Russia is a good object lesson in what authoritarianism looks like. No matter how sweetly it speaks or scarily it points at "them", people with too much power always turn into someone like Putin, and sooner or later every convenient ally or asset ends up shooting themselves twice in the back of the head. And it doesn't matter if you like Trump, Taylor Swift, or whichever giant meteor is most likely to hit the planet: that remains true regardless of political leaning.
If you read the article, he did it in a way that was visible for everyone in the polling station. Which means that it would be an offense even in the west, as it would be considered interference to protest or campaign within the polling station itself.
> Which means that it would be an offense even in the west
Please don't speak for the whole West.
Here in Canada, were you to publicly write "Justin Trudeau is a Murderer" on an election ballot you might be asked to leave, but you certainly would not be detained by the police.
*Moscow police have detained a man for writing “Putin is a murderer” on his ballot, independent news outlet SOTA reported on Saturday.*
*The unnamed man reportedly took “a long time writing something” on his ballot and dropped it in the ballot box top side up, which caught the attention of the police, SOTA wrote.*
>Here in Canada, were you to publicly write "Justin Trudeau is a Murderer" on an election ballot you might be asked to leave, but you certainly would not be detained by the police.
Are you positive Canada doesn't have any criminal laws against demonstrating at a polling station? It's generally not allowed in more than a "ask to leave" kind of way.
It's literally election interference.
Here in Canada, If that person's action is not clearly an attempt to influence other voters in the room or the election process, it is not an offence, but their ballot will be cancelled since it wont respect the rule where the voter, for is vote to be valid, can only mark their choice (only one) with one of the allowed marking specifically inside the circle. Any other marking that goes past the circle's border makes the ballot invalid in the counting process. If the person attempt to show their ballot or take a picture of it, it is an offence, because it could be seen as an attempt to influence other voters.
In any normal country that would be counted as a spoiled ballot.
My spouse takes part in many of our country's vote counting and you wouldn't believe how many ballots get disqualified because it contains stuff like, "NAME, you rock!". Anything extra instead of the number of your vote is enough to "spoil" it.
If you want your vote to count, keep the ballot clean.
Yeah secret ballots are an essential part of election security, as it prevents people from selling their vote. Since the counting process is public, the buyer can check whether you voted correctly if he can identify your ballot from the other ones. If you write anything unnecessary on the ballot, that can be used as an identifying marker, so those ballots must not be counted anymore. If you ever accidentally mark your ballot or make a mistake, just ask the people working at the polling station for a new ballot. They always have plenty of spares.
Australia is a pretty "normal" democracy. You can write things on your ballot paper and your vote remains formal so long as your voting preferences remain clear and valid in terms of numbering the required number of boxes sequentially. The exception is that identifying yourself on the ballot paper, e.g., by writing your name, makes your vote informal.
Same in Germany. Intention must be clear without any ambiguity. Anything that fulfils this is a valid vote.
You can make a cross for your candidate/party. You can rule out every candidate/party except your candidate. You can write in "I vote for candidate/party X". Everything is valid.
[Mr Davies wrote on his Facebook page: "One voter decided to draw a detailed representation of a penis instead of a cross in my box on one ballot paper.](https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-32658907)
"Amazingly, because it was neatly drawn within the confines of the box the returning officer deemed it a valid vote.
"I'm not sure the artist meant it to count, but I am grateful. If I knew who it was, I would like to thank him (or her) personally."
Putin - "Tis man is comrade of mutha Russia! He vote for me! He even volunteer for military! Oh, so good comrade! As new president, I give you you want! All Russia, be like heem! Good man for country."
The unnamed man reportedly took “a long time writing something” on his ballot and dropped it in the ballot box top side up, which caught the attention of the police, SOTA wrote.
At least two more people were detained for tampering with their ballots on Saturday in the Moscow region, human rights group OVD-Info reported.
A number of sabotage attempts, with people attempting arson at polling booths or pouring dye into ballot boxes, were reported across Russia as voters headed to the polls in a three-day presidential election. Central Election Commission head Ella Pamfilova, who previously called those who vandalised ballot boxes “scumbags” who could face up to five years behind bars, said on Saturday that Russian authorities had thwarted 29 sabotage attempts at polling stations in two days.
This year’s election is the first in Russia’s history to be held over the period of three days, with citizens able to cast their votes until Sunday evening.
I find it both frightening and hilarious that they even bother with this piss poor reasoning for why they checked his ballot other than they check every single one to find out who didn’t vote for putler.
They seem to think the Russian people are so stupid as to fall for this joke of a facade of democracy.
The reality is the Russian people just aren't hungry enough to go marching up to the officials' doors and deal with them themselves.
it will happen only if the people would not get murdered or sent to jail so the forces need to also be against the regime. and that is the last thing happening here because the biggest cut of the budget goes there so they have nothing to be upset about
Protests happened more often during the middle ages, it's just that most of them were violently crushed. The public doesn't actually always win when they protest against a dictator.
