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Russians are trying to flee – data from Google Trends

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Re: Russians are trying to flee – data from Google Trends

#851
post #532

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can read the book: Blueprint for Revolution: How to Use Rice Pudding, Lego Men, and Other Nonviolent Techniques to Galvanize Communities, Overthrow Dictators, or Simply Change the World It proposes many interesting strategies and ideas on how to protest in dictatorships. Be subtle, use humor and focus your message on the most common people. Don't call for democracy, free speech or anything like that. You will be…

Some time ago I saw a beautiful conversation in comments for some article about Ukrainian internal political life. One of their famous politicians (and scammer) Julia Timoshenko was jailed for some months and during that time she asked to transfer her from cell to prison hospital, for many reasons and one of these reasons was an injury, hematoma on her abdomen. One of commentators said something like: - How is it pos…

There is a lot of rage going around. Some of it misdirected. It's incredibly hard to have nuanced discussion on the broader internet (HN is better than some places).

All attention is focused on Ukraine. They need all the help they can get. But that means forgetting that Belarusians voted to get rid of Lukaschenko and then were violently supressed. It means ignoring the Russians that are protesting even when they know they're risking everything. I saw a video of a Russian guy protesting alone in Kursk. That's an example of bravery.

I really think the Voice vs Exit[0] thing is very important here. If you can't be heard and can't succeed then you go elsewhere. Both at a personal level, but also at a grand economic level. If all the highly trained people make lives outside Russia, Russia will shrink to become less significant.

I will finish with a couple of short quotes from the book Why Nations Fail[1] (an incredibly dense read, but worth it).

> “NATIONS FAIL TODAY because their extractive economic institutions do not create the incentives needed for people to save, invest, and innovate. Extractive political institutions support these economic institutions by cementing the power of those who benefit from the extraction.” ― Daron Acemoğlu, Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty

> “A businessman who expects his output to be stolen, expropriated, or entirely taxed away will have little incentive to work, let alone any incentive to undertake investments and innovations.” ― Daron Acemoğlu, Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty

[0]: https://genius.com/Balaji-srinivasan-silicon-valleys-ultimat... [1]: http://whynationsfail.com/buy/

Re: Russians are trying to flee – data from Google Trends

#852

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Some of these Russians would go on to make millions, and then the foreign governments would threaten them with sanctions and seizures just the same? Such a ridiculous double standard.

This is absurd. The Russians being sanctioned in Europe are gangster crooks who robbed from their own.

Expatriate Russians all over the Western world are being cancelled by Xenophobes with Ukrainian invasion as a convenient excuse.

It isn't also far fetched that the millions one might make may also get called into question just because of their nationality. The West's politics is further fueling this hate-filled divide; ceding air-time, socio-economic pedastal, and political will to the intolerant amongst us.

Re: Russians are trying to flee – data from Google Trends

#853

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ah yes generated at least 200 years ago and were absolutely untouched during a Civil War and 2 worl wars destroying Europe

Spain was practically untouched during both World Wars. Surprisingly - for an European country - it was one of the few states to remain neutral during the conflicts. [1] [2] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spain_during_World_War_II [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spain_during_World_War_I

You are right. Spain basically destroyed itself between the late 19th century and the early to mid 20th century.

Re: Russians are trying to flee – data from Google Trends

#854

I'm in Istanbul right now, and it's absolutely full of young Russians who've escaped. Random people who don't even know each other are hugging and crying all the time. They've also been treated very well by the Turks. One lady in a hostel was just totally flustered trying to figure out how to accommodate a Russian family with kids at the last minute. Just another eye-witness perspective.

I wish the EU would welcome Russians who flee from Putin, in the same way.

