Thread by @DrJadeMcGlynn

Several people have put it to me that surely, once lots of young Russian men start coming back in body bags, Russians will turn against the war. I am not so convinced. Let me explain why:

Thread 🧵

There are lots of stories of Russians refusing to believe the truth about Ukraine from their relatives, or even their own POW sons. The story below is abt a mum whose son died in 🇺🇦. She responds to his death by arguing that sth went wrong but this means Russia must fight harder

and further. Onwards to victory. Even though she admits not really understanding what the war is about.

I have a son and at first this horrified me but then it started to make a weird, tragic and terrible sense.

Lots of people believe the Kremlin propaganda because it is easier and more preferable to admitting or accepting you are the bad guys. Now, imagine accepting your son died in a pointless war and that he was part of a genocidal campaign?

It is natural, anyone would try to resist believing that, especially when the entirety of the state is offering you a much more consolatory version and when you can’t really do anything about the situation so avenging your son or acknowledging your anger is pointless & dangerous

So instead you become even more attached to the myths and propaganda of brave Russian heroes fighting Nazis. Bc you want your son to have died for something epic, not for nothing, or even worse as part of your country’s genocidal campaign against an innocent people

On a much less profound or emotional level, this same process will happen to many sectors and groups of people in Russia. For example, those who will lose their life savings and business or lifestyle due to the war and sanctions

It is much easier and nicer to accept this loss as a sacrifice, in the name of an epic civilisational fight against fascism, that it is your part in defeating a new Hitler, than to accept everything you ever worked for disappeared because of the sick fantasies of an ex-KGB agent

This is yet another way for the Kremlin, Putin, to make ordinary Russians complicit. They become invested in the lies and in the continuation of this horrific war. Until victory at whatever price and in whatever guise so long as it justifies the loss.

It’d be hard to face reality even with support. So in an atmosphere where the government is terrorising even mild opposition, ppl are unlikely to resist the comfort of lies+myth.

Which is why I think young Russian boys in body bags will harden rather than change 🇷🇺 opinions.