Alexei Navalny, RIP

Russia's most prominent opposition leader died in prison today, quite possibly murdered at Vladimir Putin's order.

Alexi Navalny. (NA)

 

Alexei Navalny, Russia's most prominent opposition leader, died in prison today at the age of only 47. Given that he was previously poisoned (likely at Vladimir Putin's order), it seems likely that his death was ordered by Putin, as well.

In 2021, after being treated for the poisoning in Germany, Navalny bravely returned to Russia, despite knowing he was likely to be arrested and imprisoned on arrival (as indeed happened). The charges against him were obviously trumped up; his real crime was opposing Putin's dictatorship.

Navalny devoted his life to opposing Putin's brutal regime, despite the grave risks of doing so. At times, he took some dubious positions in order to appeal to Russian nationalists, as with his waffling on the issue of Russia's seizure of Crimea, which he called illegal and unjust, but also said should not be reversed. But there can be no doubt Navalny stood for a vastly freer and more democratic Russia than now exists. Even in prison, he denounced Putin's war against Ukraine and called for the withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukraine's internationally recognized borders (which would require withdrawal from Crimea, as well).

Navalny's views are not above criticism. But Westerners who think he didn't go far enough in his opposition to Putin should ask themselves if they would have had the courage to do as much as he did, were they in his place - knowing the price of dissent could well be imprisonment and death.

It is well to remember that Navalny was far from the only political prisoner in Putin's Russia. Opposition leaders such as Vladimir Kara-Murza and Ilya Yashin remain in prison right now. Western nations should press for their release.

Navalny's death should also remind us of the broader moral and strategic stakes in Putin's war against Ukraine, which Navalny, Kara-Murza, Yashin, and other Russian dissenters rightly condemned. In addition to saving Ukrainians from brutal occupation and oppression, a Ukrainian victory is also the best hope for a freer Russia. The US and its allies can help by such measures as giving Ukraine the military aid it needs, and confiscating Russian government assets in the West, to use for that purpose.

We can also open our doors to Russians fleeing Putin's regime, as many nations have done for Ukrainian refugees. As Ilya Yashin (another opposition leader imprisoned for resisting Putin), urges us, we should not forget that " hundreds of thousands of [his] countrymen left their homes behind, refusing to become murderers on the orders of the government," and should "extend a hand" to Russians who oppose the regime.

 

 

Comments

[Bob from Ohio]

Somin: Sad he was killed but, hey, I can use his death to ride my open borders hobby horse.

[Life of Brian]

Came here to say this. He's gone from unhealthily obsessed to just plain tacky.

[grb]

That’s one perspective; here’s another : Professor Somin consistantly promotes two views : (1) That immigration is an overall positive for this country. (2) The U.S. should consider an ethical obligation to help people fleeing from dangerous and intolerable situations.

The anti-immigration crowd (currently going through one of their red-faced shreiking hysterical phases) says the opposite. Step back to look at history, and Somin’s views are almost always right. Anti-immigration hysteria is almost always embarassingly wrong. You can match the current invective against brown-skinned peoples against earlier screeds targeting the Irish, Italians, Catholics and Jews – often nearly word for word. Guess who was right then? Likewise, the United States has frequently disgraced itself by ignoring the world's most desperate refugees. The ugliest example is the tiny number of Jews we accepted then trying to flee Hitler.

I’m not saying Somin’s passion is my own because it’s not. I’m just saying he’s likely to be vindicated by history; you’re not.

[Roger S]

Somin also promotes the Biden administration prosecuting its political enemies on trumped up charges.

I notice that you only defend European immigration.

[grb]

Gosh! Such a withering comeback!!

Two points :

1. The Biden administration “persecution” is only a MAGA-world fever dream. If they didn’t need an excuse for their idol’s incessant criminality, even they couldn’t swallow such nonsense.

2. Since I specifically said the current anti-immigrant hysteria against non-Europeans was equally wrong as the past anti-immigrant hysteria against Europeans, you “notice” very poorly. Perhaps your local library offers an adult course on reading comprehension?

