It’s not a rich country but we call it a 1.5th-world country. Lots of culture and civilization make it vastly nicer than the US in many of the ways the US society has gotten really screwed up.

There’s more open corruption in places but by the same token there’s not this strict rule following to the detriment of society. People say there are three kinds of public officials: corrupt, strict rule followers (like nearly everyone in the US), and compassionate.

This thing about people disappearing is a western fabrication. I’m sure the oligarchs do some gangster things but it’s not something any normal person would ever encounter. The level of crime is way, way lower than in the US.

From everything I am aware of, the laws and legal system are quite good, and better still, they’re working to improve them. A legislator has asked me to provide my feedback on the immigration process so it becomes easier for Americans!

There was recently a report that Russians are very happy. I believe this. I go out on errands and have to clear my anxious mind to match pitch with the healthy people around me.

Job market is not like booming but it’s not gotten worse. There’s a lot of small businesses everywhere. I sometimes feel like I’m in some sort of Ron Paul utopia in that regard. Actual free market capitalism!

This is already a long comment, but I think the mainstream Russian would be quite comfortable in most of the comment threads here at GAW. They’re fairly relieved to know that there are gatherings of sane Americans.

There’s alcohol abuse but it’s interesting: in the US people get into a drunken spiral indoors and alone. In Russia they tend to do it together and outside. Very interesting sociological difference there. That visibility gives rise to the stereotype, I think.

Healthcare is maybe not as super duper advanced but what you do get is so much better. Russians can’t conceive of the stories we tell about what happens financially if Americans have even one major medical event. We had a child need inpatient kidney surgery right after moving and if it had happened before our move we wouldn’t have been able to afford to move. As it was it was no big deal even though no insurance or discounts or anything applied.

Putin truly has the support of the people, it’s not distorting the truth at all. Trump is generally liked ok but of course he hasn’t taken very pro-Russia lines so it’s not like it makes sense for a Russian to be a big fan of him.

Liberal and conservative have different meanings in Russia as in the rest of the world. Basically everyone would be against the DNC platform here.