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by iudqnolq 1559 days ago
Maybe, but you can't prove that with polls. It's illegal to oppose the war in Russia. The polls everyone is citing were conducted by state TV.

Presuming they didn't just make up their data, imagine you got a call from state TV asking "if you support the special military operation to denazify Ukraine". Your friend just told you they know someone who knows someone who was arrested and charged with oppositing the war for holding up a blank piece of paper in public. Do you tell them the truth?

Edit: Here's an anecdote from Russian social media. A person asks why prices are so unstable. The entire shop looks at the ground, mumbles, and ignores them. Does that sound like enthusiastic support or terror to you? https://therussianreader.com/2022/03/16/dixie/
2 comments
keraf 1559 days ago
It's quite ironic how medias use Russian polls when it sticks to their narrative, and bashes them when it doesn't (i.e. Crimean referendum). We should take them all with the same level of skepticism.
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iudqnolq 1559 days ago
It's a broader pattern where they pattern match words without understanding. Like assuming Patriarch Kirill is some kind of fatherly pope-like figure just because of the title and distinguished beard, when in reality he's an ex-kgb agent who made his fortune as a cigarette smuggling gangster.

I don't think it's about "the narrative" though. I've generally seen these polls used by people who self-identity as against the narrative. These polls are usually posted in the comments section to rebut articles arguing (correctly) not all Russians support the war.

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iudqnolq 1558 days ago
If you look at the details it's also more optimistic than you might think. For example 25% of under-30s support the war.

https://meduza.io/en/feature/2022/03/07/russia-s-tricky-opin...

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