[Roger S]

But you did not defend bringing in non-Europeans in the past, such as bringing in Black Africans.

[grb]

"Bringing in Black Africans" is its own special case, don't ya think? However, it it helps to clarify matters, I'll note that the anti-immigrant hysteria against the Chinese and Japanese was equally wrong (and has been proved so over time) as the other examples I gave.

[Life of Brian]

Lots of words, none addressing my point of Somin pouncing on an unfortunate and likely reprehensible death as an excuse -- as if he needs one! -- to write yet another pro-migration screed.

The crass exploitation is compounded by not even waiting for Navalny's body to cool.

[grb]

Life of Brian : ” …. crass exploitation …. (whatever)”

Four Points :

1. I apologize if my lack of brevity upset you.
2. I expect the Alexi Navalny’s body cooled quick in Siberia.
3. “Crass exploitation” is rich coming from a wingnut. Isn’t that your wheelhouse?
4. Somin should have waited until the “thoughts & prayers” phase ended?

[Life of Brian]

Somin should have waited until the “thoughts & prayers” phase ended?

Or, better yet, should have just skipped it altogether.

Your "thoughts and prayers" barb presumes that advocating for free migration somehow would have saved the life of a man who voluntarily returned to his home country. That's even dumber than the typical OMG Gun Contwol reflex you're alluding to.

[grb]

My “thoughts and prayers” barb refered to the Right's hypocrisy in claiming some issues can't be discussed at certain times. You see it most frequently after the lastest gun massacre but your responses seemed to be recycling that tired old shtick here.

[Dr. Ed 2]

We paid an incredibly high price, in terms of both treasure and American lives, to free the Russian people — and in 1992, they WERE free…

It’s not our fault that they let a schmuck like Putin steal their freedom from them, and I say “too bad” — “deal with you own problems on your own land.”

After all we did — and we still haven’t recovered from the angst of Vietnam — to say that we owe the Soviet people *anything* as asinine. Fuck them.

Seriously, fuck them — if they want to live as slaves, let them. If they aren’t going to stand up and defend freedom in their own land, freedom that we gave them, then they’d never do it here either and WE DON’T WANT THEM!!!

[Nige]

If it weren't for stolen valour, you'd have no valour at all.

[Krayt]

I wonder what Sucker Carlson will say, if anything. Maybe their internal politics are none of our business?

[grb]

The whoring clown has already checked-in on the subject with remarkable prescience. On 12Feb, Tucker was asked specifically about Navalny. He responded, “Leadership requires killing people”.

It’s probably unfair to think his bud Putin tipped him the wink, but damn if that doesn’t seem the case.

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

I figured you were kidding. It appears you were not.

Tucker Carlson and his right-wing allies can't be rendered irrelevant (by the continuing march of progress, involving better Americans shaping our national improvement against the wishes of conservatives) too soon.

[grb]

Nope; actual quote to an actual question that specifically raised the issue of Navalny.

[hobie]

Godalmighty I thought he had made it up too. Deplorables...every one of them

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

That deplorability is no problem that replacement isn't already solving.

Thank goodness for the modern American culture war -- and for the consequences it imposes on downscale, bigoted, un-American conservatives and their stale, ugly thinking.

[jimc5499]

Brain bleed. 9mm brain bleed.

[Doug Heffernan]

He was quite brave and it is quite sad.

Support for Ukraine is a bargain for the US and the rest of the west. Although I think confiscating Russian assets would be a mistake because doing so would undermine the United States' primary industry, hard currency.

[Á àß äẞç ãþÇđ âÞ¢Đæ ǎB€Ðëf ảhf]

You'll have to define "bargain for the US and the rest of the west" a little more clearly. I despise Putin and his invasions, but I cannot do anything about them. I also despise the kleptocrats who steal my money to send to the corruptocrats in Ukraine. Even if the Ukraine regime were only as corrupt as the US regime, I'd still say "hands off", because theft is theft. I might send some money their way if it were strictly my choice, and I might not; they'd have to earn it.

