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I speak the truth. Contrary to mythology, most governments are merely a reflection of the larger society. This is true in Russia, and it is true in America. We got to get past this “its not the people, its their government BS”...

That model like all models is true only to a certain extent an within a closely defined, if purposely simplified, system. The model you refer to is actually much more valid if you use it to describe the United States, than Russia because here the separation between an "average Joe" and our government (both actual and emotional) is much, much less than in Russia. The detachment and alienation (both actual and emotional) of an averange Russian from the ruling elites, the feeling of being "represented" by the government and/or lack of faith it your own ability to control your life on a larger scale is and always has been much greater, maybe even orders of magnitude greater than that of an average Westerner. Therefore your model simply does not work on the same scale for "the society" in Russia as it does for the United States. I was born and grew up in USSR and witnessed its breakup. I can tell you that in 1988-1990 there was a good deal of general good will among ordinary people towards the West in general and the US in particular, almost to the point of being intoxicated with the inflow of Western media, music, culture, etc (as the Wall was coming down). A lot of "great expectations" from the liberalization of the country at the time, too. In the past decade both perceived and actual grievances (which stemmed from the economic and social hardships) have led many people in Russia proper to develop a sense of nostalgia for the Soviet past (which is a natural human thing, you first seek a way to stay fed, clothed and be relatively safe - remember the Maslow hierachy?) Also many people have began to associate the economic an social hardships of the 90s with both the loss of national prestige and Russia's position on the global arena, and the words "democracy" and "capitalism" with the rampant criminal "privatization" of the economy and significant rise in the levels of street/organized crime. All these sentiments of "dissillusionment" and "nostalgia" were later exploited by various ultra-nationalist groups and by the Kremlin elites to channel popular anger and dissatisfaction at an external "enemy". The point is, the current significant levels of anti-Americanism and anti-Westernism that do exist in Russia today are mostly due to exploitation of psychologial trauma that the 90's have left in the psyche of many, many people. That can change, too. If the majority of Russian populace is satisfied with their own self-image and a general state of well being, and if the Russian mass media is not used by the Kremlin to incite anti-Western sentiments, all that can change too.

If your model held true, Germany would either remain Nazi or be wiped off the face of the Earth.