I agree with your general point, but the comparisons to Russia don't work.
Russia was barely a functioning democracy in the 1990s and had no democratic tradition before that, just different flavors of authoritarianism for centuries.
Russia was barely a functioning democracy in the 1990s and had no democratic tradition before that, just different flavors of authoritarianism for centuries.
At the time of founding the USA was probably still the most liberal and democratic government in history of the world.