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@mekkaokereke @professorhank During the Cold War, the Russians raised Jim Crow segregation and anti-Black racism in America more broadly.

Along with US colonial imperialism in Vietnam and elsewhere.

Their criticisms of American hypocrisy were true.

The US absolutely was (and still is) hypocritical in the way it condemned oppression abroad, while engaging in it at home.

So in that sense, yes the Russian criticisms were valid.

At the same time, the Soviet Union was a Russian imperialist empire.

It occupied and colonised neighbouring countries and oppressed their people. Brutally.

(Full disclosure: I have living relatives who are survivors of Siberian forced labour camps.)

That includes under the reign of supposed moderates like Khrushchev.

If you ever visit Vilnius, I'd strongly recommend a visit to the old KGB headquarters, which is now the Museum of Occupations: https://www.govilnius.lt/visit-vilnius/places/museum-of-occupations-and-freedom-fights

The sick bastards were literally having parties on the top floor of that building for visiting dignitaries from Moscow while people were being tortured to death (think Gitmo but worse) in the basement.

So the American criticisms of Russia were completely valid.

And while the points they made in their deflection were true, the Russians were nonetheless deflecting valid criticisms if their empire.