Russian dissident poisoned with Novichok due to be "disappeared".

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Most of the Russians Ive spoken to dont like Putin. His followers are a bit like Trump followers.

That's like going to thedonald.win and judging biden support from there or british politics from reddit. Russians who speak English are already a small fraction that is not representative.
 
Caporegime
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Most of the Russians I've spoken to dont like Putin, but some of the other candidates (the ones not dead or in prison) are genuinely mental. His fans are a bit like Trump followers. Except he successfully rigs the votes so they cant get rid of him.

Isn't your sample a bit biased though (assuming these are Russians in the west or Russians on western social media)?

Like he seems to be pretty popular in Russia, obvs the elections are dubious AF and there is likely a large opposition than reflected by the votes but even considering that and despite everyone being well aware he's a bit dodgy he's still seemingly got broad appeal as some strong man character acting in Russia's interests.
 
Soldato
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Well its a matter of perspective isnt it.

Good explanation for how it works, but since my comments were highlighted and parallels drawn between Nalany and Islamic organisations that we deem as terrorist, I would really love to hear that particular argument.
 
Caporegime
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Clearly a man who believes in his cause and willing to put his life on the line for it, gotta respect that in today's world.

You said this, the sentence states, a man who believes in his cause (different man could have a different cause) and willing to put their life on the line for it (many people for many causes do this), gotta respect that...

So you ONLY respect Navalny or you respect other people who are willing to put their life on the line for their cause?

To me it reads that you respect those willing to die for their cause.

Fighting against the US with their drones, items, overwhelming military capacity you could argue that most pppomemtd of the US are willing to die for their cause if they are willing to fight the juggernaut right?
 
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Its difficult to get them to be honest online as they are paranoid the state is watching (they are a lot of the time).

I mean that part is ridiculous. Russia has quite a few pro western channels, bloggers etc. To think that regular russian is afraid to write something because they are watched by KGB is a bit too far. There were or are major protests in the far east. I haven't heard any of those being executed or sent to gulags.

I think that viewpoints like that only re-inforce putins hold on Russia. Its like the call of duty cold war, what do you think regular russian playing that game feels about how their country is portrayed in the west. If anything it re-inforces putins propaganda.
 
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Soldato
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I mean that part is ridiculous. Russia has quite a few pro western channels, bloggers etc. To think that regular russian is afraid to write something because they are watched by KGB is a bit too far. There were or are major protests in the far east. I haven't heard any of those being executed or sent to gulags.

I think that viewpoints like that only re-inforce putins hold on Russia. Its like the call of duty cold war, what do you think regular russian playing that game feels about how their country is portrayed in the west. If anything it re-inforces putins propaganda.

Yet some people who spoke out against the government have vanished. I mean... this politician is now in the process of being made to vanish, after they tried to murder him. There have been a number of Putin critics killed abroad too, including Litvinenko.

They probably keep a few "opponents" around who have no chance of winning. To try and create a perception of balance.
 
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Soldato
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You said this, the sentence states, a man who believes in his cause (different man could have a different cause) and willing to put their life on the line for it (many people for many causes do this), gotta respect that...

So you ONLY respect Navalny or you respect other people who are willing to put their life on the line for their cause?

To me it reads that you respect those willing to die for their cause.

Fighting against the US with their drones, items, overwhelming military capacity you could argue that most pppomemtd of the US are willing to die for their cause if they are willing to fight the juggernaut right?

Talk about a leap of faith, I think you need to look up the basics like definition of context.

I'm posting in a thread of a political opponent in a country where political opponents are smeared through the legal system, silenced and disappear, who has had assassinations attempts on his life by the current leader, who in turn happens to be in power for over 20 years now. Despite the huge threat to his life, he's willing to stand up to Putin and demonstrate to others that you can't back down in fear to him. I'm not sitting here making comments in the ISIS thread now am I.
 
Caporegime
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Talk about a leap of faith, I think you need to look up the basics like definition of context.

