No you completely missed the point, which is that the US has and does overthrow democracies for National Security and global power ambitions. Authoritarianism i

No you completely missed the point, which is that the US has and does overthrow democracies for National Security and global power ambitions. Authoritarianism is an excuse for US activity and reforms in Russia that would make it more efficient but as strong willed and committed to global leadership would pose a greater - not lesser - challenge to American interests. The same analysis, of course, applies in the other direction. Repeating propaganda about some eccentricities in the style of governance or opinions about fairness/happiness, be it old Cold War rhetoric or new 21st Century Great Game rhetoric, misses the crucial axis on which state competition functions and inevitably renders resulting commentary/analysis petty and wanting. There's plenty to read in America about the creepy and corrupt Russians and plenty to read in Russia about the creepy and corrupt Americans. But if you're wanting to follow the present like someone in the future is going to read a history book, the fairy tail elements, "good and evil", finger and blame pointing, and apologism have to go in favor of a sober realpolitik.