I'm not an ambassador or anyone of even low importance, but I said the same thing multiple times. This goes for every country, the citizens are responsible for their leaders. If the citizens of Russia are happy with Putin or Stalin and their ilk who promote an unabated aggression against the neighbors, then Russia IS a problem.
But if you perpetuate the idea that Russians consistently are bad at choosing leaders and/or bad at making political choices in general, then it indirectly implies Russians are a "stupid species".
Surely Russians are different in some ways, just as any European nation is different, but they aren't alien-level different, and at the very least taking into consideration they managed to win some technological/scientific/military races over the lifespan of their nation, they're definitely enough on par with the rest of the world in terms of IQ.
So the inevitable (and for some inconvenient) conclusion, is that Russians are different due to their geographical and geopolitical circumstances, and not due to any other fantastical and fictive reasons. And that's what I'm arguing from the get go.
All the nations round the world, hold each other to account, for the holding, and production of WMD - i.e. Novichok made by SU(Russia). Used on enemies of Russia, or at least of the current Russian government.
So how exactly are you explaining how a russian weapon, which should be kept under secure control, is now available to some random Russian organisation, that appears to hate people that wronged the current Russian government?
First of all, Novichok is not "a weapon" but "a category" of poisons. Hence, it must have many derivatives, and by no means should be limited to Russian borders. Nobody cared about keeping anything within the boundaries of Russian borders when USSR fell apart.
Second of all, I never proposed the idea that Novichok is in the hands of some rogue Russian group. For as far as I'm concerned, it can be in the hands of anyone, whomever is interested in it and gained access to it, by means that are unknown neither to me nor you.
If your dog kills a kid, you are responsible for the dog, you go to Jail.
That's really stretching it.
Alternatively, there is some random Russian organisation, why is it only using Novichok on people Putin doesnt like? Surely using it on cash security guards, bank tellers, or their kids, would be effective? But no, just people Putin doesnt like.
The main person Putin actually truly didn't like is Khodorkovsky, who had amassed enough money and power in Russia, he might as well could have organized Putin's assassination. There was by far no other person in recent history in Russia who posed that kind of threat level to Putin, and if would have, he would definitely remain low and careful. The supposed "threats" like Navalny live rent-free in the heads of the western MSM, but pose no actual threat to the Russian state within the Russian borders, as they have very few if at all strings to pull. Gaining support of the street's youth isn't really enough to become scary.
Russia went from Strongman(King etc) to strongman(lenin/Stalin) to strongman (Putin). Where are your past presidents? UK has 5 former prime-ministers alive, US has 4? Former presidents alive. Just because your country runs with a Dominance system, doesnt mean its the best system for anyone else, nor is it 'normal'.
Systems aren't created out of anyone's moralistic musings. They're created always entirely out of utilitarian necessity.
And recent illustrations (even though extreme) to this fact can be observed in the outcome of the Arab Spring. You go in removing a "strict regime" you end up with a nation with knives at each others' throats for generations to come.
Systems arise as a remedy to a problem, and each nation faces a different problem relative to its circumstance. One of many Russia's problems, again, come out of its geography.
Also, back to Novichok.
If you want to know how a weapon works, and what it’s designed for, all you need to do is look at its effects and the damage it causes.
Novichok was used on 3 different occasions (in Bulgaria, in UK, in Russia). And in all 3 of those occasions:
- The effect was: The victim survived.
- The damage was: Russia got blamed/attacked for it.
Now that we know the effects and damage Novichok causes, we know the purpose of the "weapon".