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

.

I also despise the kleptocrats who steal my money to send to the corruptocrats in Ukraine

'Taxation is theft' kooks are among my favorite culture war casualties, especially when they are bigoted, disaffected right-wing write-offs.

[Snorkle]

They mostly reside in states that suck on the public teat.

I'm personally in favor of giving them exactly what they ask for. They can pay for their own roads. No more farmer welfare, just yank on those bootstraps, rugged individualists don't need price supports, right?

I almost respect the Sovereign Citizen types more. Just as confused and small-minded, but much less cowardly.

[Á àß äẞç ãþÇđ âÞ¢Đæ ǎB€Ðëf ảhf]

I'd be ecstatic over that. I'd have a ton of money left over, with better infrastructure, and you clowns would be scared to death of stepping foot in the place.

[Dr. Ed 2]

What would happen if you ended "farmer welfare" is that a lot of blue state corporations would go bankrupt.

If we ever went back to the Articles of Confederation when states could tax interstate commerce, you'd find that a lot of blue cities would be in serious trouble because they are rich because they manage banking, insurance and similar things in the red states.

And even forgetting through-state traffic, if states were able to charge export duties on food, fuel, & natural resources -- which they did during the Articles of Confederation, blue states would be screwed.

So be careful what you ask for.

[NOVA Lawyer]

You don't understand "farmer welfare." It is farmer welfare and it is a huge wealth transfer from blue states to red farm states. Yes, corporations are lined up at the gravy train, but there are a lot of individual farmers made millionaires on the backs of US tax payers.

[Don Nico]

Red states like California that put 25% of America's food on the table.

But seriously if you forget the blue-red crappola, that assistance makes food considerably cheaper for all Americans.

[grb]

Á àß äẞç ãþÇđ âÞ¢Đæ ǎB€Ðëf ảhf : "...they’d have to earn it"

I guess dying by the scores of thousands fighting for their country doesn't count. I guess a willingness to fight so Ukraine can be part of the West & Europe as opposed to a vassal of Putin's mafioso-style regime doesn't count.

But why bother asking? This business about "corruption" is just another posturing bullshit excuse from MAGA-land. We can only be thankful Á àß äẞç ãþÇđ âÞ¢Đæ ǎB€Ðëf ảhf didn't go the full monty and cry crocodile-tears over the "suffering" Ukrainians or offer pieties on "fighting to the last Ukrainian".

[Á àß äẞç ãþÇđ âÞ¢Đæ ǎB€Ðëf ảhf]

Dying for the country, aka conscription? Try again.

[Sarcastr0]

I also despise the kleptocrats who steal my money to send to the corruptocrats in Ukraine

Yes, if you manage to still think taxation is robbery after you left school, you have made a choice; a choice to feel entitled to an unidealistic society, and thus be angry all the time.

[Á àß äẞç ãþÇđ âÞ¢Đæ ǎB€Ðëf ảhf]

Did I get a choice? No. How is that voluntary? Oh, it isn’t? I guess that makes it theft.

And how much extra do you send with your tax form? Nothing? No donations to government? I guess you aren't much interested in the voluntary aspect either.

[Bob from Ohio]

"No donations to government? "

He works for the government. You support him.

[Sarcastr0]

You live in a republic. You do not live in a state of nature.

It is a false choice between 'utterly voluntary' and 'robbery.' Your take would make speed limits tyranny.

I recommend you do some remedial reading of enlightenment philosophers who dealt with these distinctions centuries ago. Start with Hobbes.

[Á àß äẞç ãþÇđ âÞ¢Đæ ǎB€Ðëf ảhf]

Oh, you've changed your story from "it's not theft" to "it's theft the majority approved of."

Yeah, so slavery was moral too, then Jim Crow segregation.

[Sarcastr0]

No, I'm saying that in a republic, legally promulgated governmental requirements are not theft even if you personally don't like them.

