Richard Lourie writes: The Germans lucked out with Hitler. He was so evil, so destructive and so unsuccessful that it was easy to reject him completely. But the Russians were not so “lucky” with Stalin. Tomes have been written comparing the two great dictators, but in the end what matters most are their differences. The main difference was that in World War II, Hitler lost and Stalin won. That meant suicide for Hitler and the Nuremberg trials for the country and its high command.

Alexei Pankin writes: What is so frightening about a “color revolution” occurring in Russia? To answer that question, just take a look at how Ukraine and Georgia have been faring over the past few years. Compare former Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze with current President Mikheil Saakashvili, or post-Orange Revolution Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko and Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko with former President Leonid Kuchma.

Political agendas once again outstripped the nation’s need for strategy and reassurance in the time of panic over swine flu pandemic.

Price caps on prices for medication should be canceled. The pharmaceutical industry should be kept in check with more careful regulations.

Vladimir Ryzhkov writes:In contrast to the successes in the East and West, Russia — the country that did so much to inspire all these changes — has ended up the biggest loser in the post-Cold War era. Twenty years later, the country has experienced a triple defeat. First, Russia has failed to modernize its economy or social sphere. Second, it has not been able to build an effective political system, creating instead a one-man authoritarian regime. Russia has lost its international reputation and its former superpower status, leaving it almost entirely without allies or the support of global public opinion. Read the opinion here.

Capitalism and democracy are losing favor in the former Soviet states of Eastern and Central Europe, according to a poll published on Monday. Most respondents reported a stronger feeling of economic comfort under communism.

Ivan Katchanovski writes: In addition to an unwarranted credit for saving Ukraine from the disease, the flu scare creates additional opportunities for personal appropriation of large-scale emergency funding by government officials. Corruption reached epidemic proportions in Ukraine. Read the letter here.

Eric F.Scholl from Oklahoma complains about red tape while trying to adopt a Ukrainian orphan.