Russia is sick and I hope it gets help soon, but probably won't.
As reported by one of the leaders of the opposition, ironically on the banned Telegram app (https://t.me/DmitryGudkov), the IP blocking has resulted in cash registers no longer being functional at a popular chain of stores.
Russia just put the pressure on Amazon and Google. They are basically forced to decide between keeping one customer or to have other services blocked too. So its actually a smart (sadistic) move in a power game, by Russia.
America, China, Russia... They are all very sick, corrupted, power hungry countries ran by psychopaths. Your brand of psychopath may seem more likeable to you, but that's because you grew up with it.
When Americans are not allowed to criticize their own government without fearing retribution, you can put them in the same group as the other two. Until then, you’re being absurd.
Our countries deal with dissent and criticism in a different way. By discrediting it as fake news, propaganda or any other made up ruse and self censorship by the media who are owned by entrenched interests and ambitious journalists not keen to jeopardize their careers.
RT is attacked and demonized here, Snowden and Assange are still stranded, Poitras, Greenwald and other dissenters are routinely harassed by authorities and whistle blowers continue to be prosecuted and sent to jail. [1]
If RT is propaganda then so is the BBC, CNN and the rest of our media who far from providing checks and balances are notorious for toeing the government line and have a history on cheering on every dubious decision including fabricated evidence for wars, and warmongering just a week ago again on completely fabricated evidence. [2]
You'll be dismissed as a crackpot, and if it was online you can bet it'll come out in the kind of checks that will be performed for high-profile jobs. Those are very real repercussions, they're just less obvious.
As reported by one of the leaders of the opposition, ironically on the banned Telegram app (https://t.me/DmitryGudkov), the IP blocking has resulted in cash registers no longer being functional at a popular chain of stores.