[NOVA Lawyer]

"Did I get a choice? No. How is that voluntary? Oh, it isn’t? I guess that makes it theft."

A valiant effort for dumbest comment of the year so far.

And, to be clear, no, that doesn't make it theft.

[myself]

You’ll have to define “bargain for the US and the rest of the west” a little more clearly. I despise Putin and his invasions, but I cannot do anything about them.

Yes you can, you can supply Ukraine with a tiny fraction of US military goods (instead of letting them sit in warehouses for a few decades until you pay for them to be decommissioned and disposed of).

I also despise the kleptocrats who steal my money to send to the corruptocrats in Ukraine.

I'm sure the Ukrainians being killed and tortured will be happy that you're adhering to important principals.

I might send some money their way if it were strictly my choice, and I might not; they’d have to earn it.

I'm sure they're anxious to prove their mettle to you oh courageous online commenter.

[Á àß äẞç ãþÇđ âÞ¢Đæ ǎB€Ðëf ảhf]

Pretty courageous yourself, spouting the party line.

[myself]

WTF is that supposed to mean?

Do you see the world in any terms other than 'my team' vs 'your team'?

[bernard11]

You're doing a pretty good job of spouting the pro-Putin party line.

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

.

I also despise the kleptocrats who steal my money

Will you celebrate when UCLA no longer uses public money to fund a professor who habitually uses vile racial slurs?

[Jason Cavanaugh]

Yet another clown that doesn't understand the strategic significance of keeping Ukraine out of Russian hands.

Shocking.

https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/high-price-losing-ukraine

Do us all a favor and learn a thing or two.

[Á àß äẞç ãþÇđ âÞ¢Đæ ǎB€Ðëf ảhf]

Do yourself a favor and read what I wrote.

[Jason Cavanaugh]

I did, which is how I can confirm that you’re one of the people who knows nothing of the strategic consequences of losing Ukraine, and someone who doesn’t seem to grasp that there is no upside for the US to allow it.

You’re ignorant, and I attempted to share with you a reliable assessment of the facts that you are ignorant of so that perhaps, you might not be one of those people.

It seems I wasted my time. Let us all know if you ever realize that Ukraine doesn’t have to ‘earn’ our support. It’s in our goddamn best interest to ensure Russia loses, particularly for the low cost of just weapon systems and ammunition.

[F.D. Wolf]

Vladimir Putin sent his chief political opponent to prison to die. Joe Biden is trying to do the same.

[Sarcastr0]

Drama Queens for Trump!

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

Isn't it most likely Georgia that will convict and imprison Trump?

How would that be Biden's doing, F.D. Wolf, from the perspective of a disaffected, delusional right-wing rube?

[Roger S]

Yes, the USA President prosecutes his political enemies on trumped up charges. Just like Russia and Ukraine. But Somin agrees with USA and Ukraine doing it.

[F.D. Wolf]

When American citizen Gonzalo Lira died mysteriously in a Ukranian prison last month, charged with "spreading Russian propaganda", I don't recall a weepy obituary from Somin. But, in fairness, no one in our government seemed to care either.

Putin is a horrible man, but giving billions of dollars to defense contractors, who kick back a percentage to Ukranian kleptocrats (including St. Zelensky), isn't helping the Ukrainian people (much less the American people); it's only feeding the carnage and death toll. The military-industrial complex doesn't want this war to end; it wants it to go on as long as possible.

[Sarcastr0]

American citizen
...
Russia's most prominent opposition leader

Your commitment to lack of perspective is impressive.

Do you also want us to stop supporting Israel, in order to stop feeding the carnage and death toll over there?

[Bob from Ohio]

"military-industrial complex doesn’t want this war to end; it wants it to go on as long as possible"

Probably true.

The only way Ukraine is going to win is for us to take our holds off on their weapon usage.

The Kerch bridge should be rubble by now but we forbid use of our missiles to destroy it. Ukraine needs to take the war to Russia, they have launched a few drones lately to good effect but more is needed.