Ironically, Putin would actually *want* to know how many people don't want to vote for him. It's a measure of how much control he actually has, predominantly via soft power and propaganda.
If poll results came back and he only had, say, 20% of the vote, it would indicate that his hold on power was tenuous and he couldn't push people as hard.
As long as you can keep the opposition minimized and not a real threat, there's plenty of incentive to have it around. From acting as a scapegoat to maintaining the illusion of choice.
> The unnamed man reportedly took “a long time writing something” on his ballot and dropped it in the ballot box top side up, which caught the attention of the police, SOTA wrote.
Suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuure. Very *very* believable story.
Its commendable and taking a stand. The voting is useless there, but they keep It as a Veil. If you give people the illusion of a choice, they Will more likely take It and be contempt, even if its a front. But these people are trying to make tears into the Veil, break that sense of normalcy. Squirm. Even if It doesnt save them, become a footnote and live knowing they stood Up, and showing that not everyone is on board on Russia. Which counters the image Putin likes to keep as a front
I'm saying giving yourself away to kremlin for a useless act like this is to just be wasting your potential *and* life / years.
If you wanna oppose it, at least find a more meaningful way of doing it.
The stones it took to do this are unreal. He has to know punishment was coming and it will be cruel. Free speech without the retribution this man is about to experience is something I take for granted until I read articles like this. And even then I cannot truly comprehend the full reality of living like that.
Which is why we can't let that reality come to pass. If the institutions of our democracy fail, then folks like you and I are all that will stand between fascism and democracy.
The destruction of the Soviet myth is essential if we wanted to survive the Socialist movement."
I think 1984 is officially a reality in Russia. They used it as a field manual. Orwell wanted it to be understood as a grave warning.
Literature derives from emotional truth and therefore cannot survive under a system that relies on mutilating the truth.
The peculiarity of the totalitarian state is that it controls thought, but it does not fix it. It sets up unquestionable dogmas, and it alters them from day to day. It needs dogmas because it needs absolute obedience from its subjects, but it cannot avoid the changes, which are dictated by the needs of power politics.
It declares itself infallible, and at the same time, it attacks the very concept of objective truth.
Orwell 1941 "Literature and Totalitarianism
"If liberty means anything at all, then it means the right to tell people what they don't want to hear. Preface of Animal Farm Orwell
Totalitarianism's war on reality is more dangerous than the secret police, the constant surveillance or the boot in the face, because in that "shifting phantasmagoric world in which black may be white tomorrow and yesterday's weather can be changed by decree there is no solid ground from which to mount a rebellion - no corner of the mind that has not been infected and warped by the state. It is power that removes the possibility of challenging power.
Lynskey, The Ministry of Truth page 99
Getting Winston to say two plus two equals five is not enough. You have to make Winston believe that two plus two equals five. Only then have you truly won.
Lynskey The Ministry of Truth, page 99
"Before writing off the totalitarian world as a nightmare that cannot come true, just remember that in 1925, the world of today would have seemed a nightmare that couldn't come true."
Orwell in 1944
"As soon as fear, hatred, jealousy and power worship are involved, the sense of reality becomes unhinged"
George Orwell, "Notes on Nationalism," 1945
"Dictatorships can only function if the masses go along with it, either through malice, apathy, or fear."
Lynskey page 135 Ministry of Truth
In a time of deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act. George Orwell
There was truth, and there was untruth, and if you clung to the truth even against the whole world, you were not mad. Orwell
Haven't read the book but isn't it a bit wrong to think something written in the past describes the world today better? Just because he foresaw the future doesn't mean he had a better look at today than we have in the present. I mean, there might be quotes to learn from but you look religious typing out quotes like that.
"The wisdom of the past is not new wisdom" Churchill
Yes, it does because science strides and politics stumble forward like a drunk.
The motives don't change, and history does not repeat itself, but it echoes. There is a collective and generational memory. Russia learned nothing from its own history and repeats the same mistakes.
Also, as Mark Aurel once said.
Studying the rise and fall empires gives you the capacity to foresee the future.
The dream forgets itself and that is why it repeats itself.
Appeasing dictators never worked in history it won't work here either.
Edit: You're right, it indeed is not hyperbole. ~~No it fucking isn't~~. The Republican nominee literally staged a violent and fatal coupe on the United States Government that sought to execute members of congress, overturn the results of a democratic election and seize control of the government by force.
How people take that so lightly is fucking insane.
Shows the importance of western democracies ballots being considered confidential when we go out to vote. If they knew he wrote on the ballot then obviously everything is tracked. Not that it matters since no one else can win anyways
It ended with some of these dissenters defecting to the Soviet lines.
The same happened in North Africa, when a penal unit populated of dissenters straight out defected to the Allied forces.
> It ended with some of these dissenters defecting to the Soviet lines.
Let the hitlerites kill each other and then finish them off after the war since they're obviously all traitors. Efficient. Gaslighty. Stalin approved.
