Russians are quite decent. Sure they have this silly fixation on "Russia stronk" (...) and they are ruled by a bunch of corrupt bastards
Sorry, Kania, but I think this rules itself out. In my opinion the ruling elites reflect what the society is like (or what the majority of society is like). This goes not only for RuSSia, but all the countries in the world, including Poland.
This war and everything around it has shown that majority of RuSSians aren't "quite decent" at all. RuSSians are ruled by a bunch of corrupt bastards because they are a bunch of corrupt bastards themselves. I had a glimpse of that thanks to my discussions with RuSSians, but what really opened by eyes were all the v-logs on YouTube of RuSSians who left either RuSSia or another part of the "Russkij Mir" and settled in Poland. They've shared observations about their society that made me understand some things. And since I've been raised in "Poland B" I probably understand it better than someone raised in "Poland A".
And that fixation about RuSSia being "stronk" isn't just some "silly" notion that makes them "cute". People die as we speak because of this "silly" notion of those "quite decent" people from a "lovely and quite poetic" country.
They are (...) more sensible than their male counterparts. They are actually what's keeping Russia together (as it is in most Slavic nations, Poland included).
I used to think that too. I also used to think (like majority of Poles probably) that RuSSians are OK and just their rulers suck. Now I understand that I was wrong.
And there everyone sees what they deserve there. ;)
I partly agree, but only partly. Because if you really meet a bastard, sooner or later it will turn out that you've met a bastard, no matter how kind you are yourself.
I disagree both with GefreiterKania and PolAmKrakow. They seem to be extremes on the opposite ends. I'm somewhere in between - I'm a realist. I think RuSSians - because of the way their society is and what kind of people they are - are responsible for who rules them and for this war. Those bright and decent enough among them realise that themselves as you can see based on the jokes that circulate in RuSSia these days. They don't laugh at Putin anymore, they laugh at themselves (here's an interesting interview with a Russian anthropologist about this):
wiadomosci.wp.pl/rosjanie-w-wisielczych-humorach-putin-calkowicie-zniknal-z-dowcipow-po-24-lutego-6835221568346816a
Of course, not all Russians are RuSSians. I've came across Russians who are amazing human beings. They were all anti-Putin, pro-democratic liberals though.
So, PolAmKrakow, you probably should change your social circles as far as Russians go, because there are defenitely Russians who are not only "reasonable or sensible", decent, honest, but who are also wonderful people. You just have to know where to look.