Propoganda versus reality

I was browsing the thread on F-15 losses that was recently posted here and started wondering, why are we so quick to believe US reports and claims and so quick to dismiss Russian reports and claims?
Is it so hard to believe that a Syrian pilot flying a rusty old MiG got lucky and squeezed off a missile that actually hit an Eagle??? After all that is the whole point of air combat isn’t it?
In every conflict throughout history, well recent history, pilots flying outdated fighters have engaged and destroyed superior aircraft, I draw ur attention to the success of VPAF pilots flying MiG-17s against the F-4, the Royal Navy Seafury pilot who shot down a MiG-15 over Korea, Egyptian MiG-21 pilot downing Libyan MiG-23s during the border dispute there back in the eighties.
So why are we so quick to jump at the slightest hint that a Syrian or Serb or Iraqi pilot may have gotten lucky and bagged an Eagle, Fighting Falcon or Nighthawk???
Ok, u can easily all justify the claim that it is simply propoganda because there was no wreckage displayed, but then again, how many civilian airliners go down without any wreckage being found??? Does this mean they disappeared into the Twilight Zone or were nabbed by aliens???No it means we can’t find the wreckage, simple!!!
All I’m saying is that we should be more open minded toward these claims by the Syrians, Serb’s and Iraqi’s and maybe ask a few more questions when it comes to counter claims by the Yanks and Israeli’s.
….Oh, one last thing…going back to the Vietnam War, at one stage American losses air-to-air were so bad that the US began stating the aircraft lost were due to AAA and technical failures when infact they had been hit by MiG’s….just something for u to think about… 😉