Except that Russian isn’t a race. It’s an ethnicity, or a nationality. If you think the people are being unfairly discriminated against because of Putin’s actions, there you’re probably not wrong. 🙁
Just as Russian immigrants to this country should not be blamed for the invasion of Ukraine, and Chinese immigrants should not be blamed for Covid, and middle Eastern immigrants should not be blamed for 9/11, German immigrants should not have been blamed for Hitler, Japanese immigrants should not have been interred, etc.
The Russian heroes of space, and many others are very worthy the men of Chernobyl that gave their LIVES to prevent half of Europe from being contaminated.
the Russian people including apparently their own cosmoneaughts that are speaking up in spite of closed news outlets, papers tv and radio ARE Heroes.
resisting aggression is not racism, don't go there. I dont think you have the experience basis
@Dshhh Yes, that same mentality of lying to please the higher ups. The plant manager insisted on running the test even though the results would have been worthless due to the low power from reactor core poisoning. But he wanted the brownie points from being able to say he ran the test anyway.
I don't see that Yuri Gagarin has any connection to the current events. He was actually an ok guy and should not be thought of poorly because of some future dictators actions.
I agree that this is a stupid, virtue-signally move, but it's important to remember that Gagarin journeyed into space in service of the Soviet government, while the latter was explicitly occupying numerous countries and enslaving tens of millions of foreigners. I still think he should be honored because his accomplishments were truly a milestone for the human race -- just as Nazi innovations in rocketry ought to be -- but characterizing it as racism misses the bigger picture.
That said, there have actually been cases of explicit racism against Russians since the invasion started, such as the recent slurry of vandalisms against Russian-owned restaurants in New York. It's particularly disgusting because this kind of behavior buys into the same ethnonationalist ideology Russia's used to justify its interventions in Donbass and Crimea.
@RocktheHouse It’s not russophobia... it’s global contempt for russia’s murderous invasion of the sovereign democracy of Ukraine, and for the lying war criminal putin who leads russia.
SW-User
@newjaninev2 what does any of that have to do with a cosmonaut who has been dead since 1968?
England IS part of Britain, AKA the 'United' (debatable as in the US) Kingdom. Millions of British citizens, sometimes referred to as 'Brits' are NOT English.
@ElwoodBlues Okay, sanctions in Russia itself is one thing. But firing individual Russian citizens who work in other countries, because of their president’s actions ?
If the Ukrainians are successful in repelling the Russians they should never, ever, allow another Russian to set foot on Ukrainian territory. This is the second time Russia has engaged in genocide against the Ukrainians in the past 80 years.
When people declare that parts of the Ukrainian population "are Russian" do they ever pause to wonder what they mean by that? Are they talking about birthplace, geopolitical history, nationalist sentiment, ethnicity/DNA, ancient migrations, dislike of western democracy, what?
What kind of biopsy or brain-probe determines that someone "is a Russian"?
@CookieLuvsBunny When people declare that parts of the British population "are English" I think they are usually referring to place of birth, upbringing, perhaps domicile and/or immigrant decision. There's little chance of geographic ambiguity because England and its borders have existed virtually unchanged for hundreds of years; unlike Russia, Ukraine, or most of Europe. There's nothing particularly admirable about this. It's just geopolitical history, aided by the fact that England's at one end of a long narrow island and has short, easily defended land borders.
The thing about third parties declaring people 'English', 'Russian' etc. is that it doesn't identify any actual persons & ask them how they describe themselves and why. Without those it's political rhetoric.
@CookieLuvsBunny Note that the various parts of Britain do not issue separate citizenships. All - even those calling themselves 'English' are legally just 'Brits'; as I believe even 'ethnic' Hawaiians are legally Americans. (But we don't call you Washingtonians if you're from Honolulu.) Please don't confuse British with English.
Yeah, it seems a bit “propaganda” like to turn on the Russian citizens for the actions of the Russian government. It’s not like the Russian government has a history of lying and intimidating its citizens.
Hmmmmm....Racism or just plain trying to put their noses out of joint? I'm more inclined to believe that it's all about the latter, sweetie!
You get respect by showing respect; if you refuse to acknowledge a country that I feel that they have have the right to refuse to acknowledge them.
Simple! Russia's not being respectful. They feel that they are a big name in the world. How to hurt them? Cut them down to size...to see just how insignificant that they are. Hit their ego.
There's been a variety of hacking of Soviet internet sites and of the media, plus the various reports of telephone calls from the frontline back to families in Russia...plus their own protests....
They truly are the pariah's of the world at the moment...
[@rockthehouse ] i think any wrath towards the russian people should be aimed at the little gremlin in the kremlin and his inner circle . this guy was part of the old soviet space exploration and a hero and legend in this field to help man explore outer space and other planets . in a way it seems a little petty and childish . this thing against russian people is going to far as a lot are against the little gremlin in the kremlins invasion of ukraine
I assume that the same people who call every freaking thing "racist", are also the same people involved in what is known as "cancel culture".
What is happening, it seems, is that ALL of Russia is in process of being "cancelled" by the same people who brought you the cancellation of Christopher Columbus and Teddy Roosevelt.
People do f#cked up shit when a war is on. I read somewhere during WW2 in some towns in Australia they killed all the German Shepard dogs to voice their disproval of the German's...
@bijouxbroussard Extreme, but I wouldn't be surprised it it were true. I remember anything German made had to be hidden away. I was too little to remember, but was told later about how I asked Santa to bring me a toy piano. My mother assured me that Santa probably would, and my father asked her if she was crazy; that even if they were available, they couldn't afford one. She reminded him that my late sister whom I never knew had had one and they had stored it away because it was German made so I had never seen it, but now that the war was winding down it probably was OK to bring it out. So Santa brought me my sister's piano.
this isnt so much agaisnt the private person gargarin who happens to be russian... this is to disrespect russian achievements which is fair game. russia doesnt want to be part of the world community anymore.. so fuck them and their petty state
SW-User
Some people like nothing better than mistreating someone in the name of a good cause.
I'm pretty sure Huxley said something to that effect in one of his novels.
Regardless, this kind of thing is stupid. It implies collective guilt, which only a fool would believe in.
