This thing about the war in Ukraine continues to shock and dishearten

Everything about the war continues to shock, but I want to continue this specific story. Most Russians — in Russia — support the war. I don’t know the figures, I haven’t seen any official surveys. But the anecdotal evidence is overwhelming. I see these supporters (from my own network!) on my social media, their comments, their slogans, their disappearing stories on Facebook and Instagram (I’m not even sure how they’re able to post, as FB got shut down in Russia, but post they do). I hear about them from my friends. Both of my parents attest — most people in their circle are supportive of Putin and the war. My dad calls it Засрали мозги (brains being shat into). Sadly, even I myself have close relatives in Russia who support this “military operation”, damn it!

I’m not naive. In fact, I can even be forgiving (forgive me for being forgiving). I mean I can rationalize and understand what’s happening. Propaganda is not a new instrument. Though I was a child, I remember well the Soviet years — praising Lenin (who’d been dead fucking half a century!), communism, and so on. I understand, I know that Putin has done an excellent good job of reinforcing his reign through propaganda and fear. I understand how an older person, maybe even a middle-aged person (what’s middle age? I’m almost 42, am I middle age?!) watching Russian TV, sees the world.

However, I struggle immensely to understand why anyone from the younger generation would not oppose the regime. Let me reword — why…