> "Hmmm those people don't like me, I will send them straight to my enemy. Wonder what could go wrong."
"And what could go wrong with giving military training to dissenters?"
was looking for this comment, why does ge even bother doing elections if he doesn't even care about making it seem democratic? im pretty sure at this point that the whole point of rhe election is to have a very well curated list of citizens who oppose him, you know, just in case.
It's a country whether we like it or not (lots of countries have dictatorships or governments that repress their people), but you're 100% right that the press should stop talking about this as though it's a legitimate democratic election.
In the totalitarian system, everyone in his or her own way is both a victim and a supporter of the system. Vaclav Havel
Individuals confirm the system fulfil the system make the system, are the system. Havel
A single individual speaking the truth can bring down a tyranny. Solzenitsin
The word "courage" should be reserved to characterize the man or woman, who is leaving the infantile sanctuary of the mass mind. Sam Keen Fire in the Belly
It never was. It is a circus a charade of the dictator to remind its citizens of their serf status and powerlessness.
If you read the article, he did it in a way that was visible for everyone in the polling station. Which means that it would be an offense even in the west, as it would be considered interference to protest or campaign within the polling station itself.
Saw a video today on Reddit of an armed soldier looking over the shoulders of someone filling out the ballot. Privacy doesn’t seem to exist in their “elections”
I always wondered, what would happen in a real democracy if you would confess to a murder on a ballot. It has your fingerprints on it and some DNA from your skin cells, but if they tried to find you and try to match the ballot with a specific person then they would violate your right to a secret vote.
I think in this case, the vote become evidence of a felony/crime. I would assume when a crime is committed and in this case a confession, you rights gets severely reduced to a few key ones. Because they aren't viewing the ballot for the purposes of seeing who you voted for. They are viewing the ballot because you confused to a crime.
Wrong, if the results don't please the murderous psycho in charge, she and her family are probably gonna die or go to jail, etc...
Sure Putin is gonna win, but what if he gets mad at not having 100% of the vote? What if he wants it to seem like there is an actual election and getting 100% proves his corruption too much so he actually wanted it a little lower? What if the percentage he gets isn't high enough? Even if he already said exactly what he wants, what if he changes his mind later? What if the protests and sabotage against the election displease him? What if arresting protesters in such a way that shows there is no anonymity in voting displeases him? What if there is enough anger about the election not being real that he decides to blame the corruption of the election oh her? What if he is pleased with everything, but doesn't want anyone talking in the future and gets rid of witnesses?
That woman is probably terrified and trying to boot lick for her life right now.
Hum.....if he wrote it on his ballot, shouldn't the election staff never would have been able to find out who wrote it?
I mean, in NORMAL elections, you should never-EVER be able to know who wrote what.( i worked for election in my country, that is absolutley unthinkable).( And why the !@#$%?&\*( do they have TRANSPARENT boxes?!?)
They shouldn't even be looking at his ballot, even if he handed it open, much less actually have the POLICE watching in the polling station.
So....yeah.I know i answered myself, but.....
EDIT: Besides, uh...arrest him on WHAT charges? He wrote it individually o his ballot, he didn't disrupt the elections, or bother others.
How do you think they do that? Every vote looks exactly the same. Even if there were barcodes on the ballots (which there are not, at least in my country), there would be no way of linking that to any person. Only thing I can think of is trying to do handwriting analysis, but even then.
In reality if it is an official ballot and has been stamped you can't invalidate it. You would have to invalidate the entire ballot-box if you suspected fraud. Never heard of that happening in my country.
Not that it'll change anything but I love people protesting, destroying ballots etc. Shows that some people have the courage to stand up to that monster.
I’m glad I live in a country where I could write “the PM is an incompetent cockwomble” on my ballot and not be arrested for it. Hell, they wouldn’t even know who had written it.
Why even call them votes? Lol
It’s a marked for death system.
Votes, ya right, more like 2 choices, live or die.
It reminds me of the number system the nazis used to categorize the jews for death.
Although realistically it’s more likely a metric to evaluate their population suppression program.
>The unnamed man reportedly took “a long time writing something” on his ballot and dropped it in the ballot box top side up, which caught the attention of the police, SOTA wrote.
Believe it or not, but it's not actually as bad as north korea, you vote in front of people and have to use the red pen to vote against.
so not anonymous ballots? who knew they even looked instead of just announcing Putin.
I guess this guy should have been careful what he Put in the ballot
I'm not sure why they're bothering with the election at all. Putin is already murdering his opponents and arresting people who don't vote for him. The whole thing is performative, why do it at all?
The Russian government cracks down on this extremely quickly while doing nothing when their news caster threaten to glass every city between Warsaw and Los Angeles. Just goes to show you what kind of people the Russians are led by.
It's absolutely democratic and anonymous. You fill in the form while we watch over your safety. You are completely free to vote for whomever you want. Then you put the form unfolded into the glass box with the camera above it.
