It is important to think about and keep in mind, but it’s also important not to judge blindly. Do some research before you make a decision on something like this and try to make an informed decision. People aren’t responsible for where they’re born, and not everyone is in a position for fight or flight. Most Russians are victims of Putin too, some worse than others. Many of them may be ignorant, yes, and even deeply unpleasant and unlikable people with nasty attitudes, but they are also brainwashed by one of the most manipulative and subtly oppressive regimes that has possibly ever existed in the modern world. Organizing a resistance against tyranny isn’t easy. Even finding the motivation to resist it isn’t easy. If it was easy, we wouldn’t have such problems with tyrants all around the world, and orangeman wouldn’t have lasted a week.
If you don’t want to send money that will end up in Russia, I don’t blame you. If you are afraid of the infiltration and malware risks that come with using software made in Russia, I don’t blame you for that either. But the guy himself is probably just a normal person, unless there’s specific evidence otherwise. “Othering” and demonizing other people is the path to the dark side. You can hate the country and government and the system, and you should, but not the people born and raised within it. They’re in a big fucking mess, and you would be too if you lived there. Just because you think you’d make different choices personally, doesn’t mean they’re making bad ones for the situation they’re in.
We are all just people. We are not better or worse than any other people. We are all trying to do the same things in life. Even the Russian people. But we’ve been made to be different by our environments and nations and governments that benefit from us being divided and hating each other. Don’t play their game.
It is important to think about and keep in mind, but it’s also important not to judge blindly. Do some research before you make a decision on something like this and try to make an informed decision. People aren’t responsible for where they’re born, and not everyone is in a position for fight or flight. Most Russians are victims of Putin too, some worse than others. Many of them may be ignorant, yes, and even deeply unpleasant and unlikable people with nasty attitudes, but they are also brainwashed by one of the most manipulative and subtly oppressive regimes that has possibly ever existed in the modern world. Organizing a resistance against tyranny isn’t easy. Even finding the motivation to resist it isn’t easy. If it was easy, we wouldn’t have such problems with tyrants all around the world, and orangeman wouldn’t have lasted a week.
If you don’t want to send money that will end up in Russia, I don’t blame you. If you are afraid of the infiltration and malware risks that come with using software made in Russia, I don’t blame you for that either. But the guy himself is probably just a normal person, unless there’s specific evidence otherwise. “Othering” and demonizing other people is the path to the dark side. You can hate the country and government and the system, and you should, but not the people born and raised within it. They’re in a big fucking mess, and you would be too if you lived there. Just because you think you’d make different choices personally, doesn’t mean they’re making bad ones for the situation they’re in.
We are all just people. We are not better or worse than any other people. We are all trying to do the same things in life. Even the Russian people. But we’ve been made to be different by our environments and nations and governments that benefit from us being divided and hating each other. Don’t play their game.