Verbose
Deity
I'm not disputing that the social shake-up of Russian society post the Soviet Union was terrific and nothing to celebrate.This is fallacy, Russians need freedom just as any other nation. You don't undersand why they are mostly not protesting against Putin's policy? If you will know how ordinary people live in Russian regions, which kind of freedom they have lost since Yeltsin's time, and what they gained - may be you will understand. What I see here is mostly blind repeating information from Western media - "Russians sold their freedom for the piece of bread".
The rest is your conjecture, and your hyperbole. Which looks more convenient than substantial at this point.
Considering media pluralism, organisational freedom and the freedom of the press is in hell of a lot better shape outside Russia than inside Russia, I'd say you are portrying the west as operating exactly like Russia here. Which is not the case.If consider facts, this is true. However you should understand that often, the information you get about situation with democracy in Russia is linked with what you called "implications of various western nations' foreign policies". Do you know any country which is unfriendly to USA and in the same time considered in the world as democratic? Or may be any USA ally which is criticized in the world press for lack of human rights and democracy the same way as Russia or China? Today for West, any country which is potential competitor = undemocratic country. Allies and puppets are all democratic by definition or at least not criticized.
I'm not asking why Russians don't like the policies of the west directed against it. I'm asking why they don't miss having a better operating system of a free and open society at home?
From what I'm getting now is 1) people are unhappy with the Yeltsin years (as if that was the only alternative) and 2) people are unhappy with the treatment of Russia by the west (fair enough, but beside the point re what Russians want Russia to be like).