Denis is being very naive and confused about the existence of russian opposition

Author: Alona Shevchenko
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I have known @betelgeuse1922 for almost a decade.

We met on a social media network called VK that was popular in 🇺🇦 at the time.

When the full scale invasion began, he called me to say he’d stay in 🇷🇺 to try and fight against this war. As far I know, he’s still in Moscow.

OPPOSITION THREAD
1. My friends from Ukraine have a lot of issues with russian opposition. Alona @cryptodrftng asks very legitimate questions about my perception of Navalny. How can you call yourself Pro-Ukrainian, if you support a chauvinist clearly OK with Crimea annexation?

— Link

I no longer speak to most people from 🇷🇺 and 🇧🇾 that I used to be friends with. I still talk to Denis.

I haven’t read through his 🧵 yet, will add more tweets later, but I’ll say I appreciate the honesty of admitting the hypocrisy behind supporting Navalny 😂

2. I don't have a short answer, just a long one that shows what an incoherent hypocrite I am. My hope is that this thread will help me sort something out. Probably it will make people I like mad at me. Let's go.

— Link

Hold on.

Opposing putin ≠ opposing the system.

That’s the whole problem with this “russian opposition”, Denis.

I’m saying this to you in public rather than DMs because this is VERY important for everyone to grasp.

3. Opposition is a melting pot of very different people, who all together oppose Vladimir Putin and the system he built. Many can say this explanation is inaccurate, but I'd say that's the only point where they can universally agree: "Putin has to be stopped".

— Link

“… the only point where they can universally agree: "Putin has to be stopped"

• this is the issue.

putin is A problem. He’s not THE problem.

The actual problem is the russians.

That’s what they all conveniently forget to mention, Denis.

3. Opposition is a melting pot of very different people, who all together oppose Vladimir Putin and the system he built. Many can say this explanation is inaccurate, but I'd say that's the only point where they can universally agree: "Putin has to be stopped".

— Link

“… vast majority of Navalny's team doesn't care about anything but the fact that this loss will dethrone Putin.”

• EXACTLY

So, they are useless. And not only they’re useless, Denis.

They are damaging to Ukraine.

One big problem of the russian “opposition” (🦄) and the reason why no one should be supporting them:

They keep talking about their heroic “fight” against putin.

putin isn’t an anomaly, but rather the natural outcome of the society that’s incapable of self-reflection. https://t.co/jkU0aXQSG6

— Link

This is NOT an “understandable fixation.

It’s not an “old lunatic… caused a lot of pain”.

Not putin, Denis.

russians. russians did it.

5. This fixation on Putin is understandable - this old lunatic is here for ages and he caused a lot of pain. But it all turned into a very dangerous distortion: thanks to Navalny and his comrades, Putin is portrayed as the final boss while he is obviously just a gatekeeper.

— Link

Repeat after me, everyone:

❗️”Good russians” are just a propaganda failsafe mechanism for preserving the evil empire.

That’s all they are.

6. You can see this in so-called "good russians" - they distance themselves from any problematic moments and find it enough just to hate Putin. Many of them really do not understand, why the world has any issues with them. They are so anti-Putin - what else do you want?

— Link

Denis, what you say is mostly good.

But why support Navalny if russians shouldn’t be treated as special?

Do you not see how he is put on the pedestal for no good reason?

12. Both are deeply flawed. You can't change people by telling them they are fine. And this country needs people to change. To admit they are not special. To face the crimes their nation committed before. To have that "never again" moment of shame and disgust.

— Link

❌ “At the same point you can notice that those entering the 'Navalny funnel' are less susceptible to Putin's propaganda.”

❗️No, they are NOT.

Denis, I don’t know if you noticed but the whole Ukrainian Twitter laughts at Navalny supporters every day.

They are ridiculous.

13. At the same point you can notice that those entering the 'Navalny funnel' are less susceptible to Putin's propaganda. They are ready to go further and maybe (maybe!) see the bigger picture. Following the same flawed path of simplification, navalnists are easier to work with.

— Link

“in these extreme circumstances, you don't have time to be picky. We need to stop the war before going further.”

❗️Mistake again - Denis, you forgot to ask… Ukrainians.

Ask pretty much any well-informed Ukrainian person and they will tell you what they think of Navalny.

18. These guys used shortcuts to get to the major audiences. We use them as a shortcut now. Is it good? Is it ethical? Probably not, but in these extreme circumstances, you don't have time to be picky. We need to stop the war before going further.

— Link

Also - why admire investigations by his team? Why be against russian corruption in general?

russian corruption is GREAT for Ukraine.

It should be SUPPORTED.

#slavatotherussiancorruption 🥳

20. I will support Navalny's fight against Putin, and I will admire the investigations run by his team. I will never stop telling you that they are obsessed with Putin not peace and make bullshit imperialistic excuses.

— Link

No, Denis, @tvrain are not “nice guys”

We hosted a whole Twitter space about it the other day - twitter.com/cryptodrftng/s…

Lots of materials in replies under that tweet.

And here’s your “nice guys” when Crimea was annexed.

✨@tvrain can go fuck themselves ✨

12/ pic.twitter.com/12FAKXElxw

22. @tvrain guys are nice but not reliable. @mbk_center can be easily manipulated. Anyone in russian opposition has a flaw and not the minor one. @betelgeuse1922 - a noname speaking English just because there is no russian audience for this rant.

— Link

Denis, your 🧵 doesn’t address anything. It does whitewash russians with horrible views who don’t want anything good for Ukraine.

You shouldn’t be writing a 🧵 about why you support the fascist asshole who dreams of a more efficient evil empire.

You shouldn’t support him.

There is also plenty of video evidence of navalny's attendance of the ethnic russian marches. Here is a Youtube video compiled from multiple sources along with some translated things navalny's said at the marches. https://t.co/iWuA0IDjFu

— Link

Here's russian opposition in one tweet for @betelgeuse1922 ⬇️

russians during genocides of other nations they carry out themselves: 🙂🙂🙂

russians when they experience a minor inconvenience: 🚨😫😫😫 POOR ME!! I AM A MARTYR! EVERYONE FEEL SORRY FOR ME IMMEDIATELY, THIS IS NOT A DRILL!!!!

— Link

“The "opposition" figures in russia rose to prominence either through populism or direct criticism of putin. None offer real solutions.” - @MuKappa

- The "opposition" figures in russia rose to prominence either through populism or direct criticism of putin. None offer real solutions. Real opposition in russia cannot emerge or survive due to the deeply entrenched views of russian imperialism and exceptionalism. 5/

— Link