Ukraine cannot win a war of attrition. Its half the population.

[Sarcastr0]

Your advocacy for total war, and FD's advocacy for capitulation should hash this out.

[Bob from Ohio]

FD is advocating settlement, which is what you usually have to do if you don't wage total war.

War is ugly, total war is the only way to do war. Half measures mean more suffering during the next war, because the issues are not resolved.

[Sarcastr0]

FD is advocating settlement, which is what you usually have to do if you don’t wage total war.

No, it's not settlement or total war, or a losing war of attrition. War is not some simple set of choices like that.

Politics by other means, after all. One clue there's more dimensions to this - Russia isn't having an easy time of it either, and not because they're becoming depopulated.

[myself]

What makes you think Putin is in favour of settlement?

All he has to do is drag things out until November and if Trump gets in then US aid drops to zero. At that point he doesn't think Europe will be able to give Ukraine what they need and it's just waiting for total victory.

The only reason Putin gives hints of peace talks is to try and frame Ukraine as being unreasonable.

[Bob from Ohio]

"What makes you think Putin is in favour of settlement?"

I don't. That's why he needs more "encouragement".

You ramp up the damage to Russia and kill people on Russian soil. If you are afraid of Trump, best get started.

[myself]

I certainly agree that Ukraine should be given way more weapons without restrictions on how to use them.

I disagree that should be a tactic to give them some sort of deal. In WWII should the allies have offered to let Hitler keep Northern Europe and half of France?

The objective is to push Putin out of ALL of Ukraine, and to give Ukraine everything it needs to accomplish that objective.

Only if it's clear that's impossible do you start talking deals.

And of course, if that's what Ukraine wants. It's their country on the line, we're not the one who has to decide for or against a deal.

[Nige]

'total war is the only way to do war.'

That's why there was no WWII after the total war of WWI.

[Don Nico]

Typical exaggeration and distortion.

It is time to stop funding weapons companies so that more Ukrainians can die

[Sarcastr0]

Typical not reading what I said. Because I said nothing like that.

[Don Nico]

you sure did.

[Sarcastr0]

What a useless comment.

[Bob from Ohio]

Are you responding to me?

Because nothing I said means we should stop giving them weapons, just that we should let them use them in abetter way.

[myself]

It is time to stop funding weapons companies so that more Ukrainians can die

It's time to ban all guns so that no more Americans die from gun accidents and suicide.

Or is the freedom to defend your country from invasion, subjugation, and genocide not that important?

[Nige]

You could probably slash the US military budget massivly and still ship surplus to Ukraine. I'm all for that. Though I note that the Ukrainians are dying because they were invaded by Russia. If you think it's their own fault for resisting the invasion, well, that really is blaming the victim on a wdie scale.

[David Nieporent]

Were you also upset about the prosecution of Iva Toguri D’Aquino?

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

Gonzalo Lira doesn't sound like much of a loss. Americans who identify with him don't contribute much to society, either.

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

.

but giving billions of dollars to defense contractors, who kick back a percentage to Ukranian kleptocrats (including St. Zelensky), isn’t helping the Ukrainian people (much less the American people); it’s only feeding the carnage and death toll.

What is the clinger perspective on how to help Ukraine and Ukrainians?

[Nige]

‘The military-industrial complex doesn’t want this war to end; it wants it to go on as long as possible.’

What a pity more people didn’t have this epiphany sooner after 9/11 rather than in relation to a country invaded by a brutal authoritarian. But back then it was anti-American.

[ObviouslyNotSpam]

Mysteriously? Lira died of pneumonia. In a hospital. Horrible way to go, but he did kinda do it to himself by dramatically attempting to flee the country to avoid the criminal trial for which he had been bailed. He might have eventually been punished for "journalism" (although there is some dispute about that), but he never got that far. He Assanged himself, basically.

[hobie]

What an excellent vehicle - Navalny's murder - to flog a domestic political rant. Classy

[Bob from Ohio]

"rant"?

Its two sentences. Rants are much shorter these days.

