The Russia bashing has backfired.

[nadinbrzezinski]

63. I appreciate that you lived in large urban centers.

They are the equivalent of Mexico City or New York. These tend to be more cosmopolitan, urban and yes liberal. This is a rule of thumb around the world.

That said, the Duma did pass some horrible legislation. Granted, some states in the US have similar laws. They tend to be far more rural, more conservative, and overall backwards looking than these urban centers. Some in our Congress, the equivalent of the Duma, would love to turn the clock back and pass similar laws in the US.

This has been done to please both an Orthodox Church that has come back with a roar to the center of Russian life, not unlike southern Pentecostals in the US, to mention one very conservative church.

No the US is not that different from Russia. Rural areas tend to be extremely xenophobic and conservative and into blaming the other for their troubles. Both nations have committed ethnic cleansing, and both nations are struggling, I will argue Russia is more at the moment, with creating the other.

In the states large urban more liberal centers have been able to transfer their more accepting values, and the gains are barely holding on. Russia does have many issues, including mass poverty ( we are well on our way) that require shiny objects to keep people distracted.

No we are not that different when you look at this at a real macro level. Yup, I thank that more global view. And right now you are really seeing things through the rose colored glasses of the outsider looking in. I know that, been there, done that. There are valid reasons to be critical...of actually both nations, but for different reasons. See the war on women for the same shiny needed by elites.