buy into that crap". The video you saw wasn't believed at all. Everyone saw wounded boys coming back from "behind the river"... I bet I saw much more such film then you did, and I already told you that what we see in the media now is very much like what we saw in 1980-87.
About nazi propaganda adopted by Western world: Udie, it stunned me, but recently I read some books (Western translated books) about nazi regime - and I recognized almost every stereotype that people here use about Russia, as a nazi slogan from 40-s. I have to admit that they were very effective.
You will probably never understand us. Never, if you will try to make conclusions sitting at your sofa watching CNN and reading local newspapers or "popular history"... I had to rethink many things in past 10-12 years. Funny, but 12 years ago I really believed that
your way is the best. Hehe, and when I was 10 - I believed in Soviet Socialism
Now I am maybe too pessimistic, but I see that both systems have their disadvantages, and are based on heavy brainwashing
Sorry, three systems: what we have here in Russia now is so weird and complicated even for me to understand. That hype about "free press" is a part of this bedlam: people use
your slogans to protect
Soviet type of relations. IMNSHO - it's just Putin and his team washing away the remnants of Yeltsin's heritage. Journalists who are called "free" and "democratic" are in fact completely bought by financial groups and olygarchs... I see propaganda cheap tricks both on "free" TV6 channel and "state" TV, and I hate them all. F@#k off from me. Leave me alone. Let me work and don't toejam into my brain.
Back to the topic: I undertand how you feel about that poor moslims, but I find a certain grade of hypocricy when US still has sanctions against Russia for not letting the Jews emigrate (it's called a "human rights violation"), kicks Russia for anti-terrorist operation in Chechnya, and keeps people in dog's cages as if they are animals. Sorry, maybe it's a deep cultural difference, but I find it horrible that some people are kept in dog's cages. It's no glory. No honor to do so. This idea is maybe as alien for me as drinking vodka straight, with raw onions,
salo (salted pork fat) and black bread is alien for you.