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Did you talk to them? Based on your location, I can guess your sample is not representative. There's overwhelming support for the invasion. People are brainwash

Did you talk to them? Based on your location, I can guess your sample is not representative. There's overwhelming support for the invasion. People are brainwashed by propaganda. I had to unsubscribe from Russian social networks - I can't stomach the posts by my old friends.

rpmisms 3y ago
By that logic, every American who supported the Iraq invasion should be debanked. Whether or not the people support the government in their actions, they are not responsible for their government's actions. I'm ethnically Russian, my entire family lives in Russia, and facing racism due to the actions of some other people is really strange. I thought we were better than this, or at least pretended to be. Edit, yes, it's racism. I don't care about whatever power structure you imagine to be necessary, it's in the dictionary.
- dvfjsdhgfv 3y ago
  I'm very sorry to hear that. It's almost an evolutionary bug to make shortcuts and consider all members of a misbehaving group evil. There's very little anybody can do about it.
- resource0x 3y ago
  "Russian people overwhelmingly support the invasion" is a statement of fact - which is based on overwhelming evidence (this includes personal communications). I'm not talking about the government. At the same time, I'm not familiar with any evidence any Russian living abroad is facing "racism". (Most of my family live in US/Canada/Australia).
  - rpmisms 3y ago
    Yeah, I support the invasion too. I don't tell people that in my real life, because I'm not stupid. Donbass basin had a shit time of it and Russia was morally correct to step in. Also Ukraine is corrupt. I'm sorry for the Ukrop people, because they also should not pay for the actions of their government. I'm in the US, and I just pretend I'm Polish if people ask what kind of Slav I am. Russian gets the shitty comments and nasty remarks.
    - meepmorp 3y ago
      Yeah, you’re just uncritically swallowing Russian government propaganda.
      - rpmisms 3y ago
        Or, maybe, I know people from Donbass and know more about this than you do. Ukraine treats them like garbage. Rape by Ukrainian soldiers is a common occurrence. I'm fully aware of the propaganda, Russia is doing a shit job at actually winning this, and I understand the strategic aspect. The stated purpose of the occupation is moral. Obviously geopolitics will play a role, but this is international conflict. My own country has done far worse things, and pretending to be angry at this when the Gulf War was worse is just intellectually dishonest.
        EB-Barrington 3y ago
        [dead]
  - lionkor 3y ago
    A relative of mine is Russian and recently moved to the West, and is experiencing discrimination. Not sure what your anecdotal evidence is supposed to mean, but it ends up not meaning much.
    - rpmisms 3y ago
      And again, supporting the invasion does not make you responsible for it. Even if your relative is rooting for it, that opinion is the only thing they could be held accountable for.
- jltsiren 3y ago
  As long as they pay taxes and contribute to the economy, they are supporting whatever the government does in a very concrete way. Their actual opinions matter little. Western strategy is based on containing Russia to limit their government's ability to cause harm. Most would prefer that Russians chose overthrow the government and replace it with something more palatable, but so far they have been unable or unwilling to do so. The next best alternative weakening their economy with sanctions. That necessarily hurts ordinary Russians, because they are part of the same economy as the government. It's not racism, because your family is being punished for their actions. It may feel unfair, but the world is unfair.
  - rpmisms 3y ago
    Let me rephrase what you said, replacing a few key terms: As long as Rwandans pay their taxes, they are contributing to recruiting child soldiers. This is a good reason to be shitty to Rwandans in general, no matter where they are in the world. My family is in Russia, they're fine. I'm the one experiencing the racism. Justify that.
    - jltsiren 3y ago
      I misinterpreted you, because the context of the discussion seemed to be the effect of sanctions on ordinary Russians. Treating you badly because of your ethnicity is obviously not ok. You also mentioned the US invasion of Iraq. Sanctions against the US would have been justified at that time, but they were impossible, because the US was too big to sanction. Around that time, there were serious discussions in Europe whether Putin or Bush was the bigger villain. Putin had not gone particularly bad yet, while Bush was obviously a villain. Memories of those years helped Putin maintain a favorable image in Europe far longer than could be justified based on his actions.
      - rpmisms 3y ago
        Putin is taking care of Russia and the people he considers to be under Russia's care. As far as I know from my immediate family, living under Putin is pretty nice. The economy has actually gotten stronger since the invasion. They're doing better than we are in the US on prices and imports. The sanctions are a joke, and BRICS is really strong. That's all immaterial compared to the actual discussion here, and I appreciate you clarifying your position.
- lionkor 3y ago
  Just want to reinforce that yes, its discrimination, call it racism or whatever you will, but its not good either way.
  - rpmisms 3y ago
    Don't worry, I'm not claiming the status of an internment camp detainee. The things people have said and done towards me simply fall under the category of racism. I'm not a victim, they're idiots.
drdaeman 3y ago
That's partially because almost everyone who's against the war and haven't cut ties with Russia are silenced. No freedom of speech there, and most folks don't fancy themselves as martyrs. But, yeah, I was appalled to see how many folks had so much shit in their heads. There's a very significant fraction of the population that aren't just pro-war but openly hold neo-fascist views (while in a strong denial that those views are such - mental gymnastics with syncretism of incompatible values is a long-held tradition). Russia is truly a cursed country.
lionkor 3y ago
Based on my location? What location? I visited Russia during the war a total of 3 months, different places.
lionkor 3y ago
Even overwhelming support doesnt give you a right to assume everyone is that way. That is textbook discrimination

rpmisms 3y ago

By that logic, every American who supported the Iraq invasion should be debanked. Whether or not the people support the government in their actions, they are not responsible for their government's actions. I'm ethnically Russian, my entire family lives in Russia, and facing racism due to the actions of some other people is really strange. I thought we were better than this, or at least pretended to be. Edit, yes, it's racism. I don't care about whatever power structure you imagine to be necessary, it's in the dictionary.