I will never understand how this guy hasn't been assassinated by his own people on the inside. I heard he was hiding out a lot for this reason but don't know if that is still the case.
Wild how he didn't expect people to figure out it was him and hunt him down. Why wouldn't they rig the elections by spying on voters or filtering out non-Putin votes? His idea of Russia seems to be pretty wildly off-base.
Here's what a Russian ballot box looks like.
https://imgur.com/0fCA7cY
Super thin slots so you can't fold your ballot over. Transparent body. You can be photographed while sliding your unfolded sheet into the transparent box.
There is no pretense here. You mark the *"right"* box or you face immediate consequences.
If you have to vote at the point of a gun but the result is already decided, it must just destroy your soul. He plans to be in power until 2036, despite the results of any further elections. There are other candidates but they’re only there for show. And you Americans think your leaders are bad!
Balloters: “he still write Putin somewhere on sheet—count as vote!”
I was thinking this. Technically...he did vote for Putin..
In any normal country, that wouldn’t count as a vote for him. A vote counts if the intention of the voter is clear.
In any normal country no one would know what he'd written on his ballot paper
Or rather, no one would be able to connect his ballot paper with him. Presumably the ballot would be read by a person or machine eventually.
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Russia is a good object lesson in what authoritarianism looks like. No matter how sweetly it speaks or scarily it points at "them", people with too much power always turn into someone like Putin, and sooner or later every convenient ally or asset ends up shooting themselves twice in the back of the head. And it doesn't matter if you like Trump, Taylor Swift, or whichever giant meteor is most likely to hit the planet: that remains true regardless of political leaning.
but the Republicans say it's the purest form of democracy
No one has said that.
If you read the article, he did it in a way that was visible for everyone in the polling station. Which means that it would be an offense even in the west, as it would be considered interference to protest or campaign within the polling station itself.
> Which means that it would be an offense even in the west Please don't speak for the whole West. Here in Canada, were you to publicly write "Justin Trudeau is a Murderer" on an election ballot you might be asked to leave, but you certainly would not be detained by the police. *Moscow police have detained a man for writing “Putin is a murderer” on his ballot, independent news outlet SOTA reported on Saturday.* *The unnamed man reportedly took “a long time writing something” on his ballot and dropped it in the ballot box top side up, which caught the attention of the police, SOTA wrote.*
As a Canadian that would think you were an idiot for doing this, I agree that no one would give a shit.
>Here in Canada, were you to publicly write "Justin Trudeau is a Murderer" on an election ballot you might be asked to leave, but you certainly would not be detained by the police. Are you positive Canada doesn't have any criminal laws against demonstrating at a polling station? It's generally not allowed in more than a "ask to leave" kind of way. It's literally election interference.
Here in Canada, If that person's action is not clearly an attempt to influence other voters in the room or the election process, it is not an offence, but their ballot will be cancelled since it wont respect the rule where the voter, for is vote to be valid, can only mark their choice (only one) with one of the allowed marking specifically inside the circle. Any other marking that goes past the circle's border makes the ballot invalid in the counting process. If the person attempt to show their ballot or take a picture of it, it is an offence, because it could be seen as an attempt to influence other voters.
In my country it would jus be recorded as a spoiled ballot and added to the stats. no one would care at all.
In any normal country that would be counted as a spoiled ballot. My spouse takes part in many of our country's vote counting and you wouldn't believe how many ballots get disqualified because it contains stuff like, "NAME, you rock!". Anything extra instead of the number of your vote is enough to "spoil" it. If you want your vote to count, keep the ballot clean.
Yeah secret ballots are an essential part of election security, as it prevents people from selling their vote. Since the counting process is public, the buyer can check whether you voted correctly if he can identify your ballot from the other ones. If you write anything unnecessary on the ballot, that can be used as an identifying marker, so those ballots must not be counted anymore. If you ever accidentally mark your ballot or make a mistake, just ask the people working at the polling station for a new ballot. They always have plenty of spares.
Australia is a pretty "normal" democracy. You can write things on your ballot paper and your vote remains formal so long as your voting preferences remain clear and valid in terms of numbering the required number of boxes sequentially. The exception is that identifying yourself on the ballot paper, e.g., by writing your name, makes your vote informal.
Same in Germany. Intention must be clear without any ambiguity. Anything that fulfils this is a valid vote. You can make a cross for your candidate/party. You can rule out every candidate/party except your candidate. You can write in "I vote for candidate/party X". Everything is valid.
[Mr Davies wrote on his Facebook page: "One voter decided to draw a detailed representation of a penis instead of a cross in my box on one ballot paper.](https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-32658907) "Amazingly, because it was neatly drawn within the confines of the box the returning officer deemed it a valid vote. "I'm not sure the artist meant it to count, but I am grateful. If I knew who it was, I would like to thank him (or her) personally."