The Somin post is also flogging a domestic political rant then.

[Roger S]

Somin also wants Trump to die in prison.

[ObviouslyNotSpam]

Is that worse than wanting him to live forever in prison?

These things are only equivalent if you think the justice systems in the US and Russia are equivalent.

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

I doubt this blog's fans are interested in Prof. Somin's views in this context. If Prof. Volokh wishes to please those fans he should ask Tucker Carlson to provide commentary.

[mydisplayname]

Netanyahu has ordered a greater number of killings of innocents than has Putin, so if Putin is bad, Netanyahu must be worse. Yet, for whatever reason, a tiny-yet-vocal swath of Americans bristle when Netanyahu is chastised but cheer when Putin is chastised. The moral high ground is elusive... and the author of this post has not found it.

[Roger S]

Somin is a Russian Jew.

[Sarcastr0]

Somin is an American, just like you. He's just a lot better at it than you are.

[Roger S]

Not just like me. I was born in the USA, and my loyalties are to the USA.

[Sarcastr0]

The cool thing about Americans, is where you were born is immaterial.
See also loyalty tests.

You’re an American, but you’re awful at it. You regularly demonstrate how you hate this country. You know, it being controlled by The Jews and all.

[StonewallDeSoto]

Sorry but no matter what a piece of paper says, the son of an illegal alien from Guatemala is not American in the same sense as someone whose family has been here since Jamestown. Post-1965 America is basically a new country.

[Sarcastr0]

Sorry, but you're ignoring one of the ways America is exceptional.

Good thing for us all, America is a bigger and better place than your bigotry.

[StonewallDeSoto]

Yeah, America has really gotten bigger and better since Hart–Celler has had its full effect, and since we started recognizing any third worlder shipped here by an NGO as equal, nay superior to actual Americans. Libertarians and liberals are truly delusional.

[Sarcastr0]

It's telling what kind of a strawman you created here - a race traitor who thinks white people are inferior.

You got issues, man.

[SRG2]

You realise that Lamarckism doesn't work, right?

[Sarcastr0]

LOL

[grb]

SRG2 : "You realise that Lamarckism doesn’t work, right?"

That's by no means sure. StonewallDeSoto seems to have an Eighteenth Century mindset and may be unaware science has progressed past then.

[StonewallDeSoto]

You realize a dog born in a stable isn't a horse, right?

[grb]

StonewallDeSoto : "You realize a dog born in a stable isn’t a horse, right?"

You do realize a stupid evasion isn't any less an evasion for being stupid, or any less stupid for being an evasion? Try reflecting on that...

[David Nieporent]

Roger is a Schlafly, which is far more disreputable.

[Terry Anne Lieber (Don't Feed Tony)]

Except Netanyahu hasn't ordered any killing of innocents.

[grb]

Terry Anne Lieber (Don’t Feed Tony) : “Except Netanyahu hasn’t ordered any killing of innocents”

Israel’s faux supporters seem to live in a fantasy world where someone can order hundreds of 2000lb unguided (dumb) bombs dropped into densely packed urban areas – each one with a kill radius approaching 1000ft – and the resulting deaths of 20,000-plus civillians is just an “ah shucks” accident.

To reiterate : Israel was killed more innocent civillians per week and month of warfare than ANY combatant in ANY war in decades. The only close competitor in this ruthless efficiency butchering civillians is Assad & Putin in the Syrian Civil War. Their effort in killing the innocent went on a lot longer than Netanyahu’s has so far, but in terms of murdering women and children per minute or hour, it’s a damn close call. Of course they used barrels packed with explosives dumped out of helicopters onto city neighborhoods or poison gas, so there’s that distinction to fall back on.

[Bob from Ohio]

What pro-Hamas site did you copy this rant from?

Unguided bombs bad, unguided Hamas rockets, silence from you.

[grb]

What are you contesting, Bob?

The hundreds of 2000lb unguided bombs? That’s a fact. The plus-20,000 dead civilians? That’s a fact. Israel’s exceptional efficency in mudering massive quanities of women and children? That’s a fact too.

