You've got to give what little credit there is for that democracy in Iraq though. As for Russia there just going down hill...
Could you elaborate that arguement?
For all I see Russia is coming up. When Putin came to power he did some major changes toward a more democratic state that no one expected.
Still don't fool yourself calling Russia a proper democracy, it's still an authoritan regime, however right now the tyrant is aprooved by the majority of the people. He cut down a lot of upstart "business men" who tried to turn the country into their own private fiefdom or sell it out for cheap dollars.
Granted, he did it by getting all power to himself, but most russians prefer the somewhat bribable and corrrupt state to the very corrupt and downright nasty maffia types that popped up in the 90'.
Furthermore the Russian millitary is once again starting to pull itself together. Unlike the USA, Russia has managed to practically win its own urbanwar/nightmare (Checniya) which did a lot to that end IMHO.
When you look to the core of it, the whole "freedom/democracy" arguement against Russia is nothing more than a political smokescreen to legitimize intervention in Russian internal and foreign affairs, like dropping Green Berets into Georgia which also happens to be the ideal site for an oil duct to siphon of the oil in Kazakstan.
Calling Putin a just or democratic leader of a free nation is the exegaration of the century.
However denying him the right to defend his country, to proclaim that he has no whatsoever right to prevent America from raping and expoiting the whole region is even more a villany than whatever this ex-KGB-operative-now-president may have ever (either justifiable or not in your book) commited for his country.
