>That is very sinister, to finance NGOs that promote human rights and democracy.
It's indeed sinister, when the government spends money of taxpayers, billions of dollars over years, on democracy in foreign states, especially considering the US has supported brutal dictators when that was advantageous to their their interests or overall foreign policy. More reasonable explanation is that democracy is not their primary goal.
>but I'm sure you'll explain it to me soon.
Western education (payed for by fellowship from the United States State Department) or Reagan staffer wife for 40-50 year olds in ex Soviet Block countries is very very very uncommon thing. Please tell me how it's a historical coincidence and there's no involvement of the US, that exactly these people lead successful revolutions and installed anti-Russian policies.
>a lot of people liked Stalin or Lenin or Hitler too.
They didn't vote for Stalin or Lenin or Mao. A crucial difference.
>but it is false. Russia is not democratic because it is convenient for the ruling clique
It's convenient for ruling clique indeed. But the situation when there's potential foreign involvement in democratic process, meaning that (historically adversarial) foreign interest takes side in internal politics, is not conducive for really open democracy in eyes of sovereignty minded citizens.
>If the US didn't exist at all, Putin were the same dictator,
Similarly baseless statement you accuse me of. Putin's persona was certainly affected/formed by 2004 Orange revolution in Ukraine.
>As for assisting the forces, the assistance has been mainly in words
I'm sure that in 50+ years FOIA request will reveal what the assistance was in detail.
The fact is that US is supporting undemocratic coup, ignores interests of eastern regions that voted for Party of Regions and Yanukovich. That is not exactly pro-Democracy, it's more about supporting "our" guy.
>US is to blame for "meddling"
Even if Putin is not a democratic leader, US is certainly "meddling". One would be dumb not to see that.
>pro-Liberty Russians spend their time
I mentioned before that much of this position is not exactly mine. It's more like knee-jerk sophistry reaction to people who believe that US can do no bad with covert foreign actions, is not involved anywhere where pro-US governments suddenly pop up, and such actions have no negative destabilizing effects. I don't like rabid patriots who condone foreign interventions. While I'm really for these actions, because these actions indirectly are in my interests, I can't deny that these actions undermine sovereignty of independent states, provoke authoritarian states to became even more authoritarian, and it's an example of the US acting as World Police, which many view in a negative light(not me in this particular case).