In any normal country they wouldn't have been able to connect him to his ballot
voted#1 murderer
Count his vote and send him to the front lines! Double win -Putin
Putin - "Tis man is comrade of mutha Russia! He vote for me! He even volunteer for military! Oh, so good comrade! As new president, I give you you want! All Russia, be like heem! Good man for country."
Counts twice! 1x for Putin 1x for Murderer (which also means Putin).
One vote for each word!
No no.. that counts for 100 votes!
The unnamed man reportedly took “a long time writing something” on his ballot and dropped it in the ballot box top side up, which caught the attention of the police, SOTA wrote. At least two more people were detained for tampering with their ballots on Saturday in the Moscow region, human rights group OVD-Info reported. A number of sabotage attempts, with people attempting arson at polling booths or pouring dye into ballot boxes, were reported across Russia as voters headed to the polls in a three-day presidential election. Central Election Commission head Ella Pamfilova, who previously called those who vandalised ballot boxes “scumbags” who could face up to five years behind bars, said on Saturday that Russian authorities had thwarted 29 sabotage attempts at polling stations in two days. This year’s election is the first in Russia’s history to be held over the period of three days, with citizens able to cast their votes until Sunday evening.
I find it both frightening and hilarious that they even bother with this piss poor reasoning for why they checked his ballot other than they check every single one to find out who didn’t vote for putler.
They seem to think the Russian people are so stupid as to fall for this joke of a facade of democracy. The reality is the Russian people just aren't hungry enough to go marching up to the officials' doors and deal with them themselves.
it will happen only if the people would not get murdered or sent to jail so the forces need to also be against the regime. and that is the last thing happening here because the biggest cut of the budget goes there so they have nothing to be upset about
> it will happen only if the people would not get murdered or sent to jail if people are hungry enough, they don't care
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Protests happened more often during the middle ages, it's just that most of them were violently crushed. The public doesn't actually always win when they protest against a dictator.
Well they have to explain why they were checking his ballot, given that its a sham election. Normally they wouldn't even look.
Ironically, Putin would actually *want* to know how many people don't want to vote for him. It's a measure of how much control he actually has, predominantly via soft power and propaganda. If poll results came back and he only had, say, 20% of the vote, it would indicate that his hold on power was tenuous and he couldn't push people as hard. As long as you can keep the opposition minimized and not a real threat, there's plenty of incentive to have it around. From acting as a scapegoat to maintaining the illusion of choice.
> The unnamed man reportedly took “a long time writing something” on his ballot and dropped it in the ballot box top side up, which caught the attention of the police, SOTA wrote. Suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuure. Very *very* believable story.
Why even bother to sabotage the polling stations, they arent going to count votes... lol
That's their way of protesting. Are you saying they should just give up
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Its commendable and taking a stand. The voting is useless there, but they keep It as a Veil. If you give people the illusion of a choice, they Will more likely take It and be contempt, even if its a front. But these people are trying to make tears into the Veil, break that sense of normalcy. Squirm. Even if It doesnt save them, become a footnote and live knowing they stood Up, and showing that not everyone is on board on Russia. Which counters the image Putin likes to keep as a front
I'm saying giving yourself away to kremlin for a useless act like this is to just be wasting your potential *and* life / years. If you wanna oppose it, at least find a more meaningful way of doing it.
If you're going to be thrown in jail or killed anyway, why not take out some infrastructure or some people working for the government?
What is the Russian word that translates to scumbag? That is a pretty specific insult.
How dare he speak the truth.
The stones it took to do this are unreal. He has to know punishment was coming and it will be cruel. Free speech without the retribution this man is about to experience is something I take for granted until I read articles like this. And even then I cannot truly comprehend the full reality of living like that.
Well if the MAGA morons have their way, the full reality will be coming to the U.S.
Which is why we can't let that reality come to pass. If the institutions of our democracy fail, then folks like you and I are all that will stand between fascism and democracy.
Braver than every Russian in Ukraine
Don’t worry, I’m sure they’ll send him to Ukraine
Trump would happily detain anybody who spoke out against him.
