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[Foreignpolicy] Russia’s Next Opposition Will Not Be Liberal (archive.fo)
submitted 2 months ago by Skiluros@sh.itjust.works to c/world@lemmy.world
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[–] Skiluros@sh.itjust.works 6 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

Something to think about for people in the West who hope for a magical "Deus Ex Machina" type change in russian society.

Lets not forget that Gorbachev, widely perceived in the west as some sort of liberal reformer did not want to end russian occupation of independent countires that were part of the USSR and he supported the annexation of Crimea. Not to mention that the impetus for the end of USSR/Warsaw pact came from countries such as Poland, the Baltic nations and Ukraine, not from russia.

And what of current russians liberals? Reading Vladimir Kara-Murza's latest article in Washington Post would make you think that the issue is putin and not russian society:

Putin’s anxiety is understandable. The Kremlin knows that public opposition to the Ukraine war is much greater than what its propaganda would admit.

And yet Kara-Murza, the darling of the west, also said the following (in an address for the French senate no less):

There is another reason why the Russian Defense Ministry recruits so many members of ethnic minorities [to fight in the war against Ukraine]: as it turns out, because it is psychologically really difficult for [ethnic] Russians to kill Ukrainians. Because we are one people. We are very close peoples, as everybody knows. We have nearly the same language, the same religion, and centuries of history in common. But if it’s someone from another culture, allegedly it’s easier [for them to kill Ukrainians]. I hadn’t really thought about it before. I thought the reasons were primarily economic. But after what [a colleague who spoke about the Buryats] said, I started thinking about it too.

And this is a Western educated russian "liberal". Can you imagine what goes through the head of the vast majority of russians?

[–] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

Kamil Galeev has talked a bit about this as well. Putin's coalition is basically the moderate choice in Russia. Corrupt as hell, but willing to tolerate all kinds of people. Ethnic separatists and various right-wing extremists are the main opposition. (And most people just aren't into politics)

Unfortunately, he's decided to take a turn into revanchism, which can't stand, so we get to pick from the other available people as allies going forwards. More oligarchs in some kind of deal with the West and some more fragmentation, seems like the sanest direction from where I'm sitting.

Lets not forget that Gorbachev, widely perceived in the west as some sort of liberal reformer did not want to end russian occupation of independent countires that were part of the USSR and he supported the annexation of Crimea. Not to mention that the impetus for the end of USSR/Warsaw pact came from countries such as Poland, the Baltic nations and Ukraine, not from russia.

Gorbachev was a socialist, I've never heard much evidence otherwise. He basically wanted the USSR to live up to it's own propaganda, which in the end it never really could have, at least by his era.

Yeltsin and the RSFSR was onboard with the other separatists/nationalists.

[–] Skiluros@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Speratists? What? Not wanting to be part of the USSR or even russia (like Chechnya tried to liberate itself from russian degeneracy) is not "seperatism", it's wanting to be free and engaging in your own culture.

[–] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

That is the definition of separatism.

Wikipedia says:

Separatism is the advocacy of cultural, ethnic, tribal, religious, racial, regional, governmental, or gender separation from the larger group. As with secession, separatism conventionally refers to full political separation.

You're specifically talking about cultural separatism, which overlaps with ethnic separatism and is the most common kind.

[–] Skiluros@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

So India was engaging in separatism from the UK in 1947?

No one is buying your attempts at pointless pedantry.

[–] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

So India was engaging in separatism from the UK in 1947?

Yes, although it's usually termed "the British Empire" in this context. Separatism isn't really a disparaging term.

No one is buying your attempts at pointless pedantry.

I would gladly discuss anything else you bring up.

[–] Skiluros@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 months ago

You do you.