As an American who lived for many years in Europe - and has traveled through Russia and Central Asia - I have to say that most of my fellow countrymen are brainwashed fanatics when it comes to issues of "freedom" and "democracy."

Guess who wrote that: It was Wally Shedd of the Accidental Russophile, in a comment on the even more extreme Russophile blog "Russian Blog." Gee, what a suprise. Wally the crazed Russophile thinks that America is a nation of "brainwashed fanatics" except for a few enlightened souls who have managed to travel in Europe and thus purify their brains.

Now, if somebody (La Russophobe for instance) said that Russia was a nation of "brainwashed fanatics," can you imagine what Wally would say? Oh, he'd scream to high heaven about how La Russophobe is a "hate monger" and an "idiot." He'd call for patience and understanding where Russia is concerned. He'd say that Russia, which has existed five times longer than America, needs time to perfect its civilization. But where American is concerned? Like all Russophiles of his ilk, labeling America a "nation of brainwashed fanatics" is his idea of scholarship and humanitarianism.

And what is dear Wally's idea of freedom and democracy? Well, perhaps the author of Russian Blog sums them up best when he writes:

What I find fascinating about American mentality – their notions of democracy and freedom are also ingrained. This is the case even with the most educated, sophisticated and intellectual. This is not the case with Europeans. While Brits or Frenchmen also believe in freedom and democracy they are not religious about it and don’t regard it with enthusiastic devotion. With my English friend I can freely discuss problems of democracy and our disputes are not just normal but they also help to discover something new, change to some extent our views or find compromise. With Americans it’s almost always a missionary talking to a heathen. To treat democracy as just another technical model of effective government organization and freedom as a personal feeling of limitations for self-realization is the same as trampling down on the bible

In other words, Americans are a race of stupid people, who need to be told what "democracy" and "freedom" are by people who've studied and thought like humans rather than apes.

You know, the Europeans and the Russians.

Let's list their "great modern thinkers" shall we? Stalin, Hitler, Mussolini, Franco, Napoleon.

One by one, each of the European nations took their turns trying to enslave the world.

Twice in the last century they have caused their civilization to burst into flames, while the North American continent has remained steadfastly at peace.

America has exchanged power between rival political parties dozens of times without bloodshed under the same constitution since 1870. The governments of modern Europe date to World War II.

And Russia? It offers its people starvation wages, a shockingly short life span, pollution, degradation, corruption, violence, pandemic racism, universal conscription and extinction. This is the country America is supposed to look up to and learn from? Is it possible that in this day and age there are still folks who think so?

Yup. Just call them Russophiles.