Let me quote a smart person:
“… Ukraine, being the target of unprovoked military aggression, with continuous strikes on its territory for several years, has every right to any form of military response to the aggressor. Period…
… The linking of intensified Russian strikes on Ukraine with damage to the largest Russian online retailer does not hold up to criticism.
Such intensification is solely related to the overall worsening situation for Putin. The goal of the war, which from the very beginning was aimed at the destruction of Ukraine as a state, has not been canceled.
Intensification of strikes on the civilian population is a continuation of the war that Putin has been waging literally since the fourth day of the war. When it became clear that Kyiv could not be taken, Russia began the methodical destruction of Ukraine’s civilian population.
Everything that Russian criminals can reach will be destroyed. The Russian dictator, having long lost touch with reality, sees this as the only way to force Ukraine to surrender….”
This is a quote from a statement by Garry Kasparov.
A few days ago, I wrote almost the same words. And not just me. Because what’s stated is a truth bordering on the banal.
In this regard, it’s interesting to observe the reaction of various “good Russians” and the lamentations of Russian entrepreneurs.
1. I was and remain an advocate of the approach that Russians cannot be generalized indiscriminately. There are many different types of rabble. However, there are also quite a few intelligent, creative, professional people with worthy human qualities.
This is clearly demonstrated by the hundreds of “circles” that descended upon us after the ignitions at Wildberries warehouses. This is almost the first opportunity to massively study small to medium Russian entrepreneurs with sociological precision.
Yes, we observe a wide range of swearing rabble (of which we have plenty too). But a statistically significant number comprises seemingly normal people. They reason sensibly, speak clearly, and express emotions adequately. Moreover, they show the ability to take initiative, act in a disloyal environment, etc.
But interestingly, all these seemingly normal people show not a single sign of readiness to even verbally challenge the cause of all woes – the Putin regime and the war.
They are ready to adapt to even greater hardships, but not to change the general framework. By this criterion, all these good people fall into the category of “biomass” together with the aforementioned rabble.
In Ukraine, small to medium businesses are categorically different. They are vibrant and politically visible. They are one of the true pillars of democracy.
What is all this for?
2. Another facet of the discussion around the smoke in Elektrostal, Krasnodar, and St. Petersburg is the statements from “good Russian” emigrants of various origins. Some attacked Kasparov with criticism, saying that such words could be said by a Ukrainian politician, but not a Russian.
Some individuals express bewilderment – why is the Ukrainian side igniting the warehouses of the trading platform? What a mystery, right?
I am confident that both in the criticism of Kasparov and in the public display of “bewilderment,” these individuals are insincere. They are in a methodologically flawed position: they view the remaining Russians in the Russian Federation as an electorate, and suffering entrepreneurs as one of their target audiences.
The nuance is that there is no electorate in Russia anymore – there are various subjects. They can return to the state of an electorate if the Ukrainian army has enough strength to stand and win.
Therefore, the most logical action for a Russian politician is to help the Ukrainian army in order to have a theoretical chance to engage in politics in Russia, i.e., to fight for power within democratic procedures.
Current politicians in exile are trying to be remembered by Russian citizens as supposed defenders of their interests.
The paradox is that if the Putin regime is retained, flirting with the “electorate” is inherently pointless.
And in the event of Ukraine and its partners’ victory, it is Ukraine and its partners who will decide who is a Russian politician, and who has not understood and needs to reconsider.
