Comment by tharne
5 years ago
That's a much bigger ask than you seem to realize. Overthrowing a dictator is an incredibly bloody undertaking. Even if you win, there's no guarantee that whoever takes control of the country will be any better.
5 years ago
That's a much bigger ask than you seem to realize. Overthrowing a dictator is an incredibly bloody undertaking. Even if you win, there's no guarantee that whoever takes control of the country will be any better.
> Overthrowing a dictator is an incredibly bloody undertaking.
Doesn’t have to be. We did it in Portugal some 50 years ago [1]! I think just four people died.. We have been living in democracy since then, joined the European Union, etc.. So, it is possible..
[1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnation_Revolution
Portugal is only 10.000 square kilometres bigger than one of the Russian's "oblast" (region) I grew up in, and has twice less people living in it than Moscow city residents.
This is why only four people have died. Death toll in Russia in case of a mass revolution would be tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands.
Portugal has 10M people, Russia has 146M, so 4x14,6=58,4.. A similar coup would result only in 58 deaths.. ;)
2 replies →
I think that Carnation Revolution also benefitted from the fact that dictator Salazar, who ruled the country for 37 years, had already been dead for 3 years when it happened.
I am well aware of how big the ask is and it will be bloody either way. Acquiescing to a manipulative tyrant is the more painful option in the long run not only for Russians but also the world.