Anti corruption protests in Russia, Navalny arrested

[Tackhisis]

Idiots for protesting against Putin?

That is an absolutely idiotic activity, and people who participate in it for free are idiots.

[Mormolyce]

That is an absolutely idiotic activity, and people who participate in it for free are idiots.

It's certainly risky given his approach to criticism.

[Thepersona]

Oh, I don't think anyone has any illusions on this one. In Iran, multi-million demonstrations in Tehran a few years back didn't make a dent in the regime. Of course Navalny with a few thousand supporters won't make anything, but a few headlines.

He is also a lousy person to put a stake on, as he essentially is a clone of Jean-Marie Le Pen. Then again, people hardly have any choice, and he is probably a lesser evil than Vlad Dracula!

it didnt? i ask this on pure ignorance, not that i try to be snarky
last i heard on the elections many ultraconservatives lost (on iran) their seats. Granted, they're still under the ayatollah but its better than nothing... or not?

[May90]

it didnt? i ask this on pure ignorance, not that i try to be snarky
last i heard on the elections many ultraconservatives lost (on iran) their seats. Granted, they're still under the ayatollah but its better than nothing... or not?

Yes, but, first, that was a result of the election, not demonstrations - and second, while the new government is a bit more open-minded than the previous one was, it is still very far from the vision of the government the protesters had. The protesters wanted religious freedoms and legal gender equality; sadly, nothing changed in this regard.

I don't think there was any real possibility for success of the demonstrations in Iran: while the demonstrators were numerous, hardly anyone other than them wanted a serious change. The vast majority of the population are religious fundamentalists that are happy with the government enforcing their religious beliefs. Who were protesting were mostly students, who tend to think more progressively than the rest of the population - but students alone aren't enough to make a revolution.

[Shalcker]

As usual Navalny just likes to show off and doesn't actually prepare for 100% obvious aftermath. 1000 people got arrested in Moscow, and he prepared just 3 advocates total to help them...
At least Max Katz could organize real help for some of them; I have much higher hopes for his political initiatives then Navalny.

And certainly Putin and his friends are corrupt, one way or another; they are just the best option we have for now.

Those protests also have 10 to 50 times lower turnout then ones in 2011 or 2014...

[Shalcker]

Do you fully understand how fucking sad this is?

Life isn't full of roses and rainbows; you got to deal with the hand you're given.

[caervek]

The BBC were talking about this on the radio as I was driving home across the country last night and they were like "huge protests" "thousands of people" "largest had several hundred participants". And I'm thinking what shite, that country has like 144 million citizens and the BBC are trying to make a big thing out of a few thousand protesting (while not bothering to lie about the figures so their narrative actually works). While in this country they would never even report on a protest or protests where turnouts are so poor lol.

[Deleted]

Putin and his entire government are corrupt pieces of trash. Russians have a right to get rid of them or let them in power. As long as there is not a repeat of the 90s. Fuck the 90s.

Last sentence is the most important part. As long as its not repeat of the 90s. In 90s Yeltsin sold out almost entire country to US. Many illegal deals robbing country of resources were made that took years to undo. Those responsible ran away to London and similar western cities with their money and west was happy to give them safe harbor with all their stolen money.

To replace Putin there needs to be someone who would not just open doors to western investors to rob what remains of country. Deals need to be made on fair principles, which is not something massive multinational corporations and western governments are interested in. It needs to be someone capable of resisting massive political pressure. There isn't such figure yet and it certainly isn't Navalny.

[Ripster42]

Don't pick on Cybran. He may be a nationalist, but that doesn't mean he can't appreciate that corruption weakens his nation.

I can't remember, was it him or shalker that said corruption was okay as long as it benefits the state?

[Deleted]

Well Cybran has failed the Tsar, so I will take over Cybran's role. So:

There is no corruption in Russia, stop believing Fox News and CNN, and those protesters are just undercover CIA agents sent to destabilize Mother Russia.

[Life-Binder]

Putin is the best thing to ever happen to Russia since Peter the Great

[Shalcker]

I can't remember, was it him or shalker that said corruption was okay as long as it benefits the state?

It is better then corruption that results in personal profits for one performing it only.

And those are the options - those who steal some but keep things going at home because they have no hope escaping to West, or those who steal and say "fuck you, i'm out to West with all my money" (and get away with it).

[Skroe]

Am I dreaming? Cybran flaming Russia and Putin?

