[Andrew_nenakhov]

Belarus and Russian dissidents abroad, seeking a temporary housing while fleeing their oppressive governments, will be delighted by this.

Ban on Belarus users is even more ironic how quickly the world has turned on them: just a few months ago they were welcomed in many places as victims of brutal dictator Lukashenko and his purges, but now they must suffer for not succeeding in overthrowing him.

Madness.

[trasz]

This doesn’t apply to anything abroad, only to Russia and Belarus.

And honestly, anything that can hurt Russia is fair at this point. Including whatever collateral damage.

[Andrew_nenakhov]

It does apply to everything abroad. The version of this announcement in Russian [1] is far less ambiguous, and clearly says: "Гостям из России и Беларуси больше не доступно оформление бронирований на Airbnb." (Bookings on Airbnb are no longer available to guests from Russia and Belarus). This is also corroborated by first hand accounts of people who used the service after fleeing the country.

And no, this doesn't hurt "Russia" (as in Putin's war effort), but it does a great deal of hurt to anyone protesting war.

[1]: https://www.airbnb.ru/help/article/3211/%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B8%D...

[trasz]

Okay, this makes it questionable indeed. On one hand helping Russians fleeing the country is important, on the other hand - this might affect Russians on holidays, who are not fleeing anywhere, and in this aspect is a good thing.

[Andrew_nenakhov]

Some Russian journalist made an inquiry, and reportedly Airbnb clarified that Russian and Belorussian will be able to book via Airbnb abroad, but the statements on their website remains unchanged.

[samhyde69]

So the holocaust was a fair reaction to the Jewish role in bolshevism?

[pvaldes]

Maybe this temporary houses would serve better to fleeing millions of Ucranians that, unlike Russians, had their homes destroyed

[Andrew_nenakhov]

It is curious how you think that one type of victims of same regime is more deserving than the other.

Especially those Belorussians, just a few months ago they were fleeing from concentration camps, where they were tortured and raped, but now the situation is completely different, and the temporary houses they occupy would serve fleeing Ukrainian better.

[pvaldes]

Renting a house is not a right. The house owners can deny the access to the resource to anybody by reasons as having an ugly pet.

But we aren't talking here about a noisy dog, we are talking about giving the keys to your home to citizens from two nations that in the last month had systematically bombed thousands of buildings, set fire and demolished millions of homes.

Have burnt-down thousands of houses like yours. After systematically ravaging them, and often after murdering all the owners (owners like you), and their entire families.

They --could-- be also really nice people but the tenant can't know it (and would be facing still a risk against their property being vandalized by a third actor, because is hosting Russians). You would be buying tickets for a lottery for housing the worse nightmarish guest in the planet. The best outcome for the tenant would be to receive a few bucks.

The worse would be renting your home to possible arsonists, looters, people that could be hiding stolen properties in your property, or even serial murderers. It just doesn't worth the trouble, specially when there is a high demand and plenty of better candidates.

What I'm trying to say is that Airbnb is not a charity. "All the customers should paid the same because moral" is not how companies work. Some customers are more expensive to the company than other. Some carry a too poor cost/benefits ratio.

[nofuture1]

Discrimination is explicitly forbidden by Airbnb: https://www.airbnb.com/against-discrimination

Please remember that even according to the official polls, at least 28,000,000 (20%) of Russian citizens do not support the war.

I feel the need to repeat this in every message: I am a Russian national, living outside of Russia, I do not pay taxes in Russia. I am strongly against war (this or any other). The war is causing massive death and destruction to the country where half of my friends come from, and indirectly to my own country. Regardless of that, I am ready to accept any hate coming towards me due to my place of birth.

Having said that, I am in the position to understand where people are coming from. My late great-grandfather hated not only the Nazis, but all Germans because of what they leaders did to his people. Decades after the war, he still wanted all Germans to die. I couldn't blame him, nor can I blame the rest of the world today.

[Andrew_nenakhov]

Do I correctly understand that you are advocating for a collective punishment of all Russian and Belorussian people, 'because airbnb can't know who of them are murderers'.

So, for example if Airbnb will deny access to black people, because there are violent criminals among black people in the US, you would support such policy, too? If no, I'd love to hear your argument why it would be any different.

You do make many emotional appeals, describing the untold horrors inflicted upon Ukrainians, and to make up for that you suggest punishing my friend who resides in South Africa and hasn't been in Russia for almost 10 years now. She just had her booking cancelled in Kenya.

I would add to the absurdity of your position the simple fact that among Russians travelling abroad, the support of Putin's fascist regime is almost non-existent. (it was high among Russians living abroad, who liked the idea of him projecting the strongman image, but people who really experienced his regime knew better).

[pvaldes]

Again I don't have the 'right' to live in your house. I could buy this right if, and only if, you agree to rent me your property for a fee. You aren't "punishing me" if you don't want me to be allowed in your property. You have the right to do so. Is regulated by law and came with the ownership.

If there is a queue of buyers that look a much better candidates than me, why should you be forced to rent me your home?.

Airbnb can make any policy that they think is good for the company. They aren't a NGO. If you want to use it you need to accept their rules. Period.

Yes, life is unfair. Nobody would keep you from using another platform to rent your house. There is not such thing as the "right" to use the platform.

[Andrew_nenakhov]

You are dodging a very specific question. Airbnb is clearly discriminating against customers based on their ethnicity. What would you say if they'd discriminate against black people or Jews?

Of course, they'd lay out all the arguments supporting their position you kindly listed. Not having blacks is good for the company, why should homeowners be forced to let them in their homes. No-no, it's not punishing, just use another platform.

Would that be ok, or not?

[jeanlou]

Madness indeed