Quote (dro94 @ Jul 31 2017 11:18am)
I agree somewhat that the ordinary people are not to blame here, but let's be real. They had a golden chance to rebuild their country after the Soviet Union collapsed, yet they gravitated towards a strongman dictator, like every other time. People need to take personal responsibility for who runs their country; I would never let someone like that in power and if it ever happened I'd be willing to die fighting them in whatever way I could.
Relax there key board warrior, no you wouldn't, you would be in tears within an hour or two of being in a windoless room with a FSB interrogator.
Putin being good or bad for Russia is subjective, no matter how much most of you in chorus want to cry on here.
When the average Russian sees vegetable and fruit prices sky rocket in a matter months because the US and western EU nations imposed sanctions they don't blame Putin, they blame the west. When NATO expands eastwards, even though they vouched they wouldn't in the 90s and are encircling Russia with missile systems, again they don't blame Putin but view us as the adversary. There's a reason why he has 80% approval rates, when we play the part of the villain just like Putins propaganda suggests, it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy.
The Russians historically have always gravitated towards the strongmen to lead, you imposing your western blueprint of what a successful governance is and what their country should look like is a bit eccentric. It's the same reason democracy and our standards don't really work in many places around the world like the ME, Russia, China, etc.