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It's true, and deeply unfair, that the Russian people will suffer for the mistakes of their leaders. That's always the way. I disagree, though, that the sancti
by hackyhacky 5y ago
It's true, and deeply unfair, that the Russian people will suffer for the mistakes of their leaders. That's always the way.
I disagree, though, that the sanctions aren't about principle, even though they certainly serve a strategic interest as well. The sanctions are the only way, short of direct war, to influence a foreign nation.
- sgjohnson 5y ago> It's true, and deeply unfair, that the Russian people will suffer for the mistakes of their leaders. One could argue that the Russian leadership is a mistake of the Russian people, so they are equally complicit. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kELta9MLOzg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kELta9MLOzg It's RadioFreeEurope (a US funded project), so take it with a pinch of salt, but clearly, the average Russian is complicit in this.
- hackyhacky 5y agoOne could argue that the Russian leadership is a mistake of the Russian people, but that would be a silly argument, since it implies that Russians choose their leaders. Russia hasn't had free and fair elections in decades, and possibly ever. The fact that some average Russians do, in fact, support their leadership is likely due to (a) the the complete state control of media and (b) the absence of historical precedent in Russia for legitimate public disagreement with the state. In the West, we take some semblance of democracy, including free speech, for granted, but in Russia, democracy and free speech has never existed. Speaking out against your president is a foreign idea for any Russia who isn't well-versed in Western liberal ideals. The average Russians have no familiarity with ideas like "I support my country but not my president."