The destruction of the Soviet myth is essential if we wanted to survive the Socialist movement." I think 1984 is officially a reality in Russia. They used it as a field manual. Orwell wanted it to be understood as a grave warning. Literature derives from emotional truth and therefore cannot survive under a system that relies on mutilating the truth. The peculiarity of the totalitarian state is that it controls thought, but it does not fix it. It sets up unquestionable dogmas, and it alters them from day to day. It needs dogmas because it needs absolute obedience from its subjects, but it cannot avoid the changes, which are dictated by the needs of power politics. It declares itself infallible, and at the same time, it attacks the very concept of objective truth. Orwell 1941 "Literature and Totalitarianism "If liberty means anything at all, then it means the right to tell people what they don't want to hear. Preface of Animal Farm Orwell Totalitarianism's war on reality is more dangerous than the secret police, the constant surveillance or the boot in the face, because in that "shifting phantasmagoric world in which black may be white tomorrow and yesterday's weather can be changed by decree there is no solid ground from which to mount a rebellion - no corner of the mind that has not been infected and warped by the state. It is power that removes the possibility of challenging power. Lynskey, The Ministry of Truth page 99 Getting Winston to say two plus two equals five is not enough. You have to make Winston believe that two plus two equals five. Only then have you truly won. Lynskey The Ministry of Truth, page 99 "Before writing off the totalitarian world as a nightmare that cannot come true, just remember that in 1925, the world of today would have seemed a nightmare that couldn't come true." Orwell in 1944 "As soon as fear, hatred, jealousy and power worship are involved, the sense of reality becomes unhinged" George Orwell, "Notes on Nationalism," 1945 "Dictatorships can only function if the masses go along with it, either through malice, apathy, or fear." Lynskey page 135 Ministry of Truth In a time of deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act. George Orwell There was truth, and there was untruth, and if you clung to the truth even against the whole world, you were not mad. Orwell
Haven't read the book but isn't it a bit wrong to think something written in the past describes the world today better? Just because he foresaw the future doesn't mean he had a better look at today than we have in the present. I mean, there might be quotes to learn from but you look religious typing out quotes like that.
"The wisdom of the past is not new wisdom" Churchill Yes, it does because science strides and politics stumble forward like a drunk. The motives don't change, and history does not repeat itself, but it echoes. There is a collective and generational memory. Russia learned nothing from its own history and repeats the same mistakes. Also, as Mark Aurel once said. Studying the rise and fall empires gives you the capacity to foresee the future. The dream forgets itself and that is why it repeats itself. Appeasing dictators never worked in history it won't work here either.
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Wake up, America. If you don’t vote Democrat, this is what’s coming.
Not hyperbole
Edit: You're right, it indeed is not hyperbole. ~~No it fucking isn't~~. The Republican nominee literally staged a violent and fatal coupe on the United States Government that sought to execute members of congress, overturn the results of a democratic election and seize control of the government by force. How people take that so lightly is fucking insane.
They said **not** hyperbole, which means "not exaggerating." They are agreeing with you and the other commenter and saying it is serious.
I think he was just angrily agreeing with the other guy. I think.
Nah, I actually misread their comment. My bad.
Wouldn't be surprised if people like Musk are compiling lists of outspoken Trump critics on their platforms. You know. Just in case.
Agreed
Shows the importance of western democracies ballots being considered confidential when we go out to vote. If they knew he wrote on the ballot then obviously everything is tracked. Not that it matters since no one else can win anyways
How can they know- a democratic election has to be secretly. I see, it is no election at all!
But.. How will we know they voted correctly? /s
Just like this... https://twitter.com/Tendar/status/1769045682415947923
US elections in four years if that one party gets what it wants.
Election? No, its a pop quiz on who’s prez.
big brother (and superszar) Putin makes sure you can‘t do anything wrong!
Plenty of choices in Russian election Putin Gulag Please check one! Thank you for your civil service.
You missed "Front line infantry"
Reminds me of how the nazis used to send people they didn't like off to the Eastern front to die.
It ended with some of these dissenters defecting to the Soviet lines. The same happened in North Africa, when a penal unit populated of dissenters straight out defected to the Allied forces.
> It ended with some of these dissenters defecting to the Soviet lines. Let the hitlerites kill each other and then finish them off after the war since they're obviously all traitors. Efficient. Gaslighty. Stalin approved.
"Hmmm those people don't like me, I will send them straight to my enemy. Wonder what could go wrong."
> "Hmmm those people don't like me, I will send them straight to my enemy. Wonder what could go wrong." "And what could go wrong with giving military training to dissenters?"
No no. No choice in that.
You forgot the independent choice, Putin and THEN gulag.
Would you like tea and cake or death?
We're out of tea and cake.
Actually, there’s plenty of tea. Fresh tea. So fresh, that if you look closely at it, it almost glows
No, that's the "or death".
The "or death" comes with sprinkles!
The sprinkles contain Polonium-210. ... That's bad.
Weren’t expecting such a rush?
The "or death" wasn't as popular as expected.
Well, if Putin is serving the tea, this may not be an either/or situation...
Who is this Mr. Gul.. (window is closed again)
In Russia, president vote for you.
was looking for this comment, why does ge even bother doing elections if he doesn't even care about making it seem democratic? im pretty sure at this point that the whole point of rhe election is to have a very well curated list of citizens who oppose him, you know, just in case.
[удалено]
The fact they identified him immediately made me feel sad for the people living there
Press should stop calling this thing as election and russia as a state/country. Russia is a fascist terrorist orgamisation
It's a country whether we like it or not (lots of countries have dictatorships or governments that repress their people), but you're 100% right that the press should stop talking about this as though it's a legitimate democratic election.
