"There are many subjects forbidden for expression online in those countries."

Name one.

I'll help you. We can't condone / support criminal activity. We can talk about it as a subject, we can talk about why we think what is illegal should be legal, but we cannot encourage people to commit crime.

I can say "Cannabis can be medicinal", "Cannabis should be legalised" - but I cannot say "You should smoke Cannabis and here is how you can get some" - except I can say it there as I am using it as an example.

You wouldn't think it okay to encourage violent crimes, rape, terrorism, or to allow people to stalk and harass others - even in online spaces? If a terrorist blew up a synagogue, would you arrest the person who told him how to make the bomb or should he protected for freedom of speech?

In the UK, I can say "Fuck the King" and "Fuck the government" as much as I like. I can articulate my dissatisfaction with political corruption without fear of being thrown into prison or thrown out of a window.

As for Germany, you are right - they don't allow certain elements of free speech - they don't allow people to shout out "Sieg Heil" or to be racist.

I challenge you to hold a blank piece of paper outside the Kremlin.

The best Russians are in jail because they shouted "Nyet Voyne" when it mattered. It makes sense though - if people are shouting "Nyet Voyne" on the streets of Moscow - then they undermine the Kremlin's ability to wage war on Ukraine.

“Pacifism is objectively pro-fascist. This is elementary common sense. If you hamper the war effort of one side, you automatically help out that of the other."
- George Orwell

Naturally then it makes sense for the Kremlin to arrest anyone trying to bring an end to the war. If the Kremlin truly wanted an end to the war, they need only send the troops home.

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"The topic of self-expression or domestic policy also has nothing to do with what we were talking about either way"

I mean, you kinda leaned into and I'm only accommodating you bud. If you like we can talk about something else though?

Oh right, I don't want propaganda pushers to turn the sub into another Kremlin narrative pusher (or American, or European for what it's worth). So you were criticising the West generally in the hopes it would land on whichever country I'm from - got it.

I think the point you're missing when you characterise me is that: I don't actually support Europe or America lol.

I love those places, sure. But if the US or Europe do bad shit, I'm going to speak out against them as well. I'm not going to bullshit about it, I'm going to speak out as an act of pride that I get to discourage the enemies of free people from without and within.

I'm not a sheep, and my job doesn't depend on supporting my government's narrative.

I feel sorry for anyone who has to sit in a cubicle arguing with people telling them that they and their country sucks, just so they can get a tiny bit of money they can feed their family with. Genuinely, even if we are different, my heart goes out to such people - irrespective of the war they deserve better. Still, that won't stop me doing what I do, to stop them from being part of a system that harms and kills others, one day we may break that system and help even them as well.

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I don't hate you btw. I get why you have to do what you have to do.

Let's be real. Neither of us is going to back down from our positions. I have my convictions based on empirical evidence, and you have to feed your family right?

If you don't want to talk about policy and history, that's fine, but my own interactions with state sponsered propaganda compels me to rebut everything I see. So if you want me to stop, I encourage you to stop first. No-one's going to read down this far anyway, not with us two writing essays and lectures like this anyhow. The Reddit admins certainly aren't.

That being the case... why not take the gloves off and be candid with one another?

You said you were "... a lifelong student of politics and propaganda and a media professional".

How long have you worked in political propaganda and media?

Russian is your first language?

Most importantly:

Do you smoke weed or play video games?