George Clooney, in a movie about nukes being stolen from Russia by a
renegade general, said something to the effect of, "Russians can't find
their balls with two hands." This is a poor portrayal of a country that
put the first man in space; that had some of the world's greatest
accomplishments in science and mathematics; that achieved universal
education and health care; that did perhaps more than any other country
to win the Second World War.

Now maybe Yeltsin was an incompetent leader; but don't say that about
Putin. The West should appreciate Yeltsin even despite his obvious
flaws - because he was able to steer Russia away from fascism and
communism in some of the hardest times that Russia has had. The times
when people were waiting eight months to get their salaries; when per
capita income plunged 50%; when the country's former leaders made off
with national riches and put them all in Swiss banks; when the Western
investors did not want to invest because they feared political
instability; when outfits like MMM convinced people to put their
lives' savings in them and were never heard from again; when brutal
criminal organizations ran the economy and permeated police and the
army to the highest level. When Germany and Italy were in a similar
condition, they elected Hitler and Mussolini; and Yeltsin was able to
confront and defeat similar politicians while remaining a Western ally,
so that now Russia can concentrate on rebuilding and constructing a
modern society.

Let's have some appreciation for the Russian people. They have been
through horrible times, and they handled it with honor. Sure there were
Zuyganov's and Zhirinovsky's, but Yeltsin was able to convince the
majority of the population to stay on track toward capitalism. Could
any American leader be re-elected to a second term if, during his first
term in office, the national income plunged 50%? There would be a
revolution in this country, just as there was in Germany and Italy
under similar conditions. So I think the Russian people deserve a round
of applause for their conduct in the last decade, as does Boris
Yeltsin. They have shown themselves to be some of the most patient,
most hardy, most strong people in the world. And the world, rather than
making comments such as George Clooney's, has a thing or two to learn
from them.

Ilya Shambat
http://www.geocities.com/drr0cket

George Clooney, in a movie about nukes being stolen from Russia by a
renegade general, said something to the effect of, "Russians can't find
their balls with two hands."

George Clooney, in a movie about nukes being stolen from Russia by a
renegade general,

said something to the effect of, "Russians can't find
their balls with two hands." This is a poor portrayal of a country that
put the first man in space;

that had some of the world's greatest
accomplishments in science and mathematics; that achieved universal
education and health care; that did perhaps more than any other country
to win the Second World War.

George Clooney, in a movie about nukes being stolen from Russia by a
renegade general, said something to the effect of, "Russians can't find
their balls with two hands."