itch.io

This was posted in just one other place, since that is where I first found out about you using SubscribeStar, and later reposted here since it looked like a better fit for this topic... But fair enough, it wasn't my intention to spam.

I'll admit that I first did my research into Boosty, that one I dug real deep into and found a ton of dirt. I am happy that you also seem to acknowledge that what I said IS the case for that platform, so we don't really have a disagreement there.

As for SubscribeStar, you have some valid points. I started looking into it, quickly found out that it has russian roots (many russian businesses will register abroad and pull all sorts of tricks to hide their origin and allegiance, so registration alone doesn't really mean anything), then saw a few posts on russian-speaking forums with artists advertising it as a "domestic" alternative to all those "unfriendly western platforms and their unfair sanctions", and that was enough for me to blacklist the whole thing. I haven't looked into whether it operates in the same way as Boosty does, I simply assumed so since that is what people were advertising it as - a tool to bypass sanctions once they got removed from Western platforms after the new round of sanctions. It is possible that this is simply how russians are using it, and the few foreign artists on the platform see it completely differently. We'd also need to look into how they handle their finances, but I think ultimately this won't really change anything as from what I know there are no other alternatives.

The key difference and the thing I disagree on is that I believe in the concept of collective/shared responsibility. I know how their society works, I can speak their language and as such I see and hear what they talk about when it is just them. A lot of russian artists will pretend that they are "outside of politics" or are "too afraid to say anything" just to keep doing business with the Western audience. They get a lot of money and the westerners get a clear conscience and relatively low prices from doing business with the "good russians". But then the same artists will openly support the war if it is in a conversation with another russian (or someone they assume to be a russian based on the spoken language). I've had many russian friends like that, who showed their true colors only after the invasion has started... all the chauvinism and hatred when you refuse to bow down to their way of things, their world view. I am not saying there are no good Russian people, there certainly are. There also is a fair number of Russian artists who will put flags for Russian opposition, peace movement, or even "stop war" or "support Ukraine" slogans straight on their profile, or will at least state their opinion when asked, contrary to all the excuses from the ones who simply lie and dodge...

That said, it is still my belief that russian citizens are totally responsible for the atrocities of their government because it is their outright ideological support, profit-driven cooperation, or at the very least silent indifference that allowed all of this to happen. It isn't a million Putlers who are invading Ukraine now, but rather over a million russians who signed contracts with the Ministry of "Defense" and who are fine with slaughtering innocents for money... not to mention tens of millions who are voluntarily donating funds to keep their military going despite the wide-spread government corruption, and just about as many people assembling weapons and directly working for the government to prop up the current kleptocrat regime. So no, I totally believe in ALL sanctions that were placed on the russian people, effective or not. This war will end only when the population of the invading country PERSONALLY feels enough discomfort to stop supporting this slaughter or alternatively just start caring about "politics" enough to end Putler's rule. Remember, they can stop this at any moment and just go home, but every day tens of millions of them chose to sacrifice their own lives and futures to satisfy ambitions of their beloved "uncle Putler"/czar, most often because those ambitions coincide with their own >_>

But hey, that's just me... obviously this topic is very important to me as it directly affects myself and my family. Ultimately, I think we two have an understanding, so I'll just stop before this becomes even more political than it already is. You certainly have enough BS to deal with right now, so apologies for bringing up this mess too.