Mass protests in Russia demanding release of Alexei Navalny

[Risottia]

You can't be serious. None of those places are majority Russian.

The Russian Federation isn't an ethnic state. Your point isn't valid.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnic_groups_in_Russia

[Adamede]

You can't be serious. None of those places are majority Russian.

The Russian Federation isn't an ethnic state. Your point isn't valid.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnic_groups_in_Russia

It kinda is when the original point was that Russia has a right to annex territories that are home to ethnic Russians.

[Well-Educated Republican Patriots]

This will not result in Putin's downfall or a color revolution. Rather, Navalny will still see jail time.

The best we can hope for is that tensions between Russia and the West don't increase and that the Russian people will begin to lose their resentment for America and the EU. Eventually, when Putin gives up power or passes away, I think it's likely that another Medvedev-type politician will come to power and there will be another chance at bringing Russia closer to NATO and the EU and the conflicts it started with its neighbors may be resolved.

Russostatism is a problem.

Have you considered that rhetoric like this is actually very helpful to authoritarian governments that want to stamp out people you might support? Comments like this and outlandish statements from Westerners and anti-regime types get played all over state media in the countries you hate to show the populace that you and other foreign opposition hate not only their government, but the existence of their country itself. And then people who were fence-sitting go "You know, I'm not a huge fan of the government, but the opposition and foreigners are trying to take advantage of government weakness to destroy my country, so I will support the government shooting protesters to prevent that from happening."

I think that hyperbolic rhetoric like that is partially motivated by the abundance of anti-Western Russophiles online. When you see people making what looks like outlandish statements ("American liberalism is a threat to the world") one tempting response is to start saying equally "aggressive" things.

[Molither]

Is it bad that I'm secretly hoping for a military coup in Russia that would install Navalny as leader?

[Adamede]

Is it bad that I'm secretly hoping for a military coup in Russia that would install Navalny as leader?

Yah, because what’s the point?

[Senkaku]

Is it bad that I'm secretly hoping for a military coup in Russia that would install Navalny as leader?

Is it bad that I'm secretly hoping for a pet elephant that shits diamonds?

[Ethel mermania]

Is it bad that I'm secretly hoping for a military coup in Russia that would install Navalny as leader?

Is it bad that I'm secretly hoping for a pet elephant that shits diamonds?

Yes, would be rather painful for the elephant.

[My Political Fantasy]

Is it bad that I'm secretly hoping for a military coup in Russia that would install Navalny as leader?

Unless the philosophy for replacing Putin something along the lines of Putin is bad, but Nalvany could be better. Please I hope not because Russia might as well become more xenophobic and turn inwards on itself if this guy assumes power.

Edit: not every movement that goes against a government is always a good movement. Remember that.

[Sharania]

Ugh, some of the commentary out there... It happened with Re:Belarus protests and now it’s happening with Re:Russian protests. Can’t believe some people only know how to praise protesters’ bravery in these countries by diminishing the often deadly threat that African Americans face from US police. Is it possible to praise the bravery of Navalny and Russian protesters without reaching for tenuous comparisons with BLM and... *checks notes*... Martin Luther King?

[Especially when it is American right-winger "shy-fascists" doing the comparison]

To be clear: There is nothing wrong with *informed* and *nuanced* comparisons of mass mobilisations in Russia and the US. That’s not what I'm saying. The issue is using one simply as a foil to highlight the other.

[Infected Mushroom]

I'm pretty sure Putin is still pretty popular in Russia, and that these protests will not lead to any real change. Russia has had these types of protests before and the status quo always remained.

This is my view as well.

[The Marlborough]

Is it bad that I'm secretly hoping for a military coup in Russia that would install Navalny as leader?

Yes.

[Picairn]

Is it bad that I'm secretly hoping for a military coup in Russia that would install Navalny as leader?

Color Revolutions are often counter-revolutionary itself. Navalny is not your friend, he holds many right-wing, populist ideals.

[Engadine Mcdonalds 1997]

Well since this is the first time I've heard of these protests, I'm secretly hopping that these actually go somewhere, hell I'd be entertained if the Kremlin gets bombed, or (as horrible this sounds, and yes I'm probably a bad person for saying so) if protestors get gunned down and it gets plastered all over the news. Just... something, please. Piff a grenade through Putin's window, have something shocking/terrible happen, revive Stalin so he can purge Russia again, I want something to point at and either go "Damn bro that's fucked as" or "Damn bro that's sick as" that isn't related to America for once

[Risottia]

The Russian Federation isn't an ethnic state. Your point isn't valid.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnic_groups_in_Russia

It kinda is when the original point was that Russia has a right to annex territories that are home to ethnic Russians.

I don't think that was exactly the point being risen, but I might be mistaken.

