4 ms·

Their point is that the invation is for a reason. Whether you agree or not, a lame snarky sacarastic comment doesn't change that.

CRConrad 5y ago
Hey, it was just a funny take on the parent "from Putin's point of view". I think the guidelines about snark and sarcasm are about what you write in relation to other posters here, not Putin.
- throwaway5848 5y ago
  Oh I know, but I wasn't talking about the guidelines, just pointing out that a funny take doesn't make something less true, and undermines an important point. Also, I think snark and sarcasm should be allowed even towards other posters. It's healthier.
wewtyflakes 5y ago
Yes, and it seems to be "ego", which seems like a poor justification.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- layer8 5y ago
  It’s more about identity than about ego, I’d say. If Russia isn’t Russia anymore, if a large part (or, worse, all) of it gets westernized, if the Russian culture seemingly erodes, Putin’s life will turn out to have been meaningless. His self-worth is irreversibly tied to it. That’s why authoritarian leaders are generally unable to say “oh, I guess I was wrong after all”.
  - geoka9 5y ago
    > If Russia isn’t Russia anymore, if a large part (or, worse, all) of it gets westernized, if the Russian culture seemingly erodes What do you mean? You should have seen the surge of the Ukrainian culture in Ukraine after it westernized. After all, it's not the west that suppresses cultures in the region. If anything, it is the Russian regime.
    - layer8 5y ago
      From his article https://web.archive.org/web/20220227090945/http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/66181 https://web.archive.org/web/20220227090945/http://en.kremlin...: “The localization policy undoubtedly played a major role in the development and consolidation of the Ukrainian culture, language and identity. At the same time, under the guise of combating the so-called Russian great-power chauvinism, Ukrainization was often imposed on those who did not see themselves as Ukrainians. This Soviet national policy secured at the state level the provision on three separate Slavic peoples: Russian, Ukrainian and Belorussian, instead of the large Russian nation, a triune people comprising Velikorussians, Malorussians and Belorussians.” So he doesn’t like the alleged “Ukrainization”, and certainly not an additional westernization (you know, with gay people and such).
      - geoka9 5y ago
        > Ukrainization was often imposed on those who did not see themselves as Ukrainians That's a myth, a talking point in the Russian propaganda.
        layer8 5y ago
        Of course! But my point is that Putin seems to truly believe in that portrayal. If you take what he writes in those essays and says in his speeches at face value, then you can see why he takes the actions he does. Everyone’s actions can be understood by realizing what they feel and believe. That doesn’t justify the actions, but it explains them. Trying to understand what Putin is about is important to making predictions about how he will react to possible courses of action from the rest of the world.

CRConrad 5y ago

Hey, it was just a funny take on the parent "from Putin's point of view". I think the guidelines about snark and sarcasm are about what you write in relation to other posters here, not Putin.

throwaway5848 5y ago
Oh I know, but I wasn't talking about the guidelines, just pointing out that a funny take doesn't make something less true, and undermines an important point. Also, I think snark and sarcasm should be allowed even towards other posters. It's healthier.

wewtyflakes 5y ago

Yes, and it seems to be "ego", which seems like a poor justification.

deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
layer8 5y ago
It’s more about identity than about ego, I’d say. If Russia isn’t Russia anymore, if a large part (or, worse, all) of it gets westernized, if the Russian culture seemingly erodes, Putin’s life will turn out to have been meaningless. His self-worth is irreversibly tied to it. That’s why authoritarian leaders are generally unable to say “oh, I guess I was wrong after all”.
- geoka9 5y ago
  > If Russia isn’t Russia anymore, if a large part (or, worse, all) of it gets westernized, if the Russian culture seemingly erodes What do you mean? You should have seen the surge of the Ukrainian culture in Ukraine after it westernized. After all, it's not the west that suppresses cultures in the region. If anything, it is the Russian regime.
  - layer8 5y ago
    From his article https://web.archive.org/web/20220227090945/http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/66181 https://web.archive.org/web/20220227090945/http://en.kremlin...: “The localization policy undoubtedly played a major role in the development and consolidation of the Ukrainian culture, language and identity. At the same time, under the guise of combating the so-called Russian great-power chauvinism, Ukrainization was often imposed on those who did not see themselves as Ukrainians. This Soviet national policy secured at the state level the provision on three separate Slavic peoples: Russian, Ukrainian and Belorussian, instead of the large Russian nation, a triune people comprising Velikorussians, Malorussians and Belorussians.” So he doesn’t like the alleged “Ukrainization”, and certainly not an additional westernization (you know, with gay people and such).
    - geoka9 5y ago
      > Ukrainization was often imposed on those who did not see themselves as Ukrainians That's a myth, a talking point in the Russian propaganda.
      - layer8 5y ago
        Of course! But my point is that Putin seems to truly believe in that portrayal. If you take what he writes in those essays and says in his speeches at face value, then you can see why he takes the actions he does. Everyone’s actions can be understood by realizing what they feel and believe. That doesn’t justify the actions, but it explains them. Trying to understand what Putin is about is important to making predictions about how he will react to possible courses of action from the rest of the world.