But to portray the Russian peasantry as living in a life of incessant horror and violence is simply not borne out by their conduct with respect to the forces of so-called enlightenment as embodied in the Grande Armée. Were the Russians as downtrodden and miserable as you (and the Soviet historians) suggest, then why was there no massive insurrection on behalf of Mr. Buonaparte? Why, in fact, did volunteer organisations spring up to fight the French?
Your view of Russia prior to Communism has been clearly influenced by Soviet Agitprop. I suggest you go read some Solzhenitsyn. Or Tolstoy.
Dear Lord. No. Just common sense that Russia was a miserable country for those peasants.
The hope is that our war will make a better life for the Afghans. We're freeing them from oppressive rulers but we had to go to war and drop bombs and kill civilians by accident to do it. But we're not doing it for their interests. The Afghan peasants didn't revolt against the Taliban or join us in fighting the Taliban except when given money to do so. But if we stay there too long, they'll mobilize to drive us out.