The article I shared is about Liberal-Idealist paradigm in geopolitics, which is a very specific topic. However, let's analyze your claims.

According to polls conducted by the Levada Center (an independent sociological institution recognized in Russia as a "foreign agent"), only about 16% of Russians support the Western model of democracy, while 50% advocate a "special Russian democracy," which in practice often serves as a camouflage for authoritarianism. At the same time, only 5% believe that Russia does not need democracy at all.

However, low turnout in elections (for example, 48% in the 2016 State Duma elections) and indifference to formal institutions of power do not mean a rejection of democratic ideals as such. Many citizens do not see the connection between democracy and solving pressing problems (poverty, corruption, unemployment). In addition, state propaganda successfully creates the image of a "besieged fortress," where democracy is associated with vulnerability to external threats.

The majority of Russians want not so much Western-style liberal democracy as social stability, justice, and respect for basic rights. Democratic institutions are perceived as a tool, not as a value in itself.

In Russia, "liberals" refer to supporters of the Western model of democracy, market economy, human rights, and pro-Western foreign policy. They are often accused of lacking patriotism and blindly copying foreign designs. In the United States, "conservatives" (especially of the libertarian persuasion) also advocate limiting the state, low taxes, and individual freedoms: for values that in Russia are associated with liberalism.

However, this similarity is superficial. American conservatism includes a strong component of religious traditionalism, support for a strong army, and anti-communism, which is unusual for Russian liberals. In addition, Russian "liberals" often advocate social guarantees and the role of the state in the economy, which brings them closer to American social liberals.

There is irony, but it is conditioned by a different historical and cultural context. In Russia, where the traditions of individualism and a limited state are weak, liberalism is perceived as alien and "Western," while in the United States the same ideas are part of the conservative mainstream.