Cold wat

One of the problems with the Iraq war stems from Americans believe they won the cold war through force.

Here

, I tell an American, You've been brainwashed mate. You didn't win the cold war. the USSR collapsed because it's economy failed. The Cold War was just something to scare the kiddies with, a bogeyman. There was no danger. Russia was never gonna invade anyone.
A lot of us are quite well disposed to Russia/USSR anyway. Certainly post Soviet Russia. The idea that it's aggressive is a fantasy.

Let me tell ya a little story.

I have liked Russia since I happened to be in Moscow on 19 August 1991 - just a short tourist stop-over - went down to Red Square to inspect Lenin and found it blocked by tanks. It was the coup whose failure led to the end of the USSR. I went to the Russian parliament, was lifted through the crowds and sat on the roof of a bus close to where Yelstin made his famous speech.
The crowds said something like "English journalist. Let him through." I doubt English journalists are held in as high regard these days.
The veteran Jonathan Steele of this paper is fair to the Russians. Other writers on the Guardian have their glorification-of-anyone-but the Russian biases.
When I went to the Russian embassy in Kensington recently to get a visa it was wonderfully laid back.
The single guard looked hungover and the beautiful, willowy girl in reception crossed out the little chit that stated the wrong collection day and had me thinking I would miss my flight, with a very sexy, wrist-revealing wave and sang, airily and unconcernedly, "Don't worry. Is old information." Compare this to the boot clicking, butt-clenching anal retentiveness of the US embassy presence with its huge imperial eagle in Grosvenor square and the invasiveness of US immigration procedures.
The Russians have suffered and lost. They have gone through hellfire. That sort of experience gives people perspective on life, distance.

#Americans### have not, in my opinion, which is why they are still in the narcissistic, self centred, enormously self-aggrandising period of their national development.

I like Russians. They left Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and ten other countries peacefully in 1992-93.

Now, my friend. There are tens of thousands of US troops wasting their time in bases all over Europe.

#When are you going to leave? The door is over there.

Thank you.