A note on the American fetish your paper seems to have

A note on the American fetish your paper seems to have. I don't know why Pravda focuses so much on the USA, and I do not know why it has to be unfairly criticized so much. I realize that the US is not popular now, especially regarding Afghanistan, but quite frankly, it's because of the USSR that Afghanistan became the mess that it did [and also Vietnam and the Korean war, but I digress], that the conditions were created to harbor terrorism (bin Laden), which of course led to our course of action (self defense) that Russia now loves to condemn.

Of course, this is in the past, the bloody history of the USSR, and I never seem to read US columnists devoting large portions of their paper to dredging the amazingly cruel and inhumane and secretive actions performed by the USSR. I do read, however, one-sided and decontextualized "facts" by Pravda columnists and editors, who do a masterful job of raising speculation, anxiety, discord, and hate toward Americans.

It's the irony that gets me: the world depends on the US and its money (our money), we give aid all over. Sometimes we're called to help in disputes, and we sacrifice our men and women for it. But when we defend ourselves, we are taken to task for that. Ironic and disgusting.

Americans are like anyone else, but it seems business as usual in the USSR, er, I mean Russia (which still seems very un-democratic). For the accusations fly, accusations of conspiracy (Olympics), hate-filled lies (Bush trying to dominate the world, the emergence of "the state", the crushing of democracy, and on and on). Sounds like good ole communist rhetoric to me, because you feed this to your citizens, who gulp it down because there is nothing else.

Consider Russia's support for Iraq. I challenge you to find one thing good about Saddam Hussein. One thing. Yet I just read a scathing column about how wrong the US is for trying to get him out of power. Believe me, I don't want a war, no one in America does, but there goes Russia warning the US not to fight because of all things, they are friends of Hussein, a butcher of his own people, a threat not only to Israel but the entire region. Bush was wrong to label those countries the "Axis of Evil" but only because the unvarnished truth hurts.

America fought a defensive war against N. Korea, so that freedom (which you now experience, comrade) could be maintained for S. Korea. In the process 50k+ teenagers died. We saved Europe in WW2, another defensive war (and also in WWI). The US has made mistakes, but we're more upfront about them than any other country on earth.

Sure you have a right to criticize, but do so with some justification. It's easy to do that from the position you're in. The world isn't focusing on Russia anymore, and the anti-Americanism that is out there is somewhat unjustified. Russia is like a kid in the candy store with its criticism. Let's face it, no one is going to be liked 100% of the time, but with the kind of "reporting" from papers like Pravda, the bias against the US will continue unjustified.

The world has a short memory. It will forget what the US did for it, and for Russia's sake will forget what that country did to it.

Try to be objective. You obviously can say what you want, but it looks bad to do nothing but criticize one country that most people, in most nations, especially poorer ones, are glad exists. I don't support my President all the time, but your press makes fun of him mercilessly. I've never seen bad press about Putin. On the contrary, I've read good things. I approach the table of judgement with good intentions; Pravda should do likewise.

James Yerian, Ohio, USA