I’ve lately seen lots of video “evidence” where Russians support the war and are happy about it. Sure, I’m certain there will always be people who are pro-war and pro-dictatorship but you have to remember when seeing these videos a few things:
- Propaganda, that has been going on at least 250 years since the time of Catherine the Great. In this nationalistic propaganda Russia is seen as the higher, elitist culture, that is constantly tried to be corrupted by Western countries. How? Well, the West just… exists. It shouldn’t exist. Only Russia should exist. The Western countries belong to it.
- We think Russia is an open democratic country but it is not. It’s closer to North-Korea. It’s a dictator ruled country that relies on strong leaders. I stumbled across someone mentioning that the Russian mentality for many - thanks to this long lasted propaganda and brainwashing - is that the opposite of a dictator ship (aka a strong leader) isn’t democracy. It’s chaos. So even if Russian people didn’t like the strong leader, it’s better than the chaos that would somehow occur if the strong leader was gone.
- It’s easier said than done to just throw the government out from the window and establish a new one. I’m certain we will, though, see a rise of a new government soon, perhaps next year.
- Now, this is the most important part, ready? Criticizing the current war, including just mentioning that “I don’t like this…” equals, if you’re caught, 6-15 years in prison. Period. Any form of protesting, going against the government’s decision, expressing your disbelief or dislike = 6-15 years in prison. I haven’t checked the news but when the war started, Russia planned to bring back a death penalty. You know, to get a legal permission to execute protesters and nay sayers, even from the smallest displease for the government’s actions.
Now, a Russian TV station comes to speak to you and ask what you think about the war? Do you say the your true feelings and views or do you lie to save your own ass, and to protect your family, too, because if you’re a corrupted Russian, then your family must be corrupted too? You can read here from a Russian person explaining from the early days of the war how these “corrupted Russians” are treated. Even that post itself is dangerous and if found out = 15 years in prison.
We understand such thing from North-Korea, where citizens have to worship the country and their leader or else. When the leader dies, you must cry your heart out and show it, even it if was a false play, because otherwise you’re not a dedicated North-Korean and you deserve to die as a traitor. This is exactly what’s going on in Russia now..
And before anyone complains, this isn’t to minimize the damage Russia has caused to Ukraine, not to try to sugarcoat the war crimes into something they’re not. I’ve seen more dead bodies and war atrocities in the last week than in my whole life - and there’s always a fear that we, next to Russia, can be next. There’s a war, people die, and the Russian government had tied the hands of their people to stop the war and get free information of what’s happening.
I don’t believe in any second that the photo of the grandmothers wearing shirts with supportive slogans to Putin would support him or the war at all if they really, really, really got to know the truth (and believed it). That people are being slaughtered and raped for fun. That Russia attacks civilian and civilian buildings like hospitals and places where civilians take cover. That they loot and execute whole families and ran over people with tanks just because they can.
They wouldn’t support that. No sane person with the free information at hand will not support such horrors. But the victims of propaganda rarely if ever know they’re the victims of propaganda, especially elderly people and people who rely only on the propaganda channels and can’t/won’t be able to achieve the news elsewhere. Then, there are, of course, the Nazis and heavy nationalist, but we’re talking here about normal, sane folk.
Russia isn’t a Western country, especially not now. It’s the 2nd North-Korea under a dictatorship with a very heavy information propaganda, where criticizing the dictatorship even the slightest puts you into a same place with the enemy of Russia - and you will be treated as such. If you didn’t read the link, here it is again.
P.S. Look at the comments of this post below from Russian Lylakoi to learn more.
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