I would have posted this in the Humor Forum but...

[313guy]

They need to modernize to the 1780's USA methods. With the Electoral College he can get 100 percent of the vote!

[Ike Bana]

Originally Posted by 313guy

They need to modernize to the 1780's USA methods. With the Electoral College he can get 100 percent of the vote!

Russians are afraid that if the wrong person finds out that Putin didn't get your vote, you never know when the next smoothie you order at the smoothie counter isn't seasoned with polonium-210.

And then there's the built in Russian apathy regarding who runs the country. It's always been autocrats, beginning in the middle ages with the czars, then in the early 20th century the communists, and since the fall of the communist bloc...Vladimir Putin. Supporting a democratic system of government is just too much work and worry for the Russian people. It's so much easier to just have a tyrant in charge.

[Dondilion]

True that - for the greater part of the twentieth century Russia was led by foreigners...two Ukrainians and one Georgian.

[Ike Bana]

Originally Posted by Dondilion

True that - for the greater part of the twentieth century Russia was led by foreigners...two Ukrainians and one Georgian.

So fucking what?

My post was about the apathy of the Russian people, not about the nationality of those who have ascended to power.

[Dondilion]

Apathy to who rules/leads. Three foreigners for a total of 58 years in the twentieth century!!!

[Ike Bana]

Originally Posted by Dondilion

Apathy to who rules/leads. Three foreigners for a total of 58 years in the twentieth century!!!

That apathy has nothing to do with the nationality of leaders. Perhaps we should have been concerned that so soon after WWII that we had a German president.

The apathy of Russians toward their governance is due to a history going back to the middle ages of their lives being under the control of one sort of autocrat after another. The common people in Russia have been conditioned over the long history of their country, to expect nothing but authoritarianism from those who rule makes the quality of their lives any better. They had their first ten year Vietnam in Afghanistan 1979-89, and they're in the middle of their second Vietnam right now. Did any Russians complain and resist back in the 1980's? Any Russians resisting now? A few who haven't been fed the polonium-210 smoothie yet...but that's about it.

But I understand why autocracy isn't a problem for the likes of you...you're fine with autocracy. Trying to shift the actual issue to leader nationality, it's a strategy from the new seditionist/autocratic GOP. It's bullshit.

People analyze political information in very different ways depending on their levels of political engagement. Scholars argue that politically engaged citizens form coherent cognitive schemas that represent the political world. However, an active and informed electorate is a small minority even in developed competitive democracies where diverse political information is readily available, and citizens’ choice matters. Most citizens do not spend the necessary time and effort to build coherent worldviews. More often than not, their memory contains pools of internally conflicting political ideas. When reminded about an issue by the media, they can retrieve an idea to express an opinion (e.g., support for military spending based on national pride), only to replace it with a contradictory idea when reminded about something else (e.g., criticism of military spending based on personal experience with low-quality healthcare). Autocracies are characterized by even lower levels of political engagement. Due to higher risks, citizens are less likely to engage in civic, online, or protest activism. In addition, due to restricted media freedom and decreased incentives for political learning, they are less politically knowledgeable and motivated.

Propaganda, Political Apathy, and Authoritarianism in Russia

[Dondilion]

German President? You making up stuff. Go and read the constitution. No foreigners for president!

You are the one who mentioned 20th century which indeed has more relevance.

Imagine 3 foreigners, one of which gave away Russian territory to his kith and kin. That is indeed severe apathy. And all three f**king bolsheviks.

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by Dondilion

True that - for the greater part of the twentieth century Russia was led by foreigners...two Ukrainians and one Georgian.

Russia was not led by foreigners. The Soviet Union was ruled by politicians from Soviet Soci@list Republics other than Russia.

Your comment makes about as much sense (and has as much relevance) as saying that for the first 52 years of our country (until the inauguration of John Tyler), the Presidents were all British.

[Dondilion]

Originally Posted by finnbow

Russia was not led by foreigners. The Soviet Union was ruled by politicians from Soviet Soci@list Republics other than Russia.

Your comment makes about as much sense (and has as much relevance) as saying that for the first 52 years of our country (until the inauguration of John Tyler), the Presidents were all British.

More nonsense! The poster referred to Russian apathy. 58 years in the 20th century the Russians abide non-Russian leaders.

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by Dondilion

More nonsense! The poster referred to Russian apathy. 58 years in the 20th century the Russians abide non-Russian leaders.

Apathy? Abide? That's certainly a benign way to describe a society devoid of Enlightenment/democratic ideals ruled by brutal, bloodthirsty murderers beholden to the ideology of a guy born in Trier and educated in Berlin.