Anecdotal evidence offered by Amb. Michael McFaul

[BootinUp]

Link to tweet

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[maxsolomon]

1. I'm not surprised.

Despots force the populace to have 2 faces.

He is certainly out of touch, but he also doesn't care. He believes he knows what is best for Russia, and that is he correcting a mistake of history: the Soviet Union granting Novorossiya to the Ukraine SSR in 1922.

[Evolve Dammit]

14. Good history note. And we just went through 4 years of same despotism, and he's waiting to

do it better next time. I think we may be in a struggle for humanity and survival very soon. All to restore the glory for a 70 year old sociopath and nationalistic hardliners.

[UTUSN]

2. K&R

[peggysue2]

3. "How Many' are the key words here

How many in McFaul's estimation of personal contacts vs 'how many' Russian citizens needed to change the tide and/or push their own 'King of the World' to back off.

I'm guessing the latter number would be huge.

Still, this anecdote indicates that some accurate info is seeping through because the war-that-cannot-be-named is senseless, tragic in the suffering and death raining down on Ukrainian citizens.

Penetrating Putin's Information Iron Curtain is good news, a first step in crushing this thug's amoral agenda.

[uponit7771]

8. +1, the Russians sound like Republicans who say things in the background except for he Russians

... speaking up means getting killed for real US GZP are just a buncha punks.

[ancianita]

4. Hypersonic Putin doesn't have to care what anyone thinks.

[RipVanWinkle]

5. Wake me up

when the war is over.

[okojo]

6. Republicans would bad mouthed Trump, but not do anything about it..

Along as the Oligarchs and those that have power in Russia refused to speak up, the war will continue.. Speaking out loud, means losing their position of power, or looked upon a threat to Putin.. No one is going to take a chance..

This is common problem in authoritarian governments, much like after the fall of Nazi Germany, we found all these Nazi Party Members, were talking about how there were against the Nazi Leadership, or someone like Albert Speer, stating he was thinking of killing Hitler in 1945..

Putin has to lose the initiative, he has to lose control of the war, or the situation in Russia to see others act.. That is not happening right now, but Putin's saccharine rally in Moscow on Friday, shows more desperation than strength..

[uponit7771]

7. K&R, similar dynamic here in the US; urban / educated equals know Putrid is BS but rural ...

... and less educated support Putrids genocide.

I just thought the internet would equalize this but it hasn't in a lot of countries

[Claustrum]

11. Matter of fact, Internet has had the opposite effect.

It lets the vocal minority to have a place to gather and they spread their non-sense to others.

[Fla Dem]

9. Let me know when the silent resistance is ready to do something to stop Putin.

[Joinfortmill]

10. Putin is on a rampage. I think he got a death sentence from his doctor.

[smb]

15. The Doctor Better Hope He Doesn't Take A Page From Stalin's Book And Return The Favor nt

[Fritz Walter]

12. Tell it to The Hague!

The list of Pootie’s crimes against humanity expands almost exponentially every day. As the atrocities continue.

Meanwhile Mr. Ambassador, someone must tell these sympathetic Russians to do more than just contact you. Otherwise, they’re a pseudo-Greek chorus at a time when the world needs action, not their timid whining.

[SergeStorms]

13. He also has them too frightened....

to do anything about it. Having them imprisoned for 15 years because of demonstrating against the war, or fear of being shipped off to some Siberian gulag for the rest of their lives tends to discourage dissent.

Free and fair elections are a thing of the past, so the only way to remove Putin is for him to die. Let's hope that comes soon. Very soon.

[Cha]

16. Rt 💕🐱‍🏍TY..

💙💛