askchapo

Putin sucks but I support many but not all of his geopolitical goals.

Though I've also heard him referred to as "the guy who stopped shock therapy after he got his", which idk the accuracy of but would probably earn some goodwill among Russians.

Lots of people in Russia like him (unfortunately).

To the extent he's not a total puppet or push-over for the west, a Yeltsin, he's good. To the extent he's still quite weak, still defers to the liberals in Russia and should really be stronger against a west that has irrevocably shown itself with its Ukraine duplicity to be beyond any trust, he is bad and it would be better if someone who had more sense in this area replaced him. To the extent he and his party amplify reactionary culture war stuff he's bad. To the extent he's not a socialist or for the restoration of the USSR he's bad. To the extent he serves the Russian bourgeoisie he's good in the sense that he isn't subservient to the trans-antlantacist bourgeoisie but bad in that he serves bourgeois interests at all instead of the peoples. He's bad but his predecessor was much worse and if the west including seething Russia-hating liberals who are victims of the Russia-gate psyop got their way he'd be replaced by someone even worse.

The only good thing about Putin is that he is a massively destabilizing force to the US global hegemony. Everything else about him sucks. Granted that thing is a big thing, but the only support he deserves is in that specific area.

He's better than Yeltsin, I think that's the reason why people would like him (as you said yourself).

He's little more than any other politician under capital, he's just a little more savvy than most western politicians and a little less short sighted. He's ultimately an opportunist who is only really looked upon favorably by the left because the west couldn't put aside their Orientalism long enough to fully destroy Russia, and turned their biggest ally in the country into their enemy. At this point he does seem a little too burned by the west to ever trust them again, but it is entirely possible he would just side with the west if the west could put their bloodlust aside for just a few moments to wine and dine him. He is an "ally" of convenience to the left I suppose, since Russia is currently the biggest threat to western imperialist hegemony.

I support Putin / Russia only insofar as “the enemy of my enemy is my friend”. As others here have pointed out, his politics are shit, he is socially conservative, he is a bastard. But Russia is also one of the world’s most steadfast bulwarks against NATO, and Putin just so happens to be its long time leader. So, (extremely) critical support.

Same with Iran and the Ayatollah. Judged in isolation, they are shit. But taking their context into account, they are fighting the Great Satan when few others are capable or willing.

The second that BurgerLander and Pissreal imperialism is wiped off the map, the very first order of duty for the respective working classes of those countries is to overthrow their leaders and establish truly revolutionary socialist governments.

to me he is just one more in my long and growing list of ppl who should no longer be alive. I like to keep things simple.

He's a cold-blooded mafioso who cynically panders to terrible reactionary sentiments. He has more popular support in Russia than people portray it as, but that's because people portray it as being like 2% support. You are right that a lot of it was due to him being able to combat shock therapy and build Russia back up after a gutting that killed countless people and reduced many of the rest to squalor. For our part, we should not forget that he started on Yeltsin's side and only changed course based on what got him more personal power.

As another user said, if he takes radical action to support Cuba, I will become a Z poster, but I am pretty sure that he won't.

Russia/Putin only get critical support from leftists because they tend to support the anti imperialist block through trade and weapons sales and by countering NATO.

Putin isn’t doing that because he secretly wants the USSR to return it’s just the position they’re forced into because the west won’t let Russia join as an equal. So they’re in this weird spot of being a capitalist country that would probably be as bad as the US if the had the means but end up being an ally because they’re rejected by the West and don’t have the means to rival the US as a leader of world capitalism.

Material conditions could change in the future though and I’m sure there will be some split down the line between Russia and AES countries unless Russia is able to have a 2nd October revolution.

He’s first against the wall once NATO falls

In my view, Putin is chasing the power of the US and would act just like them if he could. Even if he wasn't, how they treat queer communities over there is unacceptable but thats not uncommon either (whyyyyyy). Religion and capitalism, name a more fucked up duo.

