Russia clearly has a problem with skinheads and it has been well-documented. Russia has the largest population of skinheads in the world and race-fueled violence (against non-whites) has been all too common. Again, this has been well documented and is not a fabrication of the "Western media." There are many first-person interviews with skinhead leaders about their desire to rid the country of non-whites (whether you're from the Caucuses or Kenya) and their reverence for Hitler, etc. There is no denying it.
Just because Russia has an "immigration problem" does not take away from the fact that they have a skinhead/white supremacist problem. Regardless of the economic frustrations and perceived crime stats, there are racist and xenophobic overtones to the events taking place in Russia today. Whether it's fueled by general hatred of non-whites or xenophobic tribalism (and there is overlap here), attacking people based on ethnicity is wrong. Period. I don't see why need to bend over backwards to "try to understand" the attackers.
And the whole argument that immigrants cause crime and rape, etc. Where are the stats? "They're raping our women" is the oldest tactic in racist fear-mongering in the book. I guarantee you that most rape in Russia is committed by RUSSIANS.
I don't think anyone here is arguing that Russia is an overtly racist society (although I can't rule it out), but there is certainly a problem with race-related violence in Russia and no amount of justification or historical context changes that fact.
Just because Russia has an "immigration problem" does not take away from the fact that they have a skinhead/white supremacist problem. Regardless of the economic frustrations and perceived crime stats, there are racist and xenophobic overtones to the events taking place in Russia today. Whether it's fueled by general hatred of non-whites or xenophobic tribalism (and there is overlap here), attacking people based on ethnicity is wrong. Period. I don't see why need to bend over backwards to "try to understand" the attackers.
And the whole argument that immigrants cause crime and rape, etc. Where are the stats? "They're raping our women" is the oldest tactic in racist fear-mongering in the book. I guarantee you that most rape in Russia is committed by RUSSIANS.
I don't think anyone here is arguing that Russia is an overtly racist society (although I can't rule it out), but there is certainly a problem with race-related violence in Russia and no amount of justification or historical context changes that fact.