he only appears to be when compared to the pig-shits the americans choose to run their country. in a uk parliment debate session the average u.s. politician would be sent home crying to his or her mommy.
and the break-up of the ussr WAS a tragedy. consider the civil wars, death, destruction, gangsterism, drug and sex traffic-ing that have resulted. in fact if the ussr still existed i would bet everything i own that the gulf war, the present iraq war and 9/11 would never have occurred.
yes, it is quite easy to sit comfortably in our quiet cubicles and homes in the u.s. and say good ridance to the soviet union.