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Well, you got me there, sort of, although I'd say that Russians needed to be reigned in by coercion for the longest time and that Russia could only be ruled by strong leaders who sometimes had to beat Russians into shape.
The important question is, has the Russian developed an ability to think for himself as a result of having to put up with tyrants for so long?
Btw if power got into the hands of the opposition, then they would soon become the oppressors. Or they wouldn't know what to do with sudden freedom/power. It has always been so. The opposition is not really an organic one, it has the backing of the West.
I believe the ending of The Killing Joke applies here. The West is supposedly shining a beacon for Russians, but the latter doesn't want to take the next step, they're worried that the West will turn it off mid-way. They saw what happened in the 1990s when they let the West in, they don't want to see another repeat of it.
originally posted by: twistedpuppy
a reply to: GogolJoker
Why not if given a chance? If the Polish can think for themselves in spite of being oppressed by tyrants for so long, then the Russians can too.
I'm afraid I don't know enough about Nemtsov to offer any meaningful input.
originally posted by: twistedpuppy
I was thinking about someone like Nemtsov or Navalny. Didn't look like oppressors to me.
Besides, I've long had the impression Russians don't want a democracy, they want strong, competent leaders.
The West is supposedly shining a beacon for Russians, but the latter doesn't want to take the next step, they're worried that the West will turn it off mid-way. They saw what happened in the 1990s when they let the West in, they don't want to see another repeat of it.
I was informed by one of my Russian associates that Navalny lacked leadership qualities, but he showed great charisma, used strong words, knew how to attract people. He said: Navalny is a populist, but he was a bad politician and leader.