• communistthrowaway69 [none/use name]
    ·
    4 years ago

    It's important to recognize here though that isn't like some worker's state or something. It's not Cuba. Like most post Soviet states, Belarus went chud pretty much right away.

    It maintains Soviet aesthetics, but it is an authoritarian country in the coherent sense of the word. As in, it just maintains power for a small, self interested elite. If you call them socialist, you'd have to call like Saddam's Baath party socialist. Like it just isn't, it's basically anti left. State owned industries doesn't inherently mean socialist. Pemex in Mexico is state owned and it doesn't do shit for most regular people.

    There's a tendency on the left to be contrarian to Western narratives because it's, frankly, reliable. But the reality is rarely that simple even if knee jerk opposing Western interests basically always is.

    Obviously it's still a candidate for critical support. But heavy emphasis on the critical. No one actually likes Lukashenko, even if they like the opposition even less.

      • communistthrowaway69 [none/use name]
        ·
        4 years ago

        Oh for sure. Reflexive opposition to Western intervention and skepticism of their narrative is just, like, a given. You can do it braindead and basically never be wrong. Short of like ISIS or something, and even then.

        But this is a case where the West doesn't need to exaggerate much. Belarus is one of those countries where cops give you a ticket for driving too slow. It basically fucking sucks.

        Neoliberalization obviously won't make it better, and this is all some weird geopolitical play against Russia, who also fucking sucks.

        Status quo is better than whatever the fuck is being attempted right now, probably. But it's not good right now. Belarus never recovered from the collapse.

        • science_pope [any]
          ·
          4 years ago

          Belarus is one of those countries where cops give you a ticket for driving too slow.

          I mean, compared to the US where the cops murder you while you're asleep in your own bed when they show up at the wrong house, I'll take it.

    • science_pope [any]
      ·
      4 years ago

      Fair enough. Clearly I'm no expert on Belarusian politics or society. I don't think I typically assume that West Says Bad = Good. But it is interesting how reliable, as you say, it is that "authoritarian dictator" is code for "isn't playing along." But I shall endeavor to remain duly critical.