This is legitimately the most shocking thing of the week, rofl.

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As usual Navalny just likes to show off and doesn't actually prepare for 100% obvious aftermath. 1000 people got arrested in Moscow, and he prepared just 3 advocates total to help them...
At least Max Katz could organize real help for some of them; I have much higher hopes for his political initiatives then Navalny.

And certainly Putin and his friends are corrupt, one way or another; they are just the best option we have for now.

Those protests also have 10 to 50 times lower turnout then ones in 2011 or 2014...

Really? Because a random assemblage of 10 people in the street seems like a better option.

You're are afraid as always. That's all it is. In the 1990s Russia transitioned from a command economy to a market economy, and *shockingly* it was an incredibly painful and humbling experience... one that met an early end as in 2016, Putin's regime has renationalized huge sectors of the economy over the last 15 years.

Transitioning your country from the police state it has been for 300 years, into a structurally modern country, is going to be painful. It is going to be cause a depression. People will die. Russia will certainly fragment more. But the day of reckoning and two decades of misery has to come, or your grandchildren will be saying "they are just the best option we have for now". What happens when "for now" because another 100 years?

If Russia had never let Putin take it for a ride, it's worst days would be long behind it by now. Instead, they ran back into the arms of the latest strongman promising to make Russia great, and instead your worst days are ahead of you.

It's really sad. But at the same time, Fully Deserved. This tragedy has been made possible by the ongoing tolerance and excusable of Russians for corruption.

[caervek]

This is legitimately the most shocking thing of the week, rofl.

Well not really as it's happened dozens of times.

I think the issue is that the anti-Russian posters are so caught up in their anti-Russian perspective that they view anyone who isn't also anti-Russian as pro-Russian (because it must be one or the other, balances/unbiased are not options, everything is black and white). Then when that person says something which is anti-Putin it seems shocking.

[May90]

And certainly Putin and his friends are corrupt, one way or another; they are just the best option we have for now.

The current dictator is always "the best option we have". This justification is over 5,000 years old, probably much-much older. Learning history is hard!

I'm sure out of 140 million Russians, there is no one better than Putin and his friends.

[caervek]

Transitioning your country from the police state it has been for 300 years, into a structurally modern country, is going to be painful.

Jesus Christ man do you even read the nonsense you post sometimes? The USSR was formed in 1922, became a "bad guy" in the late 1940's and disbanded in 1991. Where does 300 years of police state come from lol?

Hell 150 years ago your country had a civil war, during which Russia's support for the USA unwavered while you had to threaten Britain and France with war in order to discourage us from officially recognising the legitimacy of the CSA.

Is this fake cold way ideology that Russia and the west are incompatible and always have been so ingrained in you that you simply cannot admit that the cold war is over? It was a bad 44 years but it's done with and the only way it will ever return is if people like you refuse to move on.

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I'm sure out of 140 million Russians, there is no one better than Putin and his friends.

Well, the USA had 320 million to choose from and look what happened there XD

[Skroe]

Jesus Christ man do you even read the nonsense you post sometimes? The USSR was formed in 1922, became a "bad guy" in the late 1940's and disbanded in 1991. Where does 300 years of police state come from lol?

Hell 150 years ago your country had a civil war, during which Russia's support for the USA unwavered while you had to threaten Britain and France with war in order to discourage us from officially recognising the legitimacy of the CSA.

Is this fake cold way ideology that Russia and the west are incompatible and always have been so ingrained in you that you simply cannot admit that the cold war? It was a bad 44 years but it's done with and the only way it will ever return is if people like you refuse to move on.

Russia's been the same police state under different management since the 18th century.

And we are entering a new Cold War. And it will end the same as last time: Russia collapsing a little bit more.

[May90]

Well, the USA had 320 million to choose from and look what happened there XD

People made a dumb choice, it happens. Claiming that Trump is the best option we have would be ludicrous; he is one of the worst options we have.

[Acidbaron]

Remember France, if you vote FN that's what you are looking at for your future rights regarding political opinion.

[Shalcker]

The current dictator is always "the best option we have". This justification is over 5,000 years old, probably much-much older. Learning history is hard!

And all along those 5000 years removing "dictator" generally led to decades of worse suffering.

I'm sure out of 140 million Russians, there is no one better than Putin and his friends.

The problem is finding them and persuading them to do it... current opposition, with exception of Katz, is utterly unfit.