Having had a look at the Russian efforts in the Washington Post, I certainly don't think they are as bad as Mr Shafer says. Frankly, much of what the rest of the world gets from the US would, to a balanced viewer, be considered much much worse in terms of its blantant jingo-ism - for example what we are used to seeing from the so-called impartial press of Fox news and USA Today.

I think that the efforts by the Russians simply demonstrate what almost everyone OUTSIDE the US has been saying for decades, that the US press hardly ever creates a truly fair and balanced view of other countries, and at least almost never represents the views of other countries. They are simply trying to redress the balance and are doing so in an open way - not trying to disguise their views as dispassionate news. They clearly state they are trying to represent their view of Russia and also clearly state that US citizens are not getting a balanced view.

I think an alternative, even a government view, from other countries should be WELCOMED, not canned straightaway. We abroad are rather tired of hearing the selective sound bites from US politicians as the ONLY information on which to base views about the world situation. We will swallow the Russian views only as readily as we swallow the US propaganda and flag-waving. However it seems ironic that the country most renowned all around the world for un-thinking flag waving and excessive patriotism (the US) should be criticising the Russians for simply trying to present a more balanced view of their own country abroad.

While what you say in essence is true...but what Russian is doing now is much more troubling than just presenting an alternative view. If you want a truly alternative view, read what the papers of the former "republics" are saying about the new (same as the old?) Russia.

NBC (I think) ran a segment on Soviet...errrrr...I mean, Russian youth group camps where thousands of young Russians were now going through their daily education and exercise routines in front of huge posters of Putin displayed as the mightily leader of the motherland while political opponents were literary displayed as cross-dressing freaks. Later on, there was video footage and commentary on where members of these youth groups have been harassing/attacking political activists in public places while the police did nothing to stop them. Oh....they also are getting firearms training and think that America is the "enemy" as well.

Yes, well, when it comes to what you seem to think are fascist youth groups you cannot argue that the prior KGB or "commies" had anything to do with it in Russia, since such things existed in full flower in Germany where there was no such historical precedent -- there had been no "Soviet" rule in Germany whatsoever.

Your tortured logic gives me a headache!

Frankly, I think you are going to wish you had the Soviet Union back, because communists hate war, and try to be consistent, but elites of nation states do not, clearly, since they had a huge one, a big slaughtering party, World War I, before the Soviet Union existed at all.

And from my POV, well, pot, kettle, black -- when you assume some moral high ground, you insult my intelligence after the unilateral and "preemptive" invasion and occupation of Iraq, and the slaughter of a million Iraqis, and the making of possibly 4 million of them refugees, etc., not to mention torturing detainees and prisoners, and then the US COngress sanctioning it after the fact! Please! How dare you claim any moral high ground viz Russia or any other large country these days! You are in denial, total denial, and your denial is murdering people on a daily basis.