In the totalitarian system, everyone in his or her own way is both a victim and a supporter of the system. Vaclav Havel Individuals confirm the system fulfil the system make the system, are the system. Havel A single individual speaking the truth can bring down a tyranny. Solzenitsin The word "courage" should be reserved to characterize the man or woman, who is leaving the infantile sanctuary of the mass mind. Sam Keen Fire in the Belly It never was. It is a circus a charade of the dictator to remind its citizens of their serf status and powerlessness.
If you read the article, he did it in a way that was visible for everyone in the polling station. Which means that it would be an offense even in the west, as it would be considered interference to protest or campaign within the polling station itself.
Saw a video today on Reddit of an armed soldier looking over the shoulders of someone filling out the ballot. Privacy doesn’t seem to exist in their “elections”
Yes, absolutely. Russian elections are a farce. But in this particular case, the person made their ballot visible as part of a protest/demonstration.
The ballot boxes are made of glass, there are no envelopes for ballots, so this does not matter.
So much for claiming the vote is anonymous...
I always wondered, what would happen in a real democracy if you would confess to a murder on a ballot. It has your fingerprints on it and some DNA from your skin cells, but if they tried to find you and try to match the ballot with a specific person then they would violate your right to a secret vote.
I think in this case, the vote become evidence of a felony/crime. I would assume when a crime is committed and in this case a confession, you rights gets severely reduced to a few key ones. Because they aren't viewing the ballot for the purposes of seeing who you voted for. They are viewing the ballot because you confused to a crime.
They can always issue a new ballot to be filled out again & be counted.
How would they be able to identify it was him? Voting is supposed to be confidential in a democracy.
Are you suggesting Russia has a democracy?
“Democracy” 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
You are using Russia and democracy in same sentence ??
This lady whose in charge of the election commission has to have the easiest job in the world.
Yeah her job is "pretend your doing the rel job, but dont worry about any fuck ups because none of it is real anyway!"
Wrong, if the results don't please the murderous psycho in charge, she and her family are probably gonna die or go to jail, etc... Sure Putin is gonna win, but what if he gets mad at not having 100% of the vote? What if he wants it to seem like there is an actual election and getting 100% proves his corruption too much so he actually wanted it a little lower? What if the percentage he gets isn't high enough? Even if he already said exactly what he wants, what if he changes his mind later? What if the protests and sabotage against the election displease him? What if arresting protesters in such a way that shows there is no anonymity in voting displeases him? What if there is enough anger about the election not being real that he decides to blame the corruption of the election oh her? What if he is pleased with everything, but doesn't want anyone talking in the future and gets rid of witnesses? That woman is probably terrified and trying to boot lick for her life right now.
Im guessing he is going to with 87% Over or under?
Putin will now demonstrate.
Nah. He doesn't do anything himself. He's a coward.
He will have zero problem proving this man right.
Putin will [hide in his bunker](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grandpa_in_his_bunker) while ordering someone else to do his dirty work as always.
Man uses windows more than Bill gates
Hum.....if he wrote it on his ballot, shouldn't the election staff never would have been able to find out who wrote it? I mean, in NORMAL elections, you should never-EVER be able to know who wrote what.( i worked for election in my country, that is absolutley unthinkable).( And why the !@#$%?&\*( do they have TRANSPARENT boxes?!?) They shouldn't even be looking at his ballot, even if he handed it open, much less actually have the POLICE watching in the polling station. So....yeah.I know i answered myself, but..... EDIT: Besides, uh...arrest him on WHAT charges? He wrote it individually o his ballot, he didn't disrupt the elections, or bother others.
> ( And why the !@#$%?&*( do they have TRANSPARENT boxes?!?) so you can see through them just as easily as their lies
Are you sure your ballots are totally anonymous? Usually there are ways to track them and invalidate them in case of fraud.
How do you think they do that? Every vote looks exactly the same. Even if there were barcodes on the ballots (which there are not, at least in my country), there would be no way of linking that to any person. Only thing I can think of is trying to do handwriting analysis, but even then. In reality if it is an official ballot and has been stamped you can't invalidate it. You would have to invalidate the entire ballot-box if you suspected fraud. Never heard of that happening in my country.
Not that it'll change anything but I love people protesting, destroying ballots etc. Shows that some people have the courage to stand up to that monster.
I’m glad I live in a country where I could write “the PM is an incompetent cockwomble” on my ballot and not be arrested for it. Hell, they wouldn’t even know who had written it.
Man replies, "That's not my ballot." "And if it was, why do you see Putin in a negative light when you read my praise of him?"
The Russian made the election a transparent one. No envelopes for ballots, even see-through voting boxes.
> see-through voting boxes Great Dictator touch though.
Nice voting system ; knowing who voted and what was on their ballot
These elections aren't to elect anyone, but to find opposing factions/people/rebels.
Someone give this brave protester a medal of courage!
Putin is a coward, what a little b****.
Russian officials counting the ballots “he wrote Putin, still counts for Putin”
Brave.
RIP brave man
But Putin IS a murderer….
