I'll sum it up.
Judging by what's happening, no one hates the people of Russia more than the government of Russia.
@academicalnerd Please forgive my ignorance of Russian politics (and the gloomy nature of this post), but I would like to make a distinction that may be relevant here. Please feel free to ignore or correct me if you disagree; I would love to hear your perspective.
To me, it seems like you are confusing hatred with indifference, which is much worse than the former. I say this, because it seems that Russia's historically consistent problem solving strategy has been "throw copious quantities of human meat at the problem until it goes away", and I see no signs of that being retired anytime soon.
Hatred and persecution are explicit and drive either rebellion or emigration. Indifference is insidious, and allows long term manipulation of a populace. By claiming to care about them, then stoking fears/creating tension, you can lobotomize a whole host of human beings who end up willingly destroyed on the leader's whim, who is, of course, insulated from any and all risk. Those who are not fully indoctrinated end up justifying their indifferent situation as "not that bad", stay well beyond their window of escape, and end up being roped in with the zealots on the ride of a lifetime.
Indifference allows using people like resources, hatred does not (see Jews etc. in "work" camps during WWII they weren't put to work to help the war, only tortured to death in the guise of work). Many of the unfortunate masses in an indifferent autocracy end up believing the leaders are on their side when, in reality, the ruling class is striving to mentally stunt them with state-generated lies to in raise them into human cattle destined for service or slaughter. In the last century, untold millions of your fellow countrymen were frivolously snuffed out like candles by the will of such indifferent but charismatic leaders. I pray your people do not allow this to happen yet again.
It is most unfortunate, but you and your people are not hated by your government. That would be a preferable state of affairs by comparison. You are not considered to begin with, or at best, are thought of as mere pawns on a board. Your misery is but an afterthought, if it is regarded at all outside the context of preventing a full scale revolution.
I hope you end up with a government (or leaders therein) that actually supports - or at least respects the natural rights of - its people, instead of this authoritarian insanity.
Huh. You are on point, and I'll expand a bit. The primary goal of election campaign on TV and elsewhere for the ruling party and the marionette ones is not to make people vote. It is made as cringy and ugly as possible to divert people from voting, because it is then easier to get the right numbers. It was a revelation to me a few years ago but make perfect sense now. People should not (from out politics' stance) decide anything.
It feels like hatred nonetheless, especially when people are beat up on the streets. I hope the tension that accumulated over the past week changes something.
