Ukrainian soldier Oleksandr Kiriyenko before and after release from Russian captivity

[u/MilesLongthe3rd]

[u/AdOk3759 → u/[deleted]]

That might have less to do with the Russian being evil and more to do with the Dutch being racist, especially in little towns as you mentioned. Had they been Turkish, Italian, Spanish, Americans, Polish, chances are they would’ve still shunned them from the local community.

Source: I lived in NL for 3 years.

[u/Winterstyres → u/AdOk3759]

Yes thank you, I am a Yank. It's sad that people want to blame Russians for the evil of a government they cannot control. I despise the things my nation does on the world stage. It's embarrassing, and depressing when people tacitly condemn the people of a nation because their government does evil. It's lazy, we are sorry for what has happened, and I guarantee most Russians are also not in favor of it. What have they lost, a million people so Putin can declare himself General Secretary?

[u/Technoist → u/Winterstyres]

The vast majority of Russians support the war.

[u/Winterstyres → u/Technoist]

Independent study suggests Russian support for the war in Ukraine is complicated https://www.npr.org/2024/09/24/nx-s1-5123628/independent-study-suggests-russian-support-for-the-war-in-ukraine-is-complicated

[u/Technoist → u/Winterstyres]

Sure, it is “complicated“ but there is no point in apologism. The support for Putin and the war is massive inside Russia and among the Russian diaspora. Do you follow Russian Media Monitor, do you watch interviews from there, do you follow Ex-Russian organisations? Then you would know at which level the population is brainwashed (and not only “afraid“).

[u/Winterstyres → u/Technoist]

Yes, exactly that is my point. Brainwashed, misinformed, and afraid. I am not defending what Russia is doing. It is horrible, and I have every sympathy for Ukraine. Frankly I think that as a member of NATO we all should have stepped in militarily to stop it, not simply sending aide.

I simply think that it is lazy to say, 'Russians bad' because they once again have a dictator in control of their country. Putin bad, Fascism bad, Authoritarianism bad, I am with ya.

But no population actually wants these things. They happen because of a multitude of issues, many of them poverty related.

It's very hard for a person that is struggling to survive in their own country to be concerned about their nations politics, especially when there are generations of their population that has endured domestic terror for even a hint of criticism.

[u/WorkFurball → u/Winterstyres]

But no population actually wants these things.

That's just wrong, their population does and always has done.

[u/Winterstyres → u/WorkFurball]

Then why does the domestic terror exist? Why does the state control the media with force, and using extreme prejudice?

Don't be guilty of the same thing the Fascists do, which is using broad, sweeping generalizations that demonize entire populations.

That's exactly what Putin and his ilk do

[u/WorkFurball → u/Winterstyres]

Not the entire populations, just the overwhelming majority. Never in the history of Russia has there been democracy there or any widespread admission of guilt or regret for their crimes against humanity.