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Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Why aren't the United States and Russia allies? What are the disagreements/reasons?

If we can be amicable "friends" with communist regimes like China, etc, why are at odds with Russia? At the risk of sounding completely naive, what stands in the way of mending the relationship?
gpt
America and Russia got on...neutrally most of the time. WW1 made them allies, which was nice. But in 1917 Russia overthrew its dictator and had a provisional government. America was actually pretty happy, because it was a pseudo-democracy and it looked like Russia was moving into a more open form of government. Then the Bolshevik's and workers unions fought the provisional government.

This was bad for America. The communist look of these Bolshevik's seemed counter to American interests and businesses in the area. Most importantly, they wanted to stop the war with Germany (this is during 1917 AKA WW1 remember). That's a big no no. Plus they already liked the provisional government. So America backed the provisional government, sends troops.

Well, the provisional government still lost. The new communist government was, for some reason, unhappy with the fact that american troops had fought a bunch of their troops. They also stopped fighting with Germany, which pissed off the Allies something fierce.

America + Allied Europe VS the Solviets thus are pretty unhappy with each other. Russia keeps trying to start communist parties and overthrows in Europe, which is unwelcome, and the Allies continue trying to overthrow the Russian government, which is unwelcome.

In america, businesses hold tons of political and public opinion power, and heavily denounce communism as being pretty awful for businesses. Public hates communism, communist groups do some questionable things, ideological Red Scare happens. Communism = evil in America.

Everything putters along, but in 1939 Russia backs German expansion and they sign a peace treaty for WW2. Russia invades several countries. Allies are not thrilled. Eventually Germany attacks Russia. Russia not thrilled. Allies send aid to Russia, but are still extremely mistrustful and unhappy with Russia what with the plundering and invading and flip flopping. Help the bear drive off the pack of wolves rather than be eaten, but kinda fear and hate the bear too.

Russia fights Germany almost single handedly. Gets absolutely demolished in terms of human and economic toll, but beats them back. Allies do not start up a second front for almost 3 full years. Stalin thinks that the allies delayed the second front on purpose to weaken the USSR. Really salty about it.

USSR and Allies defeat Germany. Stalin is nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1945. Everyone is kind of like "Holy shit did the Russian's dominate". Russia refuses to give back territories it gained in WW2, is kind of like "we earned them". Allies are unhappy by this, and now that WW2 is over, Russia is the #1 threat. Stalin is super scary, clearly willing to do anything to achieve what he wants, and he seems to want to take over at least most of Europe. Which everyone just finished a big long war to stop someone else from doing.

So Stalin, with his freedom oppressing, military facist-communist government is extremely hostile to the allies, who they rightly feel have never helped them unless required, have tried to overthrow them, are blocking their interests in Europe, and were indirectly responsible for millions of Russian deaths by not opening up a second front earlier.

America hates Russia because it threatens its allies, it threatens European peace, their leader severely restricts rights and freedoms in their country (America is big on freedom) and communism is heavily mistrusted.

After that you get all the iron curtain, Truman deals, etc etc that start the Cold war, but really, The Allies never liked Russia and Russia never liked the Allies. Their alliance in WW2 was more "Germany is trying to kill both of us" rather than "we like each other even a little".

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Today, America and Russia have about 100 years of that garbage, plus all the wars they've backed opposite sides of. If you ignore the very recent tensions with events in Ukraine, they've had increased trading, polite and friendly space program exchanges, stockpile reductions, joint anti-terrorist exercises, increased business relations, agreement on Iran etc etc. They aren't really enemies or allies, just very mistrustful acquaintances.