HxF Users banned from driving in Russia

[-:Undertaker:-]

How do I know that there’s a lot of propaganda in Russia? You can see evidence of it all over the net, heck I’ve just provided a video from a one second google search which shows signs comparing Ukraine to the Nazis. The fact that the state runs the media also screams propaganda. You keep pointing out that there’s propaganda in the west, of course there is. There’s propaganda everywhere. If you think the propaganda and corruption in the UK is anything matching the levels in Russia then I’ve lost all hope for you.

No you don't get it, maybe I worded badly - I mean how do you know every anti-Putin video circulated on the internet is the whole truth and nothing but the truth. The point is, you don't know. I have no doubt the Russian Government engages in propaganda, as well as maintaining a strong state (there's never been a Russia without) as well as being immensely corrupt: but at the same time the west is pumped full of propaganda too just not as crude as in Russia.

So perhaps making blanket statements to simplify a complex topic isn’t the best way to end your post.

That would be you trying to belittle my point about support for Putin's social policies which are popular in Russia.

liberalism - a political or social philosophy advocating the freedom of the individual, parliamentary systems of government, nonviolent modification of political, social, or economic institutions to assure unrestricted development in all spheres of human endeavour, and governmental guarantees of individual rights and civil liberties.

Yeah, I think people those that oppose equal rights and the equal treatment of people are either uneducated or lack empathy.

I'm a libertarian, you don't need to tell me that. Russia though by world standards is a fairly western or liberal state, just it is more conservative with policies like Section 28: that doesn't make it akin to Saudi Arabia or a non-liberal state. There's degrees of liberalism.

A Russian could look on at our smoking ban as fundementally illiberal, as I do.

Not really since I’m not the one invading and annexing another sovereign nation.

It's a bit more complex than that, it is clear to anyone with a grasp of global politics that the borders of the Ukraine were a historical mistake and were only kept in check whilst Ukraine remained more within the Russian sphere of influence (as it always has been in) - that was until your beloved European Union (German power) started the age old struggle in Eastern Europe for influence, of which Russia views as an assault on its geopolitical position in the world.

Another EU folly, poke the Russian bear and you'll get a response believe it or not. That's realpolitik.

So you do think there’s more propaganda in the UK than Russia?

In terms of hard propaganda, no. In terms of soft or cultural propaganda? aye.

Putin is solely to blame for the consequences. If a burglar is shot and killed you wouldn’t blame the homeowner for their death, you would blame the criminal. If a rapist is killed in self defence you wouldn’t blame the victim for their death, you would blame the rapist. If a country invades another and is economically ruined by sanctions imposed on it in retaliation then you wouldn’t blame the countries issuing the sanctions, you would blame Putin and whoever else is responsible for Russians military actions in Ukraine.

As above.

I’m sure the Russians will care when they can’t afford to buy bread due to their money being worthless. I’m sure the Russians will care when their neighbouring countries dwarf them in development. I’m not so sure Putin will care though, if that’s who you’re talking about.

Often sanctions have the opposite effect intended and stabilise the government/regime, just look at Cuba.