Look I know that's a hyperbolic statement because you're dissatisfied with the USA's political landscape, I am and I'm not American because their politics bleeds heavily internationally through culture.

But the US is FAR FAR away from being like Russia. It's so different in many ways that to compare the two is like saying Chalk is almost like Cheese because their chemical formulas both have Carbon in them. It's completely nonsensical. Anything organic has carbon in it.

Just like how all countries have common problems: corruption, malfunctioning subsystems within the government machine, wealth inequality, etc, the list is endless.

The difference is the whole the parts make up.

Let's take a left-field example: smiling and saying hello to strangers.

Americans (with some exceptions like NYC residents) are stereotyped as being friendly and willing to smile and make small talk with strangers as a form of public politeness. Almost to the point of being over familiar and can come across as superficial.

Russians (again this is stereotyped) would think any stranger smiling at them is someone not to be trusted because they want something from you. But if you spend a lot of time around one, get to know them, I've been told they are very welcoming.

The reasons why? Vastly different cultural values and societies that reflect those values.

I could go on with more examples but this comment is long enough.