[masfuerte]

America is a functioning democracy so individual Americans are much more responsible than individual Russians for the bullshit their respective countries do.

[slt2021]

America is not a democracy in a strict sense, its a republic. To be precise, modern America is a plutocracy, not democracy.

But did America ever pay reparations for centuries of enslaving its own people? Where is the accountability?

[KPGv2]

> America is not a democracy in a strict sense, its a republic

Most republics are democracies. You seem to think "democracy" is equivalent to "direct democracy," but a direct democracy is only one type of democracy. A republic is another form of democracy.

America is certainly a democracy (for now; who knows what will happen in two years)

[dredmorbius]

In the question of degree and comparison, the US (even in its present greatly degraded state) is far more a functioning democracy than Russia.