Abuse of power in the higher eschelons of the Russian government? No way. /s When I was a kid, one of our school's teachers plead before us: "When you can, go out there and vote. This is how...
Abuse of power in the higher eschelons of the Russian government? No way. /s
When I was a kid, one of our school's teachers plead before us: "When you can, go out there and vote. This is how democracy works. This is how you make change. You can only change something about the election when you vote".
These days I'm not entirely sure her words were her own. Russia is in that kind of situation. I didn't realize a thing about legitimacy of elections through voter turnout back then, but looking back... Hoo boy. When you rig an election, all you need is voters to come in to show the world that indeed, your victory is the will of the people.
"Well, you didn't vote, so you don't get to complain". I don't get to complain in Russia even if I did vote. Gaslighting the population is among the worst things you can do as a politician – and that's been happening here for decades.
Sorry that you have to endure this. In Australia we're relatively free and empowered, which is makes it so frustrating that the country's general approach to politics is a mix of indifference,...
Sorry that you have to endure this. In Australia we're relatively free and empowered, which is makes it so frustrating that the country's general approach to politics is a mix of indifference, ignorance, and quiet entitlement.
In open polling, ie when Russians are asked to name the politicians they most trust themselves, support drops to 29 per cent. The figure is lowest among young voters, with less than one in 10 expressing affiliation.
How is Putin going to deal with the problem of the youth? Is he just going to ride it out? The dude's got 20 years left in him, tops.
That is a very good question. I wish I could answer it with any degree of confidence and insight. I, too, wish to know the answer. I could speculate, however. Bear in mind: this one person's...
Exemplary
How is Putin going to deal with the problem of the youth? Is he just going to ride it out?
That is a very good question. I wish I could answer it with any degree of confidence and insight. I, too, wish to know the answer.
I could speculate, however. Bear in mind: this one person's educated opinion, nothing more.
From what I'm seeing, many of the young people – my generation included, and maybe one before it – are disenchanted with Russia in general. They can't get behind the jingoistic notions of "Russha is graet" because they can see, very clearly, the ruin – politically, culturally, and oh so often infrastructurally – that their country is right now.
These are the same people connected via in the Internet, in the sense of being able and willing to look beyond Russia's border for answers, friends, and resources. These are the generations that have seen other countries' promise of prosperity – often perfectly backed by the natives' responses – so to them, the bland and, far more importantly, crumbling houses and the awful, minefield-style roads are just two aspects of just how unlivable their own country is. Nevermind the fact that the state has effective control over its industries and its media, which means the state gets to dictate a lot about its citizens' lives.
Young people see all this. Young people are not blinded by the aggressively-jingoistic promises of how every Russian will live better than ever because they see very clearly how fucking false it is.
Many are passive. It's not complacency: it's the sense of learned helplessness the country instills very well. They don't know what they can do, how they can do, let alone of it is at all possible. You can get away with a lot as long as you're following the party lines, except the party is Russia United now, not the communists. Stray the lines, and you'll find yourself oppressed, ostracized, and cut off at every corner. What's worse is that the system is self-reinforcing: the unwitting pawns of it – and that's basically everyone – start to find purpose in doing what they're doing. It's going to take a lot of pressure to break a system like that.
Some protest. There's a minority of youth leaders who incite protests about the glaring social issues, like unlawful incarceration of state critics, enablement of domestic abuse and rape through inaction, excessively low wages, persecution of homosexuality etc. etc. etc. There's always a group like that in an oppressive regime, and it warms my heart that they keep doing what they're doing, even if it's going to take a lot to change things.
Others just want to leave. They're fed up with how awful life is here, how everything has rough edges, how people don't give enough of a shit to make it good even for themselves... They also see no way for things to change right now, or in the foreseeable future, so – they want out. Some are lucky enough to be able to leave.
What hurts Russia in the meantime, as many a young brilliant person leave abroad, is the brain drain – not just technologically but culturally. In the long term, it's going to cripple the country overall. In the short term, it means Putin eases off the internal pressure: the disloyal leave and no longer spread the word of opposition, which makes things that much easier on the state. Given that Putin has never prioritized the well-being of his citizens, this plays entirely into his hand. (This reminds me of the American anti-intellectualism movement, except in Russia it's just starting, and you can see how it evolves.)
Long story short: my guess? He's going to let the troublemakers out, and indoctrinate the rest to fall in line.
Fuck if I know. I only know the details I know because I'd glimpsed at a TV set at my parents'. If there are protests, you won't hear about them in the Russian media anyway – unless they can spin...
