if the documentary i watched about Russia after the war in Ukraine is accurate, what the government has done over there is to use classic terror and propaganda tactics on the population to intimidate it into submission.

it's not that a Russian won't agree that Russia is the aggressor in that war - it's that he doesn't have the option to. if most authority figures in a community say that dissent is bad, then it will be socially unacceptable to dissent.

have you ever pretended to not know somebody because they're being extremely embarrassing in public? same dynamic with dissenters. it's both socially and legally risky to associate with them or defend them.

compare to this taboo in Western culture: it's completely unacceptable to befriend known pedophiles or speak in even vaguely positive terms about them. now imagine if it was also illegal to do so.

being accepted by your family, friends and community is a very strong instinct. most people would rather shut up than risk having their reputations tarnished, losing their jobs or going to prison.

these tactics are old and familiar, but even if you understand how they work, there isn't much you can do to resist if you want to stay safe and stay a member of your community. you'd have to be very bold or even crazy to try it.

this is how easy it is to oppress people.