"No - I am fascinated that te military sent you to Russia to spend 6 years interviewing Russians that fought in VietNam."
Here ya go - I'll give you the answer again. Over 12,000 SOVIETS (Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, Uzbeks, Tadjiks, Latvians, Lithuanians, Estonians, Georgians, Azeris, Armenians, etc - Plus members from the Warsaw Pact countries) served in the Democratic Republic of Vietnam during the war. As such, I have traveled throughout the Soviet Union to interview these men.
What I do NOT understand is why you would belittle our mission of seeking information to provide the fullest possible accounting of American servicemen who went missing in action while serving their country. We OWE these men a full accounting. The fact that you would use your anger toward me for disagreeing with your Ukrainian-Nationalist politics to belittle that mission dishonors their memory.
That is a wonderful mission - interviewing 12000 Russian vets.
Now lets hear what you found out instead of what you do in 95% of your posts - acting as an apologist for Putin, to wit:
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"2) The government apparatus was huge under Yeltsin, but has been significantly cut by Putin.
3) It's easier to do business in Putin's Russia - less red tape and people who can make decisions actually attend meetings
4) Putin's flat tax brought people "out of the shadows" and put money in the coffers instead of in off-shore accoutns
5) Russians feel they are better off now then they were in the past (something they were split on during Yeltsin)
6) Putin is cracking down on corruption and Robber Barons - BUT the WEST is trying to hamper his efforts. Berezovsky? He cries anti-Semitism and claims Putin was out to get him because Berezovsky criticized him. Hogwash
Gusinsky? See Berezovsky
Khodorkovsky - Same deal. So, why would you not agree with Putin on his position vis-a-vis these men - after all, they're the types you described and he put them out of business. There's a lot more work to be done, that's for sure.
I'll say it again - I agree with Berlusconi - Putin is proudly anti-Communist. Why don't you look at what Zyuganov or Lapshin have said about Putin and then tell me how Putin is a "friend" of the Commies??"
Because those service men were serving America, a nation Spany is not on friendly terms...or one at least his masters don't like, with Bush at it's helm. Why else would he shill for Clintonesqe Third Way Socialists?