I am in no way defending Russia. As a Ukrainian I am appalled at its government’s actions.
What I am saying is that 2024 Russia is very different from 1917 Russia:
1917: weak government, 2024: strong government
1917: lots of protests, 2024: no protests
1917: class system (if you are born a peasant, you remain a peasant), 2024: you can sell hotdogs then become a billionaire, then have a mercenary force, then be shot out of the sky
1917: widespread income inequality, 2024: billionaires but a Lieutenant doesn’t make 1000x what a soldier in his command does.
1917: mercenary groups are a normal part of life, 2024: they are officially outlawed and unofficially there are only a few.
There are lots of other differences. Again, this isn’t to say that Russia is good or doing good things. They aren’t. But you can’t say nothing changed. That is simply ignoring history. There are similarities in that Russia is still a shitty place to live.
If you want a perspective, check out Antony Beever’s Russia for a history of the 1918 revolution.
What I am saying is that 2024 Russia is very different from 1917 Russia:
1917: weak government, 2024: strong government
1917: lots of protests, 2024: no protests
1917: class system (if you are born a peasant, you remain a peasant), 2024: you can sell hotdogs then become a billionaire, then have a mercenary force, then be shot out of the sky
1917: widespread income inequality, 2024: billionaires but a Lieutenant doesn’t make 1000x what a soldier in his command does.
1917: mercenary groups are a normal part of life, 2024: they are officially outlawed and unofficially there are only a few.
There are lots of other differences. Again, this isn’t to say that Russia is good or doing good things. They aren’t. But you can’t say nothing changed. That is simply ignoring history. There are similarities in that Russia is still a shitty place to live.
If you want a perspective, check out Antony Beever’s Russia for a history of the 1918 revolution.