Russian prison camps are not a joke.

But if Newsweek wants to play the "evil Russians" game, they need to offer a point of comparison. Listening to the tone of Navalny's message, I hear a fully competent human employing gallows humor regarding a very difficult environment. Now I compare that to Julian Assange, the most famous political prisoner held in the west. Assange is almost incoherent in his recent messaging through physical weakness and psychological degradation. Which system has more thoroughly destroyed and degraded the human in their care? Navalny sounds human. He doesn't like his surroundings, but HE is still there. The west, on the other hand, has profoundly destroyed the man in their care. Putting a human into Assange's condition requires unimaginable levels of human torture.

So no, Newsweek doesn't get to play the "evil Russians" card when the side they are claiming to be "better" is absolutely and categorically worse. There's that old Jesus quote, "Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but don't consider the beam that is in your own eye?"

Get over yourselves, Newsweek. When your side even considers behaving with humanity, then I'll listen. Until then, your words mean less to me than the wind in the trees.