Dissent in Putin’s Russia
So, what is the price of dissent in Putin’s Russia, and are Russians willing to pay it?
Even before the war in Ukraine, I saw numerous comments on the internet demanding that Russians overthrow Putin. A bunch of privileged, sheltered Westerners schooling us on how to fight for democracy. A small army of button warriors typing from the safety of their countries. These same people cheered when hundreds of thousands, if not millions, Belarusians took to the streets to get rid of Lukashenko.
Backed by Putin, the “potato dictator” stayed in power against all odds. Who are these “experts” who know how to launch a successful revolution? Are they fighting for democracy in Ukraine’s trenches as volunteers? I don’t think so. I’ll tell you who these pathetic internet heroes are. I’ll show you that they have no clue what they are talking about. Stay with me to see them put in their place.
Redefining Courage in the Face of Oppression
If you happened to be one of those snowflakes, you might already be traumatized by the opening, and really should stop reading here. Or, if you have guts, you might hear me out to see everything from a new perspective.
Deep inside almost everyone thinks that, faced with a life-threatening situation, they would act courageously. The truth is: most of us are not like that. I’m not a hero myself. If cowardice means being afraid to put my very life and the lives of my loved ones at risk, I’m certainly a coward. I have no problem admitting that, because it’s only about the survival instinct. There’s nothing wrong with avoiding danger, that’s how living beings are supposed to act. There are only a few exceptions to the rule. Those who risked their lives challenging oppression made their mark in history.
The Unseen Sacrifices
We know names of great revolutionists for a reason. Many of them had to become martyrs for a greater cause. The thing is: they represent only a tiny fraction of those who went through the same or harsher ordeals. Most freedom fighters fell victims of bloody regimes and dictatorships completely unnoticed to the broader public. The fact that we never heard of them makes their sacrifices almost useless. At least I see it this way. Most Westerners can name just a couple prominent opposition leaders who were killed by Putin’s regime. Who can you name without googling it?
Even as someone who’s lived his whole life in Russia under Putin, I know just a dozen. I can only imagine how many oppositionists got their lives ruined or lost to the greater cause. How many sacrifices went unnoticed. I’ve already admitted being afraid of putting myself and my family in danger, but there’s a deeper fear. The fear of sacrificing my life for nothing. If no one knows about my sacrifice, and it’s made no difference, then what’s the point? I’m not that afraid of death per say, I’m afraid of a pointless death.
Dissent vs Support in Putin’s Russia
I do understand that it looks like most Russians support Putin, hence, kind of complicit in his war crimes, but it’s not that simple. Following the same logic you’d have to hold responsible North Koreans, Chinese and most people from the Middle Eastern countries. They also live under oppressive regimes, and it doesn’t look like opposition is doing great in all those countries. How is it different then?
The Chinese government is arguably committing a genocide against the Uighur people and might invade Taiwan anytime, yet Chinese people are not blamed for that.
Palestinians had “democratically” elected Hamas and have been “supporting” it for years, yet they are not to blame.
North Koreans have been “supporting” Kim’s family for over 70 years. The “Supreme Leader” starves to death his own citizens and sends hundreds of thousands to concentration camps. He openly threatens the West with nuclear weapons. North Koreans are considered victims for a good reason, and I don’t see pampered Westerners demanding them to overthrow the dictator.
Western Hypocrisy and Selective Outrage
I’ve already mentioned Belarusians “supporting” their “Bat’ka”. They tried to get rid of him but failed. On paper, he’s still very popular.
I don’t see those who demand another Russian revolution to do the same when it comes to the aforementioned countries. If that’s not double standards, then what is? Calling Russian people “orcs” is a norm in certain circles in the West. Former soviet republics are especially eager to demonize Russians.
I mean, I get it. They did suffer under the USSR, but so did other former republics who weren’t lucky to get independence. Russia is considered homogeneous when it comes to Russophobia. Everyone is responsible: everyone is “orc” just because they have a Russian passport.
The Naivety of Western Expectations
My point is: people in the West don’t get to see how many opposition efforts in Russia go unnoticed. Many naive Westerners believe that if you just go protesting, Putin will suddenly realise that he’s not popular anymore and will step down. It’s not your gay pride parades where you risk nothing. In countries like Russia protesters are beaten, imprisoned and even killed-literally. You can get arrested for holding a blank piece of paper in public, I’m not even exaggerating.
Despite all of this, there are still enough brave people who risk everything to change the system. Most of them don’t get any attention. If there’s an anti-government protest with thousands of people, the state media will either claim it was a few hundred fooled teenagers, or won’t cover it at all. Only the most significant protests, that can’t be covered up, are seen in the West. The government would downplay its significance and, of course, blame the West for sponsoring it.
Historical Misinterpretations of Eastern Europe
People from former soviet republics, as well as citizens of former Warsaw pact countries, see their independence from the USSR as an example of breaking free from totalitarianism. They think they have a right to criticise Russians for inaction. They are so proud of themselves for getting rid of communism. The thing is: they just got lucky.
They got their independence not because they were especially courageous, but only because the USSR was about to collapse. It simply didn’t have enough resources to control them anymore. The Eastern Bloc countries became out of Moscow’s reach. Up until 1989 all attempts to escape USSR influence were crushed by the Soviet military. Even the Berlin wall stood up until the same year. It perfectly corresponds with the end Afghan war. The USSR was hopelessly weakened after the long war in Afghanistan.
From 1991-1999 Russian people had to deal the consequences of the USSR’s collapse. It was a hard period of time, and I vividly remember it myself. It even has a name “Лихие 90-ые” which can be interpreted in English as “the chaotic 90s.” This phrase refers to the tumultuous events and rapid changes that occurred during the 1990s. However, that was the only period of time when Russian people could speak their minds openly. As a kid, growing up during that period, I don’t remember any censorship. Everything was about to be changed though.
Witnessing Russia’s Slide Back to Authoritarianism
Putin came to power in 1999, and Russia, slowly but inevitably, started slipping back to totalitarianism. It happened right before my eyes. Our hope for true democracy was lost. In Putin’s Russia dissent is punishable.
My last hope for democracy died with cracking down on massive protests in Belarus. It seemed like Belarusians were about to get rid of their dictator. It didn’t happen though. Putin sent his FSB officers, dressed as civilians, to Belarus to help Lukashenko stay in power. It looked like almost half of the country got to streets, yet it wasn’t enough. Russian opposition was looking with hope at our Belarusian brothers, but nothing happened. The government cracked down on protesters and that was it.
The West’s Illusion of Moral Superiority
If even Belarus people couldn’t get fair elections, what hope do Russians have? Westerns are clueless and naive when demand other people to start revolutions. They say: “we fought for our democracies”. My answer is: “no, you didn’t. It was your grandparents. You, personally, did nothing to enjoy true democracy. You were just lucky to be born in free countries, that’s it.”
Westerns have become weak and complacent. American author and historian G. Michael Hopf said: “Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And, weak men create hard times.”
These weak people, who can’t even define what a woman is, think they have a right to school those who live in dictatorships. They don’t. Not until they prove their courage. Not by pressing buttons or waiving LGBTQ and Ukrainian flags from the safety of their countries, but by fighting for democracy in Ukraine’s trenches.
