this post was submitted on 17 Mar 2024
809 points (95.9% liked)

World News

38979 readers
2753 users here now

A community for discussing events around the World

Rules:

Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to "Mom! He's bugging me!" and "I'm not touching you!" Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.


Lemmy World Partners

News !news@lemmy.world

Politics !politics@lemmy.world

World Politics !globalpolitics@lemmy.world


Recommendations

For Firefox users, there is media bias / propaganda / fact check plugin.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/media-bias-fact-check/

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] mellowheat@suppo.fi 39 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (10 children)

Why do they bother with this show? Do Russians think they live in a democracy? Who is this for?

[–] SorteKanin@feddit.dk 24 points 7 months ago (1 children)

It's all to keep up appearances. You keep up the propaganda and fake news and some people will be no the wiser. I'm sure there's many who know that this is fake but there's also some who just accept the propaganda.

[–] Eldritch@lemmy.world 2 points 7 months ago

100%. Like how many conservatives in America assume everyone else does or wants the horrible things they want to do. So that basically all of their accusations end up being projection and confessions. There is a not insignificant number in Russia that believes that America is just as dysfunctional as they are. And at Western criticism is hypocritical. They have a point to a small extent. But they are in many ways a bit worse off. Though I may not be able to say that next year.

[–] Socsa@sh.itjust.works 14 points 7 months ago (1 children)

The entire point is to spread cynicism about democracy as a process. That way autocrats can say "look, it doesn't actually matter, voting is as free here as it is in the west." It's not to convince you that they are free, it's to make people question the value of Western freedoms.

The reality is that democracy obviously doesn't work without civil liberties to go along with it. But this is more nuanced than your average person will grasp without explanation.

[–] CapeWearingAeroplane@sopuli.xyz 7 points 7 months ago

Exactly this: I remember meeting some Russians that had moved to Belgium a few years ago, and we got to talking about this topic. These were well educated young people, yet they told me the thing that surprised them the most when moving to Belgium was that people actually cared about elections, and that elections actually mattered. They had been completely convinced that elections in the west were just like the "elections" they were used to from Russia.

[–] zarcher@lemmy.world 13 points 7 months ago

Reminds me of the joker from Christofer Nolan's Batman. If things go according to plan, nobody cares. Even if its clearly fake, keeping up the resemblance of a working system raises less concerned citizens.

The true power of any country always lies with the people. For example, every previous chinese dynasty ended due to civilian uprising.

[–] Blackmist@feddit.uk 13 points 7 months ago

I think most Russians are too busy trying to survive and not get sent to war or a gulag to care which particular despot rules over them.

[–] TassieTosser@aussie.zone 12 points 7 months ago

I was told by a Russian that they venerate beaurocracy. The documents show the objective truth and it doesn't matter that everyone involves knows that the contents is bullshit as long as the process has been followed to the letter.

[–] SevenOfWine@startrek.website 8 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

To force the population to believe the lie. Out of fear or because they have been brain-washed. A test of loyalty.

[–] uis@lemm.ee 5 points 7 months ago

Who is this for?

Administrative machine

[–] itslilith@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 7 months ago

I can really recommend the William Spaniel video on the topic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qf5floG0aP8

[–] Scrof@sopuli.xyz 2 points 7 months ago

Putin seems to be obsessed with legalities. Every day a new law, a decree, a statement. Tonnes of paper just to satisfy his ego.

[–] yarr@feddit.nl 1 points 7 months ago

Why do they bother with this show?

For the same reason millions of depressed Americans will report to their local polling place to choose between two old men in a few months.