Fuck if I know. I only know the details I know because I'd glimpsed at a TV set at my parents'.
If there are protests, you won't hear about them in the Russian media anyway – unless they can spin it, North Korea-style, to glorify their God-Emperor.
Abuse of power in the higher eschelons of the Russian government? No way. /s
When I was a kid, one of our school's teachers plead before us: "When you can, go out there and vote. This is how democracy works. This is how you make change. You can only change something about the election when you vote".
These days I'm not entirely sure her words were her own. Russia is in that kind of situation. I didn't realize a thing about legitimacy of elections through voter turnout back then, but looking back... Hoo boy. When you rig an election, all you need is voters to come in to show the world that indeed, your victory is the will of the people.
"Well, you didn't vote, so you don't get to complain". I don't get to complain in Russia even if I did vote. Gaslighting the population is among the worst things you can do as a politician – and that's been happening here for decades.
Sorry that you have to endure this. In Australia we're relatively free and empowered, which is makes it so frustrating that the country's general approach to politics is a mix of indifference, ignorance, and quiet entitlement.
How is Putin going to deal with the problem of the youth? Is he just going to ride it out? The dude's got 20 years left in him, tops.
That is a very good question. I wish I could answer it with any degree of confidence and insight. I, too, wish to know the answer.
I could speculate, however. Bear in mind: this one person's educated opinion, nothing more.
From what I'm seeing, many of the young people – my generation included, and maybe one before it – are disenchanted with Russia in general. They can't get behind the jingoistic notions of "Russha is graet" because they can see, very clearly, the ruin – politically, culturally, and oh so often infrastructurally – that their country is right now.
These are the same people connected via in the Internet, in the sense of being able and willing to look beyond Russia's border for answers, friends, and resources. These are the generations that have seen other countries' promise of prosperity – often perfectly backed by the natives' responses – so to them, the bland and, far more importantly, crumbling houses and the awful, minefield-style roads are just two aspects of just how unlivable their own country is. Nevermind the fact that the state has effective control over its industries and its media, which means the state gets to dictate a lot about its citizens' lives.
Young people see all this. Young people are not blinded by the aggressively-jingoistic promises of how every Russian will live better than ever because they see very clearly how fucking false it is.
Many are passive. It's not complacency: it's the sense of learned helplessness the country instills very well. They don't know what they can do, how they can do, let alone of it is at all possible. You can get away with a lot as long as you're following the party lines, except the party is Russia United now, not the communists. Stray the lines, and you'll find yourself oppressed, ostracized, and cut off at every corner. What's worse is that the system is self-reinforcing: the unwitting pawns of it – and that's basically everyone – start to find purpose in doing what they're doing. It's going to take a lot of pressure to break a system like that.
Some protest. There's a minority of youth leaders who incite protests about the glaring social issues, like unlawful incarceration of state critics, enablement of domestic abuse and rape through inaction, excessively low wages, persecution of homosexuality etc. etc. etc. There's always a group like that in an oppressive regime, and it warms my heart that they keep doing what they're doing, even if it's going to take a lot to change things.
Others just want to leave. They're fed up with how awful life is here, how everything has rough edges, how people don't give enough of a shit to make it good even for themselves... They also see no way for things to change right now, or in the foreseeable future, so – they want out. Some are lucky enough to be able to leave.
What hurts Russia in the meantime, as many a young brilliant person leave abroad, is the brain drain – not just technologically but culturally. In the long term, it's going to cripple the country overall. In the short term, it means Putin eases off the internal pressure: the disloyal leave and no longer spread the word of opposition, which makes things that much easier on the state. Given that Putin has never prioritized the well-being of his citizens, this plays entirely into his hand. (This reminds me of the American anti-intellectualism movement, except in Russia it's just starting, and you can see how it evolves.)
Long story short: my guess? He's going to let the troublemakers out, and indoctrinate the rest to fall in line.
What's the response been like so far?
Fuck if I know. I only know the details I know because I'd glimpsed at a TV set at my parents'.
If there are protests, you won't hear about them in the Russian media anyway – unless they can spin it, North Korea-style, to glorify their God-Emperor.
How did I completely miss this news, I just heard about it from a friend who was trolling Modi for congratulating Putin. :\
Am I about to find another person to hate mindlessly on the Internet?
No, he's the president of India. Very religious (pro-Hindu, anti Muslim).
Oh, this Modi.
I dislike him already. Nothing new there.