My guess based on the little knowledge I have about Russia and military affairs: If Putin's troops are bogged down (the short victorious war becomes a slow slog of over a month or so) trying to take Kviv and the Russians take a lot of casualties then it will be very very uncomfortable for Putin and his pals to stay in power.
I’m sorry, but I do have an issue with this emerging narrative that Russian citizens are a bunch of innocent bystanders who were duped by Putin and are just realizing what a horrible person he really is.
He has been in power for 23 years and in that time he has repeatedly shredded the Russian Constitution to keep him in power, carried out acts of aggression and invasion against neighboring nations, killed and jailed his opponents, including some on foreign soil, and laughed when asked about it, and generally made no secret of his desire to return the country to the power of the USSR.
And during all that time he has consistent maintained high approval with citizens, many of whom see him as a “strong” leader who has made Russia feared and respected again.
All respect to the ones who are risking everything to protest him, but let’s not just sweep the role the Russian citizens have played in allowing Putin to reach this point under the rug.
I have every faith that Putin will fail. I also am very confident that he will hurt a lot of people and cause a lot of damage along the way. Dude seems unhinged. And he has nukes. Not a good combo.
Where would you be now if the coup attempt had succeeded here? Imagine an economy even more unevenly stratified, and a much more deadly police state? A state that kills dissenters and journalists with stunning regularity?It’s all well and good to imagine oneself standing up to an oppressive regime, it’s another to do it. I’d imagine the Russians are split like we are- part human, part deluded fascist rubes, part completely oblivious.
It's not a democracy. Most Russian citizens are, honestly, pretty blase about whoever is in power because of a long history of malignant and /or incompetent leaders. The fact that Putin will jail some of these people for decades or straight up kill them makes it very impressive that they are doing even this.
Russia: outside of Moscow and St Pete, is alot of red state America with less education and nominal history of Democracy. Every moron in this country who sees a fatuous reality tv show clown vulgarity who’s been an abject failure all of his life as a “strong man” just because he’s a loud asshole to his enemies? Multiply that by a factor of ten, only with a leader who’s not as publically passionately stupid. Complicate that with his habit of jailing or poisoning the successful anti-Putin leadership.
Which is not to fully justify Putin being in power, only to say getting rid of him is going to take mass mobilization that Russia previously hadn’t had the infrastructure to support.
What I can't help thinking is that the "genocide" claim could easily become a self fulfilled prophecy. Of course, Ukraine isn't going to engage in mass murder against Russians, but internment or expulsion is a very strong possibility. It's the same thing Hitler finally brought down on the heads of ethnic Germans.
But some European countries have Putins back and voted against severe sanctions. Germany, Italy and Bulgaria are 3 of them. They want the oligarchs to be able to shop for luxury goods and they want cheap energy and they will gladly betray their ideals to keep the money and gas flowing.
These people are so valiant. I hope their good sense wins out over Putin’s Tsarist fantasy.
Maybe, between the resolve of the Ukrainian people to fight back and the resolve of the Russian people to resist, just maybe there's hope here.
My guess based on the little knowledge I have about Russia and military affairs: If Putin's troops are bogged down (the short victorious war becomes a slow slog of over a month or so) trying to take Kviv and the Russians take a lot of casualties then it will be very very uncomfortable for Putin and his pals to stay in power.
war is poop
Making Ukraine the next Vietnam would certainly hurt Putin but a lotta Ukrainians need to die in order for that to happen
I’m sorry, but I do have an issue with this emerging narrative that Russian citizens are a bunch of innocent bystanders who were duped by Putin and are just realizing what a horrible person he really is.
He has been in power for 23 years and in that time he has repeatedly shredded the Russian Constitution to keep him in power, carried out acts of aggression and invasion against neighboring nations, killed and jailed his opponents, including some on foreign soil, and laughed when asked about it, and generally made no secret of his desire to return the country to the power of the USSR.
And during all that time he has consistent maintained high approval with citizens, many of whom see him as a “strong” leader who has made Russia feared and respected again.
All respect to the ones who are risking everything to protest him, but let’s not just sweep the role the Russian citizens have played in allowing Putin to reach this point under the rug.
With illiterate signs.
All of the “Trudeau is a tyrant” people are suddenly silent about the Russia protests.
I have every faith that Putin will fail. I also am very confident that he will hurt a lot of people and cause a lot of damage along the way. Dude seems unhinged. And he has nukes. Not a good combo.
Where would you be now if the coup attempt had succeeded here? Imagine an economy even more unevenly stratified, and a much more deadly police state? A state that kills dissenters and journalists with stunning regularity?It’s all well and good to imagine oneself standing up to an oppressive regime, it’s another to do it. I’d imagine the Russians are split like we are- part human, part deluded fascist rubes, part completely oblivious.
It's not a democracy. Most Russian citizens are, honestly, pretty blase about whoever is in power because of a long history of malignant and /or incompetent leaders. The fact that Putin will jail some of these people for decades or straight up kill them makes it very impressive that they are doing even this.
Russia: outside of Moscow and St Pete, is alot of red state America with less education and nominal history of Democracy. Every moron in this country who sees a fatuous reality tv show clown vulgarity who’s been an abject failure all of his life as a “strong man” just because he’s a loud asshole to his enemies? Multiply that by a factor of ten, only with a leader who’s not as publically passionately stupid. Complicate that with his habit of jailing or poisoning the successful anti-Putin leadership.
Which is not to fully justify Putin being in power, only to say getting rid of him is going to take mass mobilization that Russia previously hadn’t had the infrastructure to support.
What I can't help thinking is that the "genocide" claim could easily become a self fulfilled prophecy. Of course, Ukraine isn't going to engage in mass murder against Russians, but internment or expulsion is a very strong possibility. It's the same thing Hitler finally brought down on the heads of ethnic Germans.
Whatever Putin's reasoning, it most likely was closer to, "I have nuclear weapons. I can do what I want."
But some European countries have Putins back and voted against severe sanctions. Germany, Italy and Bulgaria are 3 of them. They want the oligarchs to be able to shop for luxury goods and they want cheap energy and they will gladly betray their ideals to keep the money and gas flowing.
This article going to give the Russian troll and all his aliases the burning shits.