Look right above and you’ll see I responded to one of Israel’s fake supporters and his (or her) fantasy world where Netanyahu earnestly seeks to avoid murdering innocents. Find me a Hamas supporter so ethically bankrupt in this forum and I promise that I’ll call out him (or her) as full of shit too.

[Terry Anne Lieber (Don't Feed Tony)]

You are clearly dumber than those bombs as it is blatantly obvious that you know nothing about warfare.

To reiterate: Israel hasn't killed a single innocent soul to this date.

[Don Nico]

"Israel hasn’t killed a single innocent soul to this date"
Even as a supporter of Israel, I'd call that level BS a mountain.

[Terry Anne Lieber (Don't Feed Tony)]

The Jew-hating retard was talking nonsense. No, Netanyahu did not order to the killing of any innocent souls. Netanyahu approved military response in the Gaza Strip as it was a necessity after the 10/7 massacre. Israel cannot allow such a heinous act to go unpunished, especially not in the ME.
It isn't just Netanyahu who approved that war, it's the war cabinet and the emergency government, not to mention the vast majority of Israeli Jews support (the continuation of) the war.
Deaths in the Gaza Strip are either targeted killing of terrorists (which is a good thing) or inevitable collateral casualties (which is tough titties), so the "killing of innocents" libel is clearly false. The comb. to non-comb. ratio is absolutely low (less than 1:2) so no reasonable person should have any problem with those numbers.
That being said, one can argue that both the "civilian" and the "innocent" labels are incorrect in that context. Terrorists, after all, are "armed civilians" in the sense that they aren't soldiers and aren't members of any army. Hamas clearly loves labeling every neutralized terrorist "civilian" just because they were shooting up Jews wearing Under Armor shirts and Nike shoes. But it's really disingenuous to use that term so I'd rather recommend sticking to terrorists and non-combatants. Though one must add that those non-combatants wholeheartedly support Hamas, the 10/7 massacre and the killing of Jews by a vast vast margin.
And now that we're here, we can also debate the "innocent" claim. Are they innocent? Clearly not, in the sense that they're the least innocent group of people in history. Are there innocents in there? Surely, but then again... that's not saying much. One could have found plenty of innocents in Nazi Germany back in 1943, yet nobody ever wrote in the newspapers back then that the "German casualties of the war are pooor innocent babies" or that "the Allies are evil imperialist bastards" in 1943. Well, not in the West anyway...
And compared to the Nazis, the Gazans are way worse (according to my calculations, at least 1.5x worse than the Nazis if we compare support of the NSDAP by Germans to the popular support of Hamas). To sum it all up: we may call every single group of people innocent (to a certain degree), but the so called "Palestinians" ought to be the very last entry on that list. As such, it makes no sense to call them innocent. They are the worst of the worst, to the point where even other Arab-Muslims are afraid of them and want nothing to do with them (Kuwait, Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt learned their lesson the hard way).

[Longtobefree]

Was he vaxxed?

[Dan Schiavetta]

In a few days Trump will make a joke about Navalny's death being caused by itchy underpants, and the crowd will cheer and laugh. America at its worst.

[Life of Brian]

Very much like Somin sees free-wheeling migration in every topic, you see Trump everywhere in everything.

That's why the D stands for derangement.

[Sarcastr0]

I notice you didn't really care much when F.D. Wolf did the same thing upthread.

[Life of Brian]

I credit you with the intelligence to understand that FDW's analogy was actually an attempt at a parallel, and not just an excuse to imagine Trump saying something randomly offensive. Should I not do that?

[Sarcastr0]

No new goalposts. 'you see Trump everywhere in everything' applies as much to FD as captcrisis.

Inconsistently calling people out, and trying to retcon your callout when that's revealed.

[Life of Brian]

Ah, Sarc -- it's a foregone conclusion that nobody will ever live up to your results-oriented rulebook.

