Thread by @kamilkazani

It's the other way around

Consumption paradise, including foreign travel, is a major basis of Putin's legitimacy:

Consumption options stay = everything's alright
Consumption options limited dramatically = something is wrong

It's a correct message to the Russian public opinion

Any moral or humanitarian criticism of Putin is usually dismissed in Russia as демшиза (demshiza). Reasonable people support the regime and only a few schizophrenics stand against it. Healthy people are too busy with consumption, so only the mentally ill would do anything against

Limiting tourism = limiting the consumption choices of the better-off population. It hurts those who have influence and whose voice may matter. It is sending them a signal that something may *not* be going right. Consumption choice has been limited and will be limited even more

Once again. People are not stupid. They absolutely do have a mental model of how and where it is all going. Limiting their personal consumption choices has a massive impact upon their mental model. And it affects the mental model of pretty much everyone who matters in Russia

Keeping the tourism open, you are sending a signal that everything is alright. Putin's critics are obviously mental. We were dumb to worry about the consumption decrease in February-March. Everything's alright, so don't panic and chill down. That's the signal of tourism going on

Saying all of this, I find it very important to keep the door to *somewhere* open. This should not be necessarily the West. But keeping the door open for those who want to leave is crucial. And they should not be necessarily political activists. Any young person leaving is good

I also regret that no green corridor for Russian soldiers has been opened so far. The deal offered currently is:

1. Stay in Ukrainian prison till the end of the war
2. Then return to Russia, where you'll be carefully vetted

It's a bad deal. That's why so few are surrendering

Organising a green corridor to far away would be a great deal. Because it would give an option of not returning to Russia back. "Somewhere" should not necessarily be the West. It would be also great idea to offer monetary compensations for the equipment/weaponry destruction

It doesn't mean that the Russian army will all run to surrender. But some will, which will impact the mutual trust. Besides, even 0,1% of active hustlers destroying equipment to earn money will have a major effect on morals. They're literally recruiting in prisons now. The end