Misuse of the word “racist” aside, if you’re generalizing about the inherent qualities of the Russian people, that’s still bigotry. If you’re calling out negative aspects of their laws, government, or culture, that’s not bigotry, that’s constructive criticism. If you’re pointing out the mistakes of their history that’s education to bring awareness and hoodlums prevent recurrence. If you’re calling all speech that is negative in any way about Russia “russophobia”, or “racism”, regardless of the nature of that speech, then you’re a Russian apologist and stooge.
It’s pretty simple: speech that displays mistrust, dislike, or hate for the inherent traits of a people is bigotry. Speech that displays mistrust, dislike, or hate for ideals and actions is just disagreement/politics.
Exactly, this is something most people in the west don’t seem to grasp. Putin is as pro western as it gets in Russia, and the main criticism of him is that he’s not pursuing the war hard enough. If he somehow did get ousted, it’s almost certain that he’d be replaced by somebody far more hardline.
But that is not the case, and you could measure the hypocrisy using cold hard data. Just compare how liberals talk about the USA and USAians during the invasion of… well pick any, vs how liberal talk about Russia and Russians. It’s measurably different by like an order of magnitude. Not to speak of the governments reaction and sanctions and support for weapons. When I see lemmy liberals advocating for donating vast amount of weaponry to e.g. Iran I’ll reconsider. Actually advocating for that is probably illegal where you live though.
Misuse of the word “racist” aside, if you’re generalizing about the inherent qualities of the Russian people, that’s still bigotry. If you’re calling out negative aspects of their laws, government, or culture, that’s not bigotry, that’s constructive criticism. If you’re pointing out the mistakes of their history that’s education to bring awareness and hoodlums prevent recurrence. If you’re calling all speech that is negative in any way about Russia “russophobia”, or “racism”, regardless of the nature of that speech, then you’re a Russian apologist and stooge.
It’s pretty simple: speech that displays mistrust, dislike, or hate for the inherent traits of a people is bigotry. Speech that displays mistrust, dislike, or hate for ideals and actions is just disagreement/politics.
I present exhibit A
https://www.wsj.com/articles/russias-turn-to-its-asian-past-1530889247
Can’t wait till they find out Putin is a lib and the West’s last friend in Russia
Exactly, this is something most people in the west don’t seem to grasp. Putin is as pro western as it gets in Russia, and the main criticism of him is that he’s not pursuing the war hard enough. If he somehow did get ousted, it’s almost certain that he’d be replaced by somebody far more hardline.
But we have to keep warmongering because Slava Ukraini…worked out so well last time
But that is not the case, and you could measure the hypocrisy using cold hard data. Just compare how liberals talk about the USA and USAians during the invasion of… well pick any, vs how liberal talk about Russia and Russians. It’s measurably different by like an order of magnitude. Not to speak of the governments reaction and sanctions and support for weapons. When I see lemmy liberals advocating for donating vast amount of weaponry to e.g. Iran I’ll reconsider. Actually advocating for that is probably illegal where you live though.