Case in point: if you really gave two licks about consistency, you would have called out captcrunch as well. Since I know full well you don't, I'll not hold my breath.

[Sarcastr0]

Why do you think I care about people bringing up Trump?

I called FD out for melodrama.

[Life of Brian]

Too cute, Calvin!

[SRG2]

"I spoke to Vladimir Putin, Vladimir I call him, nice guy and a true parrot, and patriot" (Crowd cheers) "unlike Sleepy Joe, and asked him, he always takes my calls, he respects me unlike the failing New York Times, which poisons juries against me, and I asked Veyismir whether he had anything to do with the death of Alice Novotny and he said he did not know who that was and I believe him and anyway it was in a prison thousands of kilometers, that's what they have in Russia, not miles like in the west so he couldn't have had anything to do with it, but even if he did, Nabiru was a traitor, and what should we do with traitors?" (Crowd cheers "kill them!")

[Dan Schiavetta]

With Trump, that’s not satire, it’s actually a sober prediction of what he will say. And the audience reaction. If you think I’m wrong, remember the guffaws he got making jokes about Paul Pelosi’s cracked skull.

[SRG2]

Oh, I know. But I like parodying Trump's style.

[Commenter_XY]

I think I shall plant some ornamental flowers in my garden this year in Alexei Navalny's memory. I understand that he was born in the month of June. As I recall, roses are the flower for the month of June. As he was a Russian national, and the Russian flag is red, it will be a red rose rosebush.

Any suggestions on what red roses? I strongly prefer hybrid tea roses.

[Don Nico]

C_XY,
Chose carefully. As I recall many hybrids have no fragance.

[Commenter_XY]

I am open to suggestions. I am in zone 7b.

[OtisAH]

Gotta love the numpties clutching their pearls over Somin’s post. Especially since they’ve all likely seen, nodded to, and shared tweets from jackasses like Lee Zeldin who explained:

“As the world reflects on the murder of Alexander Navalny at the hands of Vladimir Putin, it’s worth noting that Democrats are actively doing Biden’s bidding as they also try to imprison his chief political opponent, Donald Trump, remove him from the ballot, and ensure he dies in prison. They simply cannot go any lower.”

Don’t stray too far from your fainting (feinting?) couches, numpties! It’s gonna be a long night.

[Bob from Ohio]

Zeldin missed they are also stealing Trump's money and property.

[Nige]

You guys are soooo ready for the oligarchs to take over.

[ObviouslyNotSpam]

Only the right oligarchs--the others will be dealt with appropriately!

[FivebySixThree]

While it certainly is disappointing he has died was never under the impression he would have actually changed course in Ukraine especially given that it has been stated by reputable organizations that the Russia public still supports the war; granted they may not have the information we have on Ukraine but they do know if it is going on this long it cannot be considered a success.

[grb]

FivebySixThree : ".... was never under the impression he would have actually changed course in Ukraine"

As Somin observed in the OP above, Navalny waffled a bit on Russia's occupation of Crimera, saying it was wrong but refusing to demand its reversal. However Somin also notes that he was adamently opposed to the Ukrainian invasion, repeatedly condeming it even from prison. He called those who launched the war "bandits and thieves", calling for more anti-war protests as well as protests against Putin.

So I don't think your skepticism is justified.

[AtR]

"quite possibly murdered at Vladimir Putin's order" - true, but humorous nevertheless. The man was an otherwise healthy 47-year-old whose life was entirely under the control of the Russian prison system.

I can't imagine how he could have possibly died.

[grb]

Considering the fact he probably never fully recovered from Putin's last attempt to murder him, it is possible no new attempt was needed. I don't feel much desire to be "fair" to a loathsome piece of shit like Putin, but there it is.

[Absaroka]

If he died of malnutrition or tuberculosis, I think it's accurate to characterize that as murdered by Putin.

I mean, if Putin's henchmen threw him out a window, I don't think Putin gets to dodge responsibility by saying 'it was the sudden impact with the ground, I wasn't even touching him!'.