DIY-HP-LED
Well-Known Member
Stalin's ghost casts a long shadow over Russia, nobody stopped him he just died, but the memories, stories and relationship with the state remain. Putin is Stalin's true heir, but he lives in different world with more communications technology and far less control over information. A generation has had a taste of the west and modernity and know we are no real military threat, a lot of them voted with their feet and a lot more would like to.When I was a kid the biggest heroes were not fictional characters but members of the resistance in WW2. Monuments everywhere, plenty of good movies. Literally every boy and young men made at least once in their life the claim “I would have joined the resistance!”. Older people, like my grandparents who lived through the war and occupation, were always quick to explain the reality was not that simple. Older black Americans probably understand too. Keeping your head down is a better life than your family members getting raped and massacred or starve to death. Russians would resist a sudden switch from what Ukrainians had to Putin’s ways too. Same people, different circumstances.
When I read Russian people should rise up I imagine actual Russians I’ve interacted with over the past decades should risk their lives to rise up against Putin and it just paints an absurd image in my head. Kinda like you storming the capitol. The ones crazy enough to do that with force would be the type of Russian that doesn’t oppose Putin. Why do the ones who‘d rather not have him as head of state, would rather have our lives and birthplace, have the responsibility to rise up and risk everything they have and everyone they love. I’d prefer they keep themselves safe, gtfo of Russia if possible. Election results in Russia mean as little as the referendums they held in Ukraine, no Russian citizen voted for this war in safe and fair elections. Does being a citizen of a country make you responsible for the actions of your mad king? The way I see it, “the Russian people” is a very broad brush that paints an entity that doesn’t even really exist. There’s Russians, and there’s Russians.
If the people do not bear the responsibly for an evil and bad government, they certainly end up bearing the burden and tragedy, from freezing to death on the battlefield in a pointless war, to having their cities leveled and living like shit for years after. This burden they often share with their victims as well as by themselves, increasingly in this interconnected and interdependent world, consequences of wars are widespread.
The point is liberal democracy must grow and despots must go, and we need to work towards that goal, at home and abroad. We can no longer afford to have despotic rule by a psychopathic lunatic running a major power, technology and interdependence are making that too dangerous. Everybody aspires to democracy and the rule of law except fascists and morons and if anybody tells you otherwise, they are full of shit or part of the problem.