I'm posting in a thread of a political opponent in a country where political opponents are smeared through the legal system, silenced and disappear, who has had assassinations attempts on his life by the current leader, who in turn happens to be in power for over 20 years now. Despite the huge threat to his life, he's willing to stand up to Putin and demonstrate to others that you can't back down in fear to him. I'm not sitting here making comments in the ISIS thread now am I.

It sounded like a blanket statement to me, those who are willing to fight and die for their cause get your respect.

Just so we are clear that is only the case if you support the cause. Otherwise people dieing for their cause do not deserve your respect.

Cool.
 
Soldato
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Leap of faith again, at no point did I say that I don't respect people whose causes I don't believe in. But even saying that now probably means I support terrorists of all flavours out there?

Honestly, exactly the reason I largely avoid this joke of a subforum :D
 
Caporegime
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It sounded like a blanket statement to me, those who are willing to fight and die for their cause get your respect.

Just so we are clear that is only the case if you support the cause. Otherwise people dieing for their cause do not deserve your respect.

Cool.


Took a bump to the head lately?


Basic comprehenion is hard innit.


This bloke will be gone in no time, and I suspect Putin's going to use him to send a message to any former or current spies who have similar ideas.
 
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Leap of faith again, at no point did I say that I don't respect people whose causes I don't believe in. But even saying that now probably means I support terrorists of all flavours out there?

Honestly, exactly the reason I largely avoid this joke of a subforum :D

Its a pretty binary answer, yes I respect all those willing to die for for their cause

No I don't respect all those will to die for their cause

Or caveat, I respect those willing to die for their cause, if I also support their cause.

In this instance Navalny may be guilty, we only know what Western propaganda tells us, he might have been caught for embezzlement and be guilty of it those years ago. We might want to believe differently but I don't think we have any proof in hand to state that he is pr isnt guilty.
 
Soldato
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Yes, Putin is in trouble. There is no obvious succession, no easy exit strategy where he enjoys his ill-gotten billions in peaceful retirement. He has too many enemies and the resulting power struggle to replace him could be messy.

This podcast is worth a listen:
Putin: Prisoner of Power

What makes you think he'll retire? All soviet leaders died on the job unless effectively ousted like Gorbachov or Khrushchev I daresay Putin will be same he has no incentive to leave. He's like a mafia boss he can't retire he wouldn't live long without being in control too many enemies.
 
Soldato
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This guy is not going to change the course of Russia. He is not going to get in the office. He s not going to make a single dent in Putin’s reputation or authority.

he is not going to win any support from European or American governments.

he simply doesn’t have the backing of Russians. He is being poisoned, harassed and imprisoned because Putin can do whatever he wants to him and there is no one there to stop Putin.

I admire his tenacity in fighting the unwinnable fight.
 
Caporegime
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So what do we think, GD?

1. Never heard of again, nobody knows what happened.
2. Dies of some previously undiagnosed medical condition, like having tennis ball where his heart should be.
3. Strapped to an anti-aircraft gun, NK style.
4. Spends rest of life in prison for heinous crimes against the state.
5. Coma from which he never recovers (also NK style)
6. Becomes world record holder for most Novichok shots downed in 2 mins
 
Soldato
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What makes you think he'll retire? All soviet leaders died on the job unless effectively ousted like Gorbachov or Khrushchev I daresay Putin will be same he has no incentive to leave. He's like a mafia boss he can't retire he wouldn't live long without being in control too many enemies.
Yes, that's exactly the point, he's a 'prisoner of power'.
 
Soldato
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So what do we think, GD?

1. Never heard of again, nobody knows what happened.
2. Dies of some previously undiagnosed medical condition, like having tennis ball where his heart should be.
3. Strapped to an anti-aircraft gun, NK style.
4. Spends rest of life in prison for heinous crimes against the state.
5. Coma from which he never recovers (also NK style)
6. Becomes world record holder for most Novichok shots downed in 2 mins

Probably beaten to death in prison then declared as a heart attack.
 
Soldato
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Yes, that's exactly the point, he's a 'prisoner of power'.

That is always the way with dictators. Like the saying "if you stop, you drop". Except with them someone else drops them :p

If he leaves office he loses the protection of being head of state.
 
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