Putin is essentially a proto-fascist. Repression of women's rights, of internal opposition, of actual communists (not the comprador CPRF, those are natsocs at best), of ethnic minorities (recent laws being passed of face recognition of central Asians), of queer rights, neoliberal economic policy, destruction of infrastructure and underfunding of welfare... There's essentially nothing to like, other than his country being selected as the enemy by the west and therefore being forced into an anti-imperialist position (also to a great degree because of the communist legacy).

However one must understand that Putin is simply the consequence of international policy towards Russia. Russian capitalists were more than happy to join bourgeois democracy a-la European state, establish deep economic ties with the EU, and become the happy link between EU and China. It's only American geopolitics forcing Russia away from the EU and demonizing the country, creating massive anti-government propaganda, and wanting it to be a failed state whose vast resources and labour pool can't easily be exploited by Europe and China, and least of all for Russia to serve as a link between China and Europe.

It is this demonizing, constant propaganda, western soft power colour revolutions in the Russian sphere of influence, russophobia in the world, etc. which forces Russian capitalists to adopt authoritarian hard-power, represented by the current Putin. It's just the way an industrialized capitalist economy reacts. We see the shift to fascism in the west now that it lags behind in economic development and geopolitical control. Putin is not special.

It seems like there are some people who remember the 90s clearly and see his achievements as a night-and-day comparison to that; there are the nationalists and the religious identitarians who fully back him ideologically, and there are the plurality of Russians who are either burnt out on finding something to care about, or don't see any competing option that represents an improvement over the current situation. Add in the class dynamics of his compromises, where the tycoons got to keep their stature and good graces in exchange for allowing a social safety net, and you can see how United Russia manages well over 60% every election.

Also he has been overall quite winning over the past 20 years, and people like to line up behind a winning figure.

He’s allied with all the countries that we love, and currently doing what we wish China and Iran would do right now: fighting a war with the USA. Out of convenience? Yes, but we judge people by what they do, not by what they would do. The only thing that really sucks about him is his queerphobia. He and Medvedev are fucking relentless about that. And his deification of the tsar and his family. And his general negativity toward communism. He blamed Lenin and Stalin for the Ukraine War when it began.

He doesn’t really fit into the mold of an American politician at all. Doesn’t fit with the Democrats because of his queerphobia, doesn’t fit with the Republicans because Russia has a better social safety net than the USA, and he’s also closely allied with China. His dealings with regard to Israel and the Gulf Countries are kind of bizarre though.

Nah i don't like him to me hes a lesser evil then the usa only because hes weaker🤷

For a guy who was brought up during the greatest time in Russian history, he always has negative things to say about communism, the ussr, and its forefathers. Really hard to trust this guy

https://www.wilsoncenter.org/publication/pollsters-perspective-the-putin-phenomenon

https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2024/07/02/views-of-russia-and-putin-july-24/

https://therussiaprogram.org/putins_ratings

In short, yes, millions of people in Russia and outside of Russia support Putin. It's generally speaking only relevant to ask "do you like/support Putin?" of people inside Russia, though. Outside of Russia, not even leftists should have an answer to the question of "do you like or support Putin?". It's irrelevant what my preferences are towards an individual person. My role is to analyze specific actions and events, not pass personal judgements on whole persons.

The same is true of countries. Obviously most people in Russia "like" Russia. But what the hell does that question matter outside of Russia? Like it or not, it exists. We can analyze and discuss actions and events. We can even support specific courses of action and even potential future courses of action that have implications for Russia as a state, Russians as a people, the Russian government as an organization, and the various classes in Russia, but just "do you like Russia?" is meaningless for the most part.

You are correct in your analysis that Putin has made huge accomplishments for the Russian people and that is the primary reason he has been able to maintain his position for as long as he has and why he genuinely does have more popular support than most US presidents.

I mean he's perfect boyfriend material so kinda?

50/50