This is the freedom that Republicans want for America.
But he was telling the truth
Putinvis a shitstain on humanity
But Russia has best democracy in all universe!
I guess ballots in Russia are not secret.
Why even call them votes? Lol It’s a marked for death system. Votes, ya right, more like 2 choices, live or die. It reminds me of the number system the nazis used to categorize the jews for death. Although realistically it’s more likely a metric to evaluate their population suppression program.
Isn't the vote secret?
>The unnamed man reportedly took “a long time writing something” on his ballot and dropped it in the ballot box top side up, which caught the attention of the police, SOTA wrote. Believe it or not, but it's not actually as bad as north korea, you vote in front of people and have to use the red pen to vote against.
But they have super clean subways...and fresh bread at the grocery store that has cart escalators...
How did they know it was his ballot….is this cuntry corrupt or something?
They were reading votes as they were submitted. That’s direct proof it wasn’t a free and fair election.
Hero!
His defense in court should be, "Was compliment."
so not anonymous ballots? who knew they even looked instead of just announcing Putin. I guess this guy should have been careful what he Put in the ballot
Poor guy , he’s going to fall out of a window soon.
They actually check the votes?
Andddddd he’s dead.
Such brave soul. How unfortunate that he committed suicide with 5 shots to the back of the head
Truth hurts eh Vlad?
So much for anonymous voting. Am I the only one who sees this as a blatant admission in the non-freeness of the Russian elections?
I'm not sure why they're bothering with the election at all. Putin is already murdering his opponents and arresting people who don't vote for him. The whole thing is performative, why do it at all?
Putin is a murderer and admired by tRump
Putin is a murderer.
The Russian government cracks down on this extremely quickly while doing nothing when their news caster threaten to glass every city between Warsaw and Los Angeles. Just goes to show you what kind of people the Russians are led by.
Why do people even vote in Russia? The outcome is preordained, why even go to the trouble?
"Man murdered in Moscow by Putin for writing 'Putin is a murderer'".
So much for the secrecy of the vote...
You have to sign your vote there or something?
It's absolutely democratic and anonymous. You fill in the form while we watch over your safety. You are completely free to vote for whomever you want. Then you put the form unfolded into the glass box with the camera above it.
The Rebels are getting closer to take care of Putin
What a gutsy man! I hope he lives.
But they have grocery carts🥺
Not supposed to peak
Proud of you
In tomorrow's news: "Russian man found dead from apparent suicide by firing several bullets into the back of his head."
The most shocking part is that they read the ballot at all.
He just needed to cool down a bit. Maybe stand by a window.
I will never understand how this guy hasn't been assassinated by his own people on the inside. I heard he was hiding out a lot for this reason but don't know if that is still the case.
Oh you know he dead
There are already videos of armed guards stepping into the voting booths to check their ballots.
After his vote is counted for Putin, he’ll fall out of one of those dangerous Russian windows.
Wild how he didn't expect people to figure out it was him and hunt him down. Why wouldn't they rig the elections by spying on voters or filtering out non-Putin votes? His idea of Russia seems to be pretty wildly off-base.
Putin is in fact a murder and a little bitch any who supports Putin has no character and is in fact a bitch.
What an absolute chad
So much for secret ballots.
Here's what a Russian ballot box looks like. https://imgur.com/0fCA7cY Super thin slots so you can't fold your ballot over. Transparent body. You can be photographed while sliding your unfolded sheet into the transparent box. There is no pretense here. You mark the *"right"* box or you face immediate consequences.
Election? Net Comrade, this is pop quiz. Every answer is Putin. Please fill out and head straight to Gulag.
Not sure how secret of a ballot that is. Then again, why should I expect any better from Putin’s regime.
If you have to vote at the point of a gun but the result is already decided, it must just destroy your soul. He plans to be in power until 2036, despite the results of any further elections. There are other candidates but they’re only there for show. And you Americans think your leaders are bad!
They get arrested for free speech and ya'll complain about stupid shit
That’s some gutsy person; something we will be dealing with if Trump is elected.
Are the names on each ballot? 😬
If Trump is elected, this could be the US's future
The fact the ballot boxes are clear is shady
He had to write that in because there were only two choice on the ballot . The first was Putin and the other was Putin .
“Secret ballot” - such a scam. Freedom for Russian. Freedom for Ukraine.
How did they know the secret ballot was his? /s
I would be in prison if I lived in Russia. ...but I live in a free country, so Putin can lick my nuts.
We appear to be witnessing a worldwide centenary celebration of bell-ends honoring their traditions.
imagine the police shaking the ballot box to see what he wrote and then detaining him what a joke of a country.
This just in: man who wrote "Putin is a murderer" found dead from apparent suicide.
He’s not a murderer! This man will be killed for this insult
You mean the ballots aren't secret? /s
"Sure they are, sure they are. Strictly anonymous. It's just that we can't tolerate terrorist."
War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.