It probably helps that Cold War brainworms have infected the majority of Americans and so Russia being the big bad makes it a lot more digestible. Iraq was just viewed as a weak and poor arab nation that may have hosted terrorists (according to the public).

Edit: Also want to add that you should study up on indigenous societies and how they were structured. The future is bleak and communal groups are going to be what makes or breaks it for survival. Some sort of community with structure will be essential to protect yourselves and others while also maintaining some form of order in what's likely to be a chaotic environment.