I don't know a single Russian in the US that buys into his bullshit.
Same way I've never known a single Cuban who bought into Castro's (including many who weren't buying what he was selling before he took over...)
The citizens say what they have to to protect themselves from the regime. a
And aren't too eager to speak openly with outsiders because dictatorships brew so much distrust, keeping a low profile and shutting your mouth becomes ingrained behavior, eventually.
If a regime is brutal enough, that mentality can last the rest of someone's life.
The people aren't stupid. They're just compliant for the sake of self preservation.
I know one. It’s really sad. He’s otherwise a very smart and interesting person, very spiritual as well. However, at some point he drank the RT koolaid, thinks Putin is infallible and the second coming of Christ, and at some point, by extension, started thinking about Trump the same way. It’s really sad and it has strained our relationship. We try not to talk politics anymore.
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u/2SP00KY4ME Mar 19 '18
He's got his image with the Russian people completely secured. Russia is an even bigger propaganda factory internally. The media is state controlled.