>Dictator vs. democrat? Not quite: Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny is no progressive hero >Anti-corruption protests swept across nearly 100 Russian towns and cities last week, from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad in the West to Vladivostok in the Far East. They were the biggest demonstrations in Russia since the 2011-12 protests against alleged election fraud. >Police arrested hundreds of protesters and activists, among them Alexey Navalny, an opposition figure and anti-corruption campaigner. Navalny had sparked the protests by releasing a report claiming that Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has built himself an empire of mansions, estates, yachts and palaces.
Aaron Hall
Navalny’s anti-corruption messaging is hitting home — and for good reason. Corruption, while certainly not as ubiquitous as it used to be, is still rife in Russia. A man I met in Vladivostok last year, while we were walking through the city, pointed at a half-built church and jokingly told me the reason they had chosen this particular location to construct it was so that city and regional officials could look out their windows and “ask God’s forgiveness for their corruption.” >The fact that Navalny is a vocal Kremlin critic and ardent opponent of Vladimir Putin has ensured that he has become somewhat of a media darling in the West. He is sometimes hailed as a hero in Western coverage. Time magazine once called him “Russia’s Erin Brockovich.” >What is reported less often about Navalny are his nationalist leanings, ties to neo-Nazi groups, xenophobic comments and extreme anti-immigrant views. References to Navalny’s nationalism in the West are usually buried or brushed off, while the headlines sing his praises. While we seem somewhat better able to appreciate the complexities of politics and political figures in our own nation, we tend to regard Russia in very simplified terms; there’s a “bad guy” in power and we must therefore support the valiant and oppressed “good guy.” Many people hear “Russian opposition leader” and immediately assume this is the person with whom their sympathies should lie.
James Wright
>I’ll spare you Winston Churchill’s “Russia is a riddle…” quote and just say that it’s never that simple. Russian politics is not a clear-cut case of dictator vs. democrat — and Navalny provides a good example of just why we should be careful to avoid oversimplifying events we don’t fully understand. >Many Navalny supporters are extremely anti-immigrant, particularly when it comes to newcomers from the Caucasus and Central Asia. Many see Putin as playing a part in the destruction of the traditional fabric of Russia. Navalny himself has played a role in skinhead marches in Moscow and earned the sympathies of extremists. In other words, if he were an American, liberals would hate Navalny far more than they hate Trump or Steve Bannon — and yet he is glorified and exalted as Russia’s last, best hope. >Navalny has been a co-organizer of the “Russian March” — an annual parade that uses slogans like “Russia for the Russians” and “Stop feeding the Caucasus”. He was expelled from one of the country’s liberal parties (Yabloko) for essentially damaging their brand. One of his former colleagues in that party has claimed that Navalny repeatedly used racial slurs.
Ethan Jenkins
In a bizarre video, Navalny appeared to compare people from the Caucasus(pic related) to “cockroaches” that need to be exterminated. While cockroaches can be killed with a slipper, he says, for humans he “recommends a pistol.” Navalny supporters claim it’s all just a joke. >As with most things Russia-related, conspiracy theories also surround Navalny. Many of his supporters in Russia and the West believe the Kremlin has tried to smear him as a dangerous nationalist and to lock him up on trumped-up charges (he has been convicted of fraud and embezzlement). Others believe Navalny himself is a Kremlin plant, working for Putin as controlled opposition. The latter would seem laughable, but if you were to believe everything you read these days, there’s very few people left out there that aren’t somehow “working for Putin,”
Julian Myers
Kremlin agents will spam this thread very hard
Jacob Myers
I am reporting for my duty. Sage
Jacob Walker
> recognizes Jerusalem as Israeli capital and trying to pacify Netanyahoo
> Moscow 30% Muslim and increasing
> Russia has largest Muslim population in all of Europe and keeps increasing bc Putin loves his Central Asian buddies more than his own ppl
> Putin says Islam is part of Russia's fabric and integral with orthodoxy
> Annudda Shoah for hate speech as islamophobia and genocide denial outlawed
> Most Syrian refugees fleeing to Europe from Assad and Putin's idiotic war caused by them, not from "muh jihad rebels"
Anyone who thinks Putin is somehow the saviour of the white race is an ignorant cuck or a shill
Luis Sanders
its not surprising since Russian nationalists don't like Serbs
Russia's enemies would really love someone like Navalny instead of Putin that would set free the southern regions, possibly give back Crimea, stop supporting Assad, etc., hence the pro-Navalny shilling in Russia's social media (by, say, Ukrainians) and liberal media. Luckily, it's mostly the Russian idiot kids (< 30) that fall for it, and they do not decide the outcome.
David Ramirez
>Moscow 30% Muslim and increasing
Stop lying Ahmed. Also London is 50% non white
Samuel Miller
>that would set free the southern regions Good. They suck off money and bring subhuman pedomuslim races in. Only a fool, kike or shitskin would support keeping non-white subsidy regions, instead of kicking them out >supporting Assad Why should Russian money and lives be wasted on shitskins? Neocohen go. Russia first
Liam Collins
Which shows that there is still much bigger concentration of karelians than elsewhere around the globe.
Try harder.
Brayden Cruz
Interesting
Gavin Morales
Relatively to Russian population in the region, they are a minority
Jordan Barnes
>russians >not liking serbs
its time for you to stop posting
t. a russian
Hudson Murphy
>there are more Karelians in Karelia than in the Congo
?
Robert Martin
Vatniks and bydlos are not Russian
Isaac Clark
I hope you're getting paid for this.
Ethan Ramirez
>Russians or Russian nationalists >liking dark skinned Turkish rape babies
Ryder Powell
...
Colton Carter
>Why should Russian money and lives be wasted on shitskins? Because it keeps our boot in ME's ass. And that's important because half your roads may well be paved with oil instead asphalt. Uneducated dumbass.
Asher Foster
Ever since Olgino I never doubted the power of Russian shills.
Kevin Martinez
Ayyy
Jack Morales
>Salon shills for Putin now, lmfao Just like this board, then
Michael Lewis
I bet these threads are posted by the same raging faggot who kept posting Bogdameme threads for months Sage
