None of the ones I’ve met liked him, but I’ve only met ones who fled Russia.
Why do you suppose Russians might support him in 2026? In the 2000s/2010s, its understandable given how bad the 90s were, but now living standards are getting worse again.
Because I’ve been close friends with Russians who left Russia as adults and they absolutely love Putin for “standing up” to the west. Whatever that means.
And polls repeatedly show 90% of Russians support him. For “standing up” to the west.
Why would I doubt polls and the evidence of my own eyes and the sincerely held beliefs of people I’ve talked to?
they absolutely love Putin for “standing up” to the west. Whatever that means.
Before Putin took power, the west’s guy, Yeltsin, was in power, selling the copper from the walls. People remember conditions going from slightly behind the west to a third world country being ravaged by famine, alcoholism overnight as soviet industry was eviscerated by Russia’s new national bourgeois, working with the west.
While Putin was one of those oligarchs, people saw him slow the bleeding by stopping the very worst excesses; standing up to the west.
None of the ones I’ve met liked him, but I’ve only met ones who fled Russia.
Why do you suppose Russians might support him in 2026? In the 2000s/2010s, its understandable given how bad the 90s were, but now living standards are getting worse again.
Because I’ve been close friends with Russians who left Russia as adults and they absolutely love Putin for “standing up” to the west. Whatever that means.
And polls repeatedly show 90% of Russians support him. For “standing up” to the west.
Why would I doubt polls and the evidence of my own eyes and the sincerely held beliefs of people I’ve talked to?
Before Putin took power, the west’s guy, Yeltsin, was in power, selling the copper from the walls. People remember conditions going from slightly behind the west to a third world country being ravaged by famine, alcoholism overnight as soviet industry was eviscerated by Russia’s new national bourgeois, working with the west.
While Putin was one of those oligarchs, people saw him slow the bleeding by stopping the very worst excesses; standing up to the west.
But that was 25 years ago.
I met a Russian in China. Said his opinion: Ukraine should be part of Russia. Strong, fit, young lad.
He’s still in China enjoying the good life.
Yes, people tend to support fucked up regimes in their home countries if they don’t have to suffer the consequences.
And yet, the regime has stronger support in the Russia than it has abroad. As absurd as that is.
Just ask any Russian who lives outside the Russia and have visited their relatives in the Russia since 2022.
Urumqi? I met quite a few Russians there.