About to go do sleep but read your piece. Thanks! I agree with everything you're saying. However, I feel you're focusing too much on old Russians. We have our far-right monsters here too, who don't mind if mothers are separated from their children at the U.S./Mexico border, etc. Who are okay with selling Saudia Arabia F-15s and ordinance to bomb Yemen (but not give Ukraine the same!)

Anyway, I'm 60. You want to know that too.

The Russians and Ukrainians I care about are under the age of 30. The ones who would be fighting. I watch many videos on the YT channel 1420. I watch Niki Proshin, who I'm sure isn't your protypical Russian. https://www.youtube.com/c/NikiProshin. And others. I watch some of the 70,000+ Russians who have left Russia with whatever they could carry.

I highly doubt 83% of Russian are for the war. My guess is that it's closer to 30%. Sure, that's a lot, but not the majority. 53% know that they can't trust any stranger in Russia. They must play it safe. Even then, I feel one can read between the lines when they're interviewed. Some of their answers are very creative!

Young poor Russians outside Moscow and St Petersburg end up in the Navy. Do you believe otherwise? We both see the same evil.

Except I know it's old people like me. Putin and his old henchmen are like vampires. They want to suck the life out of their youth so they can feel alive.

I'll read some more of your stuff tomorrow!