> The truth is in many countries...day-to-day life is mostly similar to life in the west.
That's true right up until your infallible dear leader invades your neighboring country, fails, and rapidly starts ratcheting down social controls in a desperate attempt to preserve political stability. I don't think Russians would describe day-to-day life as "mostly similar to the west" anymore. China could be next.
To be fair, the job of infallible dear leader in a major Western democracy is very prone to getting involved in wars, with bad repercussions for the people involved in all sides... (and destabilizing the world in the process). While some people in that country oppose these war adventures, it's difficult to voice because said country has a secular religion of worshipping its own armed forces, and speaking contrary to this can have anyone ostracized.
I'm not talking about Russia, China or North Korea, though of course it can also fit some of those countries.
Unfortunately, day-to-day life is mostly similar to the west in Russia. Other than some unfortunate people getting conscripted, it’s the same as usual.
Russians support Putin on average.
Nobody knows this.