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Putin claims landslide in Russian election and scorns US democracy (www.bbc.com)

submitted 8 months ago by naturalgasbad@lemmy.ca to c/worldnews@lemmy.ml

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[-] naturalgasbad@lemmy.ca 8 points 8 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.works 18 points 8 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.

[+] naturalgasbad@lemmy.ca -10 points 8 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.works 5 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 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.

[-] freagle@lemmygrad.ml 14 points 8 months ago

Said unironically despite the USA having euphemisms like "extraordinary rendition" and "black sites", within days of a whistleblower being found unalived, while the USA seeks extradition of Assange and can't guarantee they won't kill him, while Manning rots in a cell and Snowden is living in exile.

[-] naturalgasbad@lemmy.ca 3 points 8 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.works -4 points 8 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 1 points 8 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 4 points 8 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.

[-] naturalgasbad@lemmy.ca -3 points 8 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 3 points 8 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 -2 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 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.