[New haven america]

Abkhaz, South Ossetia, and Transnistria are all culturally Russian, there’s nothing wrong with supporting their annexation into Russia

You can't be serious. None of those places are majority Russian.

Russia isn't an ethno-state.

Just take a trip to South Russia or Siberia, that point will be made excruciatingly clear.

[Australian rePublic]

Poor Russia

[Risottia]

Poor Russia

To an extent.
There is at least a large plurality that supports Putin as president and his policies. Quisque est faber suae fortunae (to a point, but still). If the (real) support for Putin dropped, he couldn't stay in power.
I suspect there's a widespread support for authoritarianism in Russia - not dissimilar for the support for other Demokraturs, like Turkey, Hungary, Poland, the Philippines - and let's not forget how many in the US would have supported Trump staying in power via a coup. Same happens with the support of right-wing authoritarian populism in Europe, such as the support for Salvini and Meloni in Italy, for Le Pen in France... and even in some cases for left-wing authoritarianism like in Venezuela.

[Der Befreier]

I'm pretty sure Putin is still pretty popular in Russia, and that these protests will not lead to any real change. Russia has had these types of protests before and the status quo always remained.

This is my view as well.

Agreed. I don't care for Putin but his popularity is high. He isn't going anywhere, so to speak...

[Giovenith]

Well since this is the first time I've heard of these protests, I'm secretly hopping that these actually go somewhere, hell I'd be entertained if the Kremlin gets bombed, or (as horrible this sounds, and yes I'm probably a bad person for saying so) if protestors get gunned down and it gets plastered all over the news. Just... something, please. Piff a grenade through Putin's window, have something shocking/terrible happen, revive Stalin so he can purge Russia again, I want something to point at and either go "Damn bro that's fucked as" or "Damn bro that's sick as" that isn't related to America for once

Damn bro that's a *** Warning for Trolling/Advocating Violence ***.

This could have been more serious if you weren't a newbie. This sort of talk isn't acceptable here. Please read up on the rules before posting further.

[Adamede]

It kinda is when the original point was that Russia has a right to annex territories that are home to ethnic Russians.

I don't think that was exactly the point being risen, but I might be mistaken.

Here’s the post that started the chain.

I really don't know why so many Westerners have this love for Navalny. He has cheered on campaigns to end federal subsidies to the Caucasus republics (literally called Stop Feeding the Caucasus), is in favor of pro-Russian secessionist movements in various former Soviet states, has said he wont hand Crimea back to Ukraine and has even stated that the long term goal of Russian foreign policy should be to annex Belarus and Ukraine. Further iirc he defended a bunch of riots by Russian ethnonats because a murder was blamed on a migrant. This man isn't some lofty Western liberal, he's just part of the Russian nationalist community that hates Putin because they don't think Putin is nationalist enough.

Abkhaz, South Ossetia, and Transnistria are all culturally Russian, there’s nothing wrong with supporting their annexation into Russia

Now he mentions “ culturally Russian” but as I under stand it in Europe and much of the rest of the world culture and ethnicity are still fairly well linked.

[-Ocelot-]

Impressive how people protested in sub-zero temperatures. More impressive that they protest against a government whose police force is basically allowed to beat people to death or leave them disabled from excessive beatings.

[Sungoldy-China]

such protest can not even change Belarus, let alone the real Russia.

[Miternet]

It's kind of a vicious cycle really: Putin cracks down on freedoms so the people protest so Putin cracks down on the protests so the people protest so Putin cracks down...you get the idea.

To be honest I don't think Russia is going to last more than a couple more decades, if that. Putin's gotta be pushing 70 at this point and he's constructed such a personality cult around himself that after he dies there'll be a massive power vacuum. Many of Russia's downtrodden regions might well revolt, especially if the government clamps down on them like Putin did.

[The Reformed American Republic]

I'm pretty sure Putin is still pretty popular in Russia, and that these protests will not lead to any real change. Russia has had these types of protests before and the status quo always remained.

This is my view as well.

It should be noted that the opposition leaders aren't liberal democrats. While I find it highly unlikely Putin will ever fall, even if he did, the opposition would establish another dictatorship.

[Adamede]

It's kind of a vicious cycle really: Putin cracks down on freedoms so the people protest so Putin cracks down on the protests so the people protest so Putin cracks down...you get the idea.

To be honest I don't think Russia is going to last more than a couple more decades, if that. Putin's gotta be pushing 70 at this point and he's constructed such a personality cult around himself that after he dies there'll be a massive power vacuum. Many of Russia's downtrodden regions might well revolt, especially if the government clamps down on them like Putin did.

Eh I’d think Putin is the kind of guy that has continuity of government in mind.

Russia’s real problem is it’s shrinking population and vast expanse of territory in a warming world.