dvfjsdhgfv 3y ago
I'm very sorry to hear that. It's almost an evolutionary bug to make shortcuts and consider all members of a misbehaving group evil. There's very little anybody can do about it.
resource0x 3y ago
"Russian people overwhelmingly support the invasion" is a statement of fact - which is based on overwhelming evidence (this includes personal communications). I'm not talking about the government. At the same time, I'm not familiar with any evidence any Russian living abroad is facing "racism". (Most of my family live in US/Canada/Australia).
- rpmisms 3y ago
  Yeah, I support the invasion too. I don't tell people that in my real life, because I'm not stupid. Donbass basin had a shit time of it and Russia was morally correct to step in. Also Ukraine is corrupt. I'm sorry for the Ukrop people, because they also should not pay for the actions of their government. I'm in the US, and I just pretend I'm Polish if people ask what kind of Slav I am. Russian gets the shitty comments and nasty remarks.
  - meepmorp 3y ago
    Yeah, you’re just uncritically swallowing Russian government propaganda.
    - rpmisms 3y ago
      Or, maybe, I know people from Donbass and know more about this than you do. Ukraine treats them like garbage. Rape by Ukrainian soldiers is a common occurrence. I'm fully aware of the propaganda, Russia is doing a shit job at actually winning this, and I understand the strategic aspect. The stated purpose of the occupation is moral. Obviously geopolitics will play a role, but this is international conflict. My own country has done far worse things, and pretending to be angry at this when the Gulf War was worse is just intellectually dishonest.
      - EB-Barrington 3y ago
        [dead]
- lionkor 3y ago
  A relative of mine is Russian and recently moved to the West, and is experiencing discrimination. Not sure what your anecdotal evidence is supposed to mean, but it ends up not meaning much.
  - rpmisms 3y ago
    And again, supporting the invasion does not make you responsible for it. Even if your relative is rooting for it, that opinion is the only thing they could be held accountable for.
jltsiren 3y ago
As long as they pay taxes and contribute to the economy, they are supporting whatever the government does in a very concrete way. Their actual opinions matter little. Western strategy is based on containing Russia to limit their government's ability to cause harm. Most would prefer that Russians chose overthrow the government and replace it with something more palatable, but so far they have been unable or unwilling to do so. The next best alternative weakening their economy with sanctions. That necessarily hurts ordinary Russians, because they are part of the same economy as the government. It's not racism, because your family is being punished for their actions. It may feel unfair, but the world is unfair.
- rpmisms 3y ago
  Let me rephrase what you said, replacing a few key terms: As long as Rwandans pay their taxes, they are contributing to recruiting child soldiers. This is a good reason to be shitty to Rwandans in general, no matter where they are in the world. My family is in Russia, they're fine. I'm the one experiencing the racism. Justify that.
  - jltsiren 3y ago
    I misinterpreted you, because the context of the discussion seemed to be the effect of sanctions on ordinary Russians. Treating you badly because of your ethnicity is obviously not ok. You also mentioned the US invasion of Iraq. Sanctions against the US would have been justified at that time, but they were impossible, because the US was too big to sanction. Around that time, there were serious discussions in Europe whether Putin or Bush was the bigger villain. Putin had not gone particularly bad yet, while Bush was obviously a villain. Memories of those years helped Putin maintain a favorable image in Europe far longer than could be justified based on his actions.
    - rpmisms 3y ago
      Putin is taking care of Russia and the people he considers to be under Russia's care. As far as I know from my immediate family, living under Putin is pretty nice. The economy has actually gotten stronger since the invasion. They're doing better than we are in the US on prices and imports. The sanctions are a joke, and BRICS is really strong. That's all immaterial compared to the actual discussion here, and I appreciate you clarifying your position.
lionkor 3y ago
Just want to reinforce that yes, its discrimination, call it racism or whatever you will, but its not good either way.
- rpmisms 3y ago
  Don't worry, I'm not claiming the status of an internment camp detainee. The things people have said and done towards me simply fall under the category of racism. I'm not a victim, they're idiots.

drdaeman 3y ago

That's partially because almost everyone who's against the war and haven't cut ties with Russia are silenced. No freedom of speech there, and most folks don't fancy themselves as martyrs. But, yeah, I was appalled to see how many folks had so much shit in their heads. There's a very significant fraction of the population that aren't just pro-war but openly hold neo-fascist views (while in a strong denial that those views are such - mental gymnastics with syncretism of incompatible values is a long-held tradition). Russia is truly a cursed country.

lionkor 3y ago

Based on my location? What location? I visited Russia during the war a total of 3 months, different places.

lionkor 3y ago

Even overwhelming support doesnt give you a right to assume everyone is that way. That is textbook discrimination