but the US is pretty clearly worse

To deconstruct this a (tiny) bit - and forgive the Clintonism of "it depends on the what the definition of 'is' is"...

I wouldn't say "the US is pretty clearly worse", but, rather, "the US - in the context of its actions in parallel consideration with that of al-Qaeda's actions - has been (and continues to be) objectively worse, considering overall lives lost, material damage done, and the widespread and colossal impact to global geopolitical instability." That's not an equivocation, but a clarification which, IMO, if far more damning and more accurate to what Piker was trying to communicate.

and all of this? possibly the most masterful - almost artful - military intelligence operation ever devised and pulled off by one Vladimir Putin, such that would make Rasputin proud. he has taken the post-WWII western global hegemony and successfully, over just under 3 decades (especially in the last 10 years) led the dumbest and most arrogant American (Trump and MAGA) to smash it to bits on their own, with little effort on his part.