Nah, that's bullshit.

Most "reasons" I hear from people these days are bullshit reasons; I wish I could slap some sense into them with millions at a time (without me even having to get to know the poor creatures), but unfortunately we have rules that fit a society of rational individuals and I live in the circus.

Isn't EVERY government like that, everywhere?

Fair point, but they at least pretend to not be criminals and the set of criminals rotates every 4 or 5 years, which theoretically helps.

There is a difference between "you are in the opposition and I am going to poison you and then lock you up in a Siberia" and "I am going to make sure you will not get a government contract, even though you are the best". It's both corruption, however.

I think not every government is like that, but then again, I don't know many governments. Ultimately, if you go against their interests, even legally, they will find a way to 'govern'. I think the trust in governments is at an all time low to the point that senior news reporters refer to them as circuses... In the time of the Romans, senators were at least educated and respected. Depending on the emperor in charge, corruption was even punished. I am wondering whether we really progressed anything.

How do you think the war will end? I don't see Ukraine going to negotiate, because you can't negotiate with Russia (they will just regroup and attack again). Russia could retreat and hope that Ukraine will not march to Moscow at any later point in the future (let's say Ukraine develops until a wealthy state in the next few hundred years and could crush Russia with low effort at some point). I think Putin just has gotten COVID and gotten slightly crazy (lots of people experienced something like that). The average IQ (as compared with pre-COVID) dropped due to COVID, no doubt.

Do you not think Russia is on a full on genocidal mission to replace every Ukrainian with a Russian? It seems completely obvious to me.