Officials give Vladimir Putin 87% of the vote, in an election where no credible opponent could stand.
  • naturalgasbadOP
    1921·
    3 months ago

    What opposition leaders? What dissidents?

    Two of the top university presidents in the country were taken down after daring to question the common narrative on the conflict in Gaza.

    A whistleblower for a government defence contractor was just assassinated in the middle of legal proceedings against that defence contractor.

    Whistleblowers are hunted after: Assange is struggling to avoid extradition and Snowden is stuck in Russia after being pressured to leave everywhere else.

    Meanwhile, even legitimate presidential candidates like Sanders are given every disadvantage, most notably in terms of (a lack of) funding and superdelegate votes in primaries.

    • _haha_oh_wow_@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      327·
      3 months ago

      What opposition leaders? What dissidents?

      I can’t take you seriously at this point, we have protests here regularly and people speak out against the government like it’s a hobby. To imply otherwise is farcical to say the least.

      • naturalgasbadOP
        720·
        3 months ago

        To the same extent this is true in both Russia and China, yes. Yet, what are their impacts on policy?

        • _haha_oh_wow_@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
          188·
          3 months ago

          To the same extent this is true in both Russia and China, yes.

          No.

          Not even close.

          Neither of those countries have constitutionally protected free speech and they both regularly disappear their people, even in other countries.

          • naturalgasbadOP
            58·
            3 months ago

            Like that Boeing whistleblower last week?

            You’re making it seem like things are so much better here.

            • _haha_oh_wow_@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
              23·
              3 months ago

              I’m sorry, are you trying to suggest that the US government offed a whistle blower for Boeing??? Why would they even do that? To what end?

          • kookaburra@lemmy.ml
            612·
            3 months ago

            Neither of those countries have constitutionally protected free speech

            Article 29 of Russian constitution and Article 35 of Chinese constitution prove you wrong.

            • Holyginz@lemmy.world
              95·
              3 months ago

              Lmfao and I can write on a piece of paper I’m the king of France but at the end of the day it’s just a piece of paper with writing on it and no enforcement. They have it written on the constitution so they can say they have it, but then the ruling party does whatever it wants.

              • naturalgasbadOP
                58·
                3 months ago

                Again, what are the recent policy impacts of this “free speech”?

                I can point to a very clear example of Chinese protests netting real, tangible policy change at the national level: Chinese protests took down Zero COVID policy. This is recent, large-scale, national, and resulted in a real and tangible change in government policy.

                What can you point to in the US over that same time frame? I guess the march on Washington in support of Israel’s genocide?

                • Holyginz@lemmy.world
                  63·
                  3 months ago

                  Again, you conveniently skirting around the point and I’m not going to continue discussing with someone not arguing in good faith.

            • CaptDust@sh.itjust.works
              96·
              3 months ago

              Oh, true! Perhaps someone could remind russki police of that next time they’re being arrested for holding a blank sheet of paper. Y’all sound dumb as hell.