Now let’s hear about how Russians don’t support the war but were forced to attend and jump up and down with joy because if they hadn’t shown up, the big, scary Putin would have killed them all dead.
Ah, I know. They were saving the grandma by showing up to this event.
Clarissa's Blog 
Do you know Kamil Galeev that cliff has linked to on Twitter with wonderful threads? Unsurprisingly, he is from FSU and had to leave Russia after being arrested for political protests.
Today Latynina invited him and has an interview. Tomorrow she will talk with Dmitriy Gordon (you have heard of him, right?)
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Found Kamil Galeev on
https://threadreaderapp.com/user/kamilkazani
His latest thread is “How to sabotage Russian war efforts?”
I was surprised to learn:
“Consider this random list of wounded Russian soldiers in a hospital in Rostov Oblast (=wounded in Ukraine). Dagestani names comprise about a half of the list. Russian army is quickly becoming the army of minorities”
Especially liked the idea of
“Open the green corridor. Many Russian soldiers would actively look for the ways out but they don’t want to sit in Ukrainian prison СИЗО which happens if they just surrender. So, open the corridor abroad to any poor warm country
Tourist industry of Turkey, Egypt, etc is now suffering for the lack of Russian tourists. Thus:
Rent cheap hostels, cheap hotels, whatever
Ship their those who surrendered till the end of the war. Give them bed + food
Take photos with them there, distribute in Telegram
That would have huge impact on the troops morale which you probably underestimate it.”
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I know I have left too many links already but this is the most fundamental, most important thread about Russia I’ve seen:
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1503430216554795014.html
Want to ask something. Kamil writes:
“Let’s sum up. Much of current Russian political dynamics is understandable in the context of conflict between the courtiers and the barons. In the normal times courtiers will centralise all the power and all the cash flows in their hands
Courtiers naturally mistrusts and fear the barons. They’ll use every tool they have to weaken them. The war they wage on barons inflicts huge socio economic damage and is a major reason of economic depression of much of Russia. That’s collateral losses in the elite conflict”
It sounds like everyone, including viciously antisemitic Navalny (was shocked to read his lj comment with slur re ‘jews’) , wants total power and control.
Does anyone want what is best for the people and the country?
Were I instead of Putin and willing to give independence to regions in order to promote Russian democracy, would it result in regions being robbed by the barons instead of courtiers? What can be done there at all?
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And this is only one in Navalny’s lifelong history of racism, ethnic slurs, and all sorts of scary behavior. This is why I’ve been repeating for years: the dude’s a neo-Nazi, in a very literal term. I cannot and will not get over something like this just because he’s against Putin. Putin is horrible. Sadly, the only real opposition is also horrible. I understand the need to believe in “good guys,” but Navalny ain’t it.
Also, it’s weird that the Western media that call everybody a neo-Nazi never managed to point out that Navalny is one. All of the coverage of the guy, and it never comes up.
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I know I’m a little obsessed with the issue but the last thing we need in Russia is for the actual blackshirts to come to power. Then, Putin will look like a little cuddly bunny.
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// the dude’s a neo-Nazi, in a very literal term.
Latynina, tareeva and so on …. So many Jewish liberals in Russia are enamoured of Navalny.
Just today listened to Latynina seeing светлую Россию будущего with Navalny exchanging Putin as a president.
Тамара Эйдельман , a history teacher with a very popular YouTube channel who left to Portugal after the invasion of Ukraine this month, is also enchanted by Navalny, telling in today’s video re dictatorships how Navalny truly listened to her during their meeting and read the materials she previously sent him despite the enormous work pressure. Тамара Эйдельман is also (partly?) Jewish, btw. I checked.
Are they so pro Navalny since he is the only famous anti-Putin person?
Do they secretly tell a small voice in their head not to worry and that Navalny has changed?
Had they truly forgotten everything? They look like true believers to me, while you are … sceptical.
On the other hand, Тамара Эйдельман said today that the Russian regime can currently be defined as fascist since it fulfills all ~ 12 criteria. If there is fascism right now, they may hope Navalny would do no worse.
In contrast, if Putin remains in power, he will 100% escalate and bring nazism with purges into Russia.
Эйдельман said the more cut off a country is from the world, the worse purges become, and Russia is in the process of “Он загребет все материальные ценности, до которых сможет дотянуться, а потом свернет пространство, закуклится и остановит время”. (Haven’t read the novel but it’s a new running quote in Russian lj.)
When you prefer Putin to Navalny, you ignore the dynamics of the developing situation.
Putin is being cut off the world and knows he has nothing to lose.
Were Navalny become President, he would want great relationship with the West, lifting sanctions, developing economy.
Going fascist would hardly help achieve those goals.
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Galeev (or course) has an interesting thread on the rally (and public suport)
Shorter version: the rally is filled with bored people who don’t want to be there but are pressured to come which is just what Putin wants. Actual enthusiastic supporters would do things like network with each other and that’s the last thing he wants – people showing any kind of initiative instead of passive types just doing what they’re told.
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Russians do have a much more muted, inwardly oriented affect than Ukrainians. It often comes off as passive but it’s, rather, a slower nervous system response.
Ukrainians look slow and passive to Brazilians in the same was as Russians look to us.
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Good poem
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Something beautiful:
Валентин Гафт
Не знают истины потомки,
Не знали будущего предки,
Душа чужая – как потемки,
Своя душа – как птица в клетке.
Мы одинокие обломки.
Чьи мы потомки? Чьи мы предки?
Мы как оборванная пленка,
Мы как обломанные ветки.
На пьесу наша жизнь похожа,
Мир – театр, занавес – туман.
Мы люди. Нам всего дороже
Нас возвышающий обман.
Идем по призрачным дорогам,
Играем в прятки с давних пор,
Чтоб так играть, какой же с Богом
Мы заключили договор?
Заняв у вечности мгновенье,
Мы доживаем не спеша.
И после долгого терпенья
Из нас, как Божий знак спасенья,
Как выстрел, вырвется Душа.
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