Does Russia have a comparably large automotive manufacturing industry & related industry in comparison to the U.S.?
I fail to see how public transit to shopping center in Russia is counter to my point that America likes to consume cars and that better public transit in the U.S. would hurt the selling (i.e consumption) of cars.
Also, again:
> Additionally there is a lack of infrastructure and culture to keep public transit clean.
Ah, you specifically meant consuming cars. I totally misread that as general consumption. Yeah, I'm with you on that. American car culture is very strange, the brodozers as status symbol and mentality behind them is a pox. The culture of "you ain't no real mayun if you ain't got da big truck" is something that I think only $10+ a gallon gas can solve...
Public transit gets in the way of selling cars which goes against maximizing consumption.
Additionally there is a lack of infrastructure and culture to keep public transit clean.