Sure, just stop showing compassion for the average Russian families worried about their sons because their authoritarian leader started a war he cannot win with an army that is at least allowed to tale out their frustration on civilians.
Average citizens and grunts on different sides of a war have more in common with each other then they have with their respective leadership.
That begs the question of who is and who isn't responsible for their state's actions. The US killed hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians in a completely pointless war in 2003. Despite having started the war, the American people reelected their war criminal president in 2004. Are those who voted for George Bush without blame? What about Israelis who for decades have supported parties that prolong the illegal occupation of Palestine? Or Turks, who elected and Islamist fascist as president? If Ukraine wins the war and demands reparations from Russia for all damage it caused, who should pay it? Average Russian families?
Some are brainwashed. Some are fully on board, without any need for brainwashing.
Most are on the path of least resistance, not asking many questions as long as life is ~comfortable, or at least not getting dramatically worse. They kind of like the strongman. And there is always alcohol/drugs.
Added: In general I agree with varjag's assessment. The average Russian family supports Putin.
Summed up nicely. But now they will get some sobering up.
I have little faith that Russian society is going to come out of this war any better. It's a cultural thing. Germany had to be razed to the ground by am external force and millions of Germans had to be killed for the society to ditch militarism. And Russia has nukes.
Yeah exactly. You're the only one inmune to propaganda, it's everyone else who is brainwashed. It obviously couldn't happen to you since you're smart, and "normal Russian people" aren't.
I guess the question comes down to who is responsible for one's own sanity. The individual, the community, or the state? Anyways, I would argue that attributing Putin's popularity to brainwashing is not that solid of a theory. Perhaps Putin is popular because Russians want a strong leader in the wake of previous leader who were seen as weak.
We can't know without better introspection and data to ground the discussion.
Average citizens and grunts on different sides of a war have more in common with each other then they have with their respective leadership.