(If young men cannot leave, doesn't that mean more people that Putin can try to force to join his army)

Re: Russians are trying to flee – data from Google Trends

#855
post #146

I managed to escape the country yesterday, had to flight to Egypt of all places, because ALL (even business) tickets were sold out. The recent news is that starting March 6 all international flights are suspended, the trap has closed. The disheartening thing is that even if you never supported Putin, other countries treat you as enemy. I am at Georgia now and banks refuse to open bank accounts to Russians, and I need…

[disclaimer: Ukrainian here] > Older generation (who are pro-Russian) suggested being careful around young people as they may be hostile to Russians, even those who are running away from Putin Of course, instead of even attempting to change your country, where there is no war on its territory, you flee. Why should they be kind to you? > The disheartening thing is that even if you never supported Putin, other countrie…

Do you prefer they stay, get conscripted and shoot you in the head?

Re: Russians are trying to flee – data from Google Trends

#856

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In some way you’re right. But it’s important to note that we haven’t chosen this government, we haven’t chosen this country we live in. I personally lost any hope to change it one year earlier after participating in pro-Navalny protests. Now, I just don’t want to have anything in common with this government. I’m choosing another one. And I’m not going to pay taxes to Russian government anymore

>But it’s important to note that we haven’t chosen this government, we haven’t chosen this country we live in. From my perspective this is the only meaningful change you can make. If my government ever starts getting in my way too much I'll find another one. Voting with my feet literally. We have this luxury as in-demand professionals. Kind of hard for me to empathize with Russian developers when they had decades to…

It’s not that easy to move to the West when the only preoccupation of our governments has been reducing immigration.

Re: Russians are trying to flee – data from Google Trends

#857

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>But it’s important to note that we haven’t chosen this government, we haven’t chosen this country we live in. From my perspective this is the only meaningful change you can make. If my government ever starts getting in my way too much I'll find another one. Voting with my feet literally. We have this luxury as in-demand professionals. Kind of hard for me to empathize with Russian developers when they had decades to…

As someone who lived under the Islamic Republic of Iran for half his life, what ends up happening with the "voting with your feet" strategy is that the country ends up with a "brain drain". This worsens the situation because the only people remaining are the ones who either had no means of escaping or have been indoctrinated by the government; thus making the change from "within" even more difficult. That being said,…

> what ends up happening with the "voting with your feet" strategy is that the country ends up with a "brain drain". This worsens the situation because the only people remaining are the ones who either had no means of escaping or have been indoctrinated by the government; thus making the change from "within" even more difficult.

But at least you prevent said country from becoming a global threat. Russia minus its professional class would spiral into total irrelevance in a matter of weeks.

Re: Russians are trying to flee – data from Google Trends

#858
post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Everywhere I've seen anyone motivate restrictions on Russian citizens it's been about pushing them to revolt against their government, not about punishing. I don't know whether it makes sense, but it does seem like one of few avenues to try to get rid of putin that has low chance of resulting in atomic war.

Didn't see any revolting Americans when the Iraq War was initiated.

I remember massive protests in Europe at least. --Largest ever-- anti-war rally that go straight to the Guinness book of records.

Apart of breaking a new world record in number of people participating, they were a total lose of time.

All the opposition to a regime gathering together in a street, so can be conveniently netted and arrested like a school of fishes, is just making the life much easier for dictatorships

Re: Russians are trying to flee – data from Google Trends

#859

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Those probably count for as much or more as the rest of the sanctions because they are the things the fat cats use to keep score.

The "fat cats" don't seem to be in charge? Russia is turning into a totalitarian regime.

> Russia is turning into a totalitarian regime.

It has been for the last 20 years or so.

Re: Russians are trying to flee – data from Google Trends

#860

I find it strange that so many people in these threads keep saying things like "go home and fight putin." Imagine if this had been the western response to the German physicists to whom we offered refuge before/during World War II. When the intellectual capital of your enemy is trying to come over to your side, turning them away out of spite isn't "being tough" or "holding people accountable" - it's just counterproduc…

Solid take. We should offer visas with moving bonus for every stem master / phd

And everyone who refuses to serve in Putin's army (then he gets fewer soldiers to attack with)
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