Man, every time I see videos like that, my heart breaks. Those are actual human beings with families, loved ones, hopes and dreams... (I know Russia does much worse things to the other side, but that doesn't change the feeling. Most conscripts are just brainwashed cannon fodder :()
This is more than misguided. These are serial killers who are invading, stealing, torturing and raping children, and destroying everything they can. There's nothing better than removing them from the world, and a war to do that is a just war. Fuck russians.
Careful. It's these thoughts that lead to worse. They're combatants and as those valid targets that can be killed if necessary.
As soon as you dehumanize someone as like say an Ork, killing them becomes "easy" and may appear as no big deal. As simple as exterminating vermin. (I am using phrases of nazi Germany on purpose here). And just like that you end up being just as bad as them. Yes many of them have done very bad things. That's terrible and they need to be punished. Outside of the battlefield there are courts for this. On the battlefield there are rules of war and if UA wants to join NATO and be a brother among equals with the western civilizations, they need to act and think civilized. I believe many are acting as professional as possible in the circumstances they're in.
Attacking someone for just stating that's terrible a human had to lose his life because of this war is concerning to me. Don't we all want this war to end, Ukraine to be free and whole again? Or are we lusting for as many Russians to be killed as possible? They came to kill as many Ukrainians as possible. Do we want the same for them? How are "we" any better than them if we do?
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
Article 2
Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.
Article 3
Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.
[...]
Article 10
Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.
Article 11
Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defence.
And yes I know a defensive war is the big asterisk on human rights, but neither you nor me are currently in the Ukraine so no need for us to dehumanize Russians.
One can hate the Russian invation without chanting "DEATH TO ALL RUSSIANS!!!" proving Putins faschists claims ...
One can hate the Russian invation without chanting “DEATH TO ALL RUSSIANS!!!”
There is a difference between wishing death to all Russians and wishing death to all Russian invaders. One can and should help every Russian invader be killed or captured. They individually choose, every single day, to help kill Ukrainians defending their homes. Every Russian invader killed means less Ukrainians die.
They can choose to walk west with a white flag above their head. They can choose to fight those who put them in Ukraine. Instead they choose, every single day, to help kill Ukrainians defending their homes.
Even the worst human is still a human. You can't blame a person for lamenting the loss of a human life without losing your own humanity, in my opinion. Empathy saves lives.
Don't be so naive. "Empathy saves lives"? You'd say that out loud to one of the innumerable Russian "soldiers" responsible for those vile crimes as they tried to do the same to you? That's what you'd tell your rapist/murderer in that moment of sheer panic and terror? Are you fucking serious?
Oh. No? Hunh. Seems pretty easy to have such a rosy perspective when it's so distant from your own safe little life. Go figure.
They are not monsters though, they are very human. Doing horrible shit is as human as eating or shitting. I think most people here would do the same thing if they were raised in similar conditions. Most people don't even see (much less care enough to do something about) the injustices going on in their own society.
Most people don’t even see (much less care enough to do something about) the injustices going on in their own society.
For fucks sake, what an incredibly disingenous whataboutism attempt.
Also since you are on about rationalising the actions of Russian soldiers, this is an actual invasion of another country we are talking about. These people are actively participating, whether they wanted to or not. For everyone of them killed chances are innocent civilian Ukrainians will not get murdered by them, have their homes destroyed by them or have loved ones killed or injured by them. You know, the actual innocent victims of this completely unnecessary invasion. Your rationalisation goes both ways.
I don't think that Im rationalizing, more like the opposite and saying that most people are similarly irrational, there's no evil-gene that just they have.
That said, if they take up arms and go to kill innocent people then they obvilusly need to be put down. Similarly to how a dog trained by a dog fighter might need to be put down even if it's just a pawn in someone elses twisted game. So yes these russians have to be killed in self defence until they leave.
All I'm saying is that i always find it a bit rich that people act as if they would always do the right thing in similar circumstance.
That's ridiculous; there are millions of people raised in bad conditions who don't do the same. Humans are inherently pro-social; original sin isn't a thing. They are monsters.
I'm not saying that it's especially bad conditions, more like indoctrinating conditions. It's not like germany had very bad conditions when they started ww2 either.
But if you don't think it's a problem with the society and culture then the only real common denominator is ethnicity. Which kind of means that ought to be genocided when russia eventually falls.
This is pushing it. Sympathy for russian combatants will not be tolerated here, but, calling for the mass annihilation of russians is on the opposite end of the spectrum. Be happy Ukranians are just a little bit safer today. But cheer? No. Too much.
I've been watching the YouTube channel 1420 where they interview people on the streets of Moscow. Many of them are held hostage too. You can tell that they don't want to speak freely for fear of criminal punishment. One guy even said something to the effect of, "Why don't 100 Americans come over here and protest the war to see what happens." The Russian government quells any form of rebellious organization. To take Putin out of power, it's gonna have to come from the top or a sporadic mass protest after a Bloody Sunday a la 1917 Russian Revolution.
Unfortunately their misguidance is putting them in a position where they're there to kill Ukranians, and asking nicely didn't get them to not be there.
If they are so misguided that they were okay with taking money to invade their neighbors and destroy it, then they deserve to die a fucking miserable death. Fuck Russia.
That distinction is completely pointless though. Misguided people murdering people still needs to be stopped, with violence if necessary. And it definitely is necessary when we are talking about them invading another country and murdering its citizens.
Internet ≠ Internet. It’s heavily censored and monitored in Russia. They don’t have access to all the information we do. Plus, all other media are brainwashing them with propaganda. Makes it hard to believe if some website tells a completely different story.
However, there are those who stay informed and don’t support the war. They just can’t do it openly.
Many are literally forced to be there under threat of death or jail.
War is war, Ukraine is doing what they need to, but these are people, and if you told me you would 100% guaranteed not be in Ukraine if you were some random poor fuck who grew up in Russia and got conscripted I'd say you were full of shit. You don't know.
Be thankful you don't have a shitty oppressive government like this and do your part to make sure it stays that way, else one day your kids might be used as pawns and called "orcs".
Oh yeah, absolutely. And I'd feel horrible for the human being on the other side of the scope... I'm talking about the actual human being with a life being killed. Not the politics behind it.
That doesn't mean I'm justifying the atrocities Russia commits or even remotely support their unprovoked attack. Russia is the bad guy, no discussion. But they're still humans and I can still feel bad for the needless loss of human life.