I believe that was debunked as a hoax.
Putin's offer is for real. Why do so many Freepers hate Russia so much? She is qor best hope to turn back the dark side (Islamonazis)
The whole Chavez oil thing was a hoax?
link?
Folks we just lost New Orleans, I do not know how any nation can help us, but the offer should be appreciated and respected. 80,000 people are trapped in New Orleans many will die in the next few days, we need all the help we can get.
I don't think anyone HATES Russia. They are still in a transition stage going from communism to some sort of a free-enterprise/capitalist economy. However, in my lifetime (55 years) I have never heard of ANY COUNTRY ever contributing to America in times of America's need.
Hate? Much too strong a word..
Distrust? Much more "definitive"..
Some people think Socialism failed with the fall of the Berlin Wall..
Others believe it was the Election of Boris Yeltzin and the beginning of a "democratic" Russia..
Then there are those (of us) that question the accepted "truth" that socialism is a failed ideology and that we no longer have anything to fear..
Socialism is not dead..
It still rears it's ugly head in various places around the world..
For the moment, socialism does not need Russia..
It has France.. Germany.. Brazil.. Venezuela.. Cuba..
Russia itself has a large percentage of it's population that regrets the democratic revolution and wishes to return to the "old days"..
Russia is a nation that taught socialism for some 75 years, and they have generations of citizens that have absolutely no idea what capitalism is.. or how it works..
In fact, it has been instilled in those generations that capitalism is "evil"..
How do you convince nearly 4 generations that to work hard and make money is somehow better than not working at all, or only working when you feel like it, and getting enough to get by whether you work or not, is better?
They didn't have much, and sometimes they had to do without, but at least they didn't have to "do" anything for it...
And for a nation that supposedly forsook socialism for democracy, the new russia certainly seems to support a lot of nations that still adhere to the old ideology..
I don't Hate Russia..
But I'm not quite ready to "trust" Russia, either.
"Why do so many Freepers hate Russia so much?"
I could write a ton on past things they have done, but here are some recent examples:
The FSB Poisoning of Yushenko.
Bankrolling Arafat, he was the KGB's man:
(article written by ion pacepa, former head of romanian kgb http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/987834/posts)
Selling radar jamming equip and weapons to saddam before the war that likely killed troops. Also, "Russia Hid Saddam's WMDs" By Ion Pacepa
http://frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=10111
"Russian Collusion in Iraq"
http://frontpagemag.com/articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=9486
Conducting joint military exercises with China, a grave threat to the future of our nation...
"China, Russia kick off first joint military exercises"
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050818.wchina0818/BNStory/International
"Putin's Power Pact with China"
http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=18222
Other interesting stories:
"From Russia With Terror"- Interview with Ion Pacepa
http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=12387
Putin is an autocrat who heads an increasingly nationalistic and xenophobic administration. We should be deeply concerned at where Russia is headed and be deeply worried about the motives of its sinister leader. Putin is no friend of the United States.