The rule of law is a misleading term. If you have money, you can afford expensive lawyers and staying out of prison for certain crimes. If you don't, well, then

The rule of law is a misleading term. If you have money, you can afford expensive lawyers and staying out of prison for certain crimes. If you don't, well, then you're out of luck. That's not significantly different from the Russian system, except that in Russia nobody is delusional about the fact that money IS law. Also, when someone sues you, you're most certain to not only lose your time in court, but also money on lawyers, thus the system can be and is used for legitimate blackmailing. Finally, US government can jail anyone at any time without trial, even US citizens (Bradley Manning). There is no rule of law.