Russian kit yay or nay ?

Tackle said:
I think we're already saying that now, in fact I've been saying it for years, he's always been a "wrong un" 
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It's amazing the number of people who'll make light of him or stand up for him.  (Yeah Trump, I'm looking at you first) 

My Quora feed is enough to make my blood boil tbh.  I really ought to unsub from that troll-filled pile of cack.   But there's usually some interesting or amusing factoid to be gleaned from the steaming mess it almost always turns into. 

 
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 This exact question is doing the rounds of RU/Combloc Airsoft social media group. 

In my opinion it's down to the player, but if you have RU patches and unit Identifiers maybe best to remove them for now.  Unfortunately I only have RU kit nothing from a particular unit and no digital flora but still distinctly Russian. So I may have to adjust and see.

What's also interesting is that when the conflict in Ukraine, first started with Russian involvement in the break away regions in East Ukraine and Crimea.

I noticed a lot of people wanting to do the little green men/ polite people kit and a lot of Shops around the world were happy to stock & sell the kit, even though the RU forces were involved where some would say they should not be. There also RU involvement in Syria another interesting kit that a number people wanted even though the Russians were supporting President Bashar al-Assad. 

So the question is has Russian kit always been a bit of a mine field for reenacting/Airsoft?

 
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Some where in the middle between your opinion and theirs you might find a kernel of a truth 

RostokMcSpoons said:
It's amazing the number of people who'll make light of him or stand up for him.  (Yeah Trump, I'm looking at you first) 

My Quora feed is enough to make my blood boil tbh.  I really ought to unsub from that troll-filled pile of cack.   But there's usually some interesting or amusing factoid to be gleaned from the steaming mess it almost always turns into. 
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RostokMcSpoons said:
It's amazing the number of people who'll make light of him or stand up for him.  (Yeah Trump, I'm looking at you first) 

My Quora feed is enough to make my blood boil tbh.  I really ought to unsub from that troll-filled pile of cack.   But there's usually some interesting or amusing factoid to be gleaned from the steaming mess it almost always turns into. 
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Trump was always going to defend the man who got him into power!

As for Quora, it's like a car crash. You want to look away but for some horrible reason you just can't. Personally, I live for the spectacularly British responses to idiot (and often bot generated) questions about why we don't want to live in a free country like the USA!

Stratton Oakmont said:
Some where in the middle between your opinion and theirs you might find a kernel of a truth 
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It's not in the middle. It's mostly not even on Quora, which is a wretched hive of scum and villainy. As for the truth of why Russia is in Ukraine? They say it's because there's a Nazi regime committing genocide against Russians living in Ukraine and that is demonstrably wrong. This has been brewing for a LONG time (if you fancy a read and want to know more - https://www.npr.org/2021/12/24/1066861022/how-the-soviet-unions-collapse-explains-the-current-russia-ukraine-tension?t=1645790108350&t=1645791586753).

 
EDcase said:
In the middle??????? Are you joking?

There is absolutely NO truth in anything coming out of that communist dictatorship
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So where are you getting your “truth” from?

not a personal question to be answered just suggesting that the responses felt by people in general are entirely dependent upon the sources of information that people choose to align with

I 

also am old enough to remember the Cold War and remember that it was brought to an end without a shot being fired and is probably the reason we are in the current situation

lozart

haven’t read the article yet but expect it alludes to this idea

 
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Stratton Oakmont said:
So where are you getting your “truth” from?

not a personal question to be answered just suggesting that the responses felt by people in general are entirely dependent upon the sources of information that people choose to align with
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We live in a "post truth" world and it's becoming harder and harder to distinguish fact from fiction in many cases. Trust but verify has become my approach to news these days. Avoid the sources that are clearly biased (*cough* Fox News) and draw input from a wide range of sources (personally that tends to be CNN, Sky News etc) and look for the commonality. If a lot of people are saying one thing and a few are saying something that sounds like bollocks then chances are, it's bollocks.

 
Stratton Oakmont said:
So where are you getting your “truth” from?
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Errr seeing the footage of Russian forces invading a peaceful country... hello

Or do you actually believe the laughable propaganda shit that 'Ukraine attacked first' !?!?!?!

 
Lozart said:
Avoid the sources that are clearly biased (*cough* Fox News) and draw input from a wide range of sources (personally that tends to be CNN, Sky News etc) and look for the commonality.
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CNN? Not clearly biased? [insert J. Jonah Jameson laughing meme here]
 

Personally, I don't believe any of the mainstream media outlets any more and tend to find my news from multiple, independent sources, having been a journalist myself. You can give a journalist a set of facts and then they can write 3 different articles using the same set of facts, each telling a totally different story. It's really not that hard to do.

 
Impulse said:
CNN? Not clearly biased? [insert J. Jonah Jameson laughing meme here]
 

Personally, I don't believe any of the mainstream media outlets any more and tend to find my news from multiple, independent sources, having been a journalist myself. You can give a journalist a set of facts and then they can write 3 different articles using the same set of facts, each telling a totally different story. It's really not that hard to do.
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Now as an ex-journalist, you probably have some decent contacts knocking around, from whom you can get first or second hand info (unless your journalism was working for the Dorking Gazette, or similar).

CNN used to be pretty decent, but are now an example of how Fox News has moved the reporting goalposts.  They're not as extreme, but they're becoming more politically biased because down-the-middle reporting isn't retaining the viewers, it seems.    So I go with Lozart's approach.  The consensus from BBC + Sky + A N Other if there's any doubt.

The people usually telling us to "do our own research" are way too often talking about their own echo chamber YouTube / Facebook / Reddit channels.  And they fail to see the irony in what they're spouting.  If you ever want to laugh at Flat Earthers and their conspiracy theory brethren you'll see it in action, and it's a horrible thing when all logic and obvious truths are cast aside just "because it's what The Man wants you to believe - so I don't believe it"

 
It is, perhaps obviously, a hard no from me.

I don't consider myself to be a particularly sensitive snowflake and I recognise the arguments that the world has always been in conflict so whatever loadout you pick you risk offending someone. The whole "Good/Evil is a matter of perspective and the truth is in the middle" only holds to a certain degree and right now, the lines seem pretty well defined.

However, at this exact moment in time, we're talking about running around playing pew pew in the woods and laughing about it whilst 80 year old grannies are getting a crash course in using AKs in a futile attempt to stop Russian tanks and shelling from destroying and stealing their country. I don't know, but I just don't have the stomach for it. Suspension of disbelief is about making it seem real, and it's already more real than I'd like.

Not to mention that, well, you know how people can be and there's guaranteed to be some clown on site who thinks its all hilarious or some marshall that thinks setting themed objectives around the current conflict is a good idea. As someone pointed out, the devs of This War of Mine are donating profits from sales at the moment to Ukraine Red Cross and there are *still* people on the comments berating them for it and saying they should "stay out of politics". I'd hate to think I'd accidentally gone and developed some empathy this late in the day, but it's kind of looking that way and I know I'd have a shit day out if I went.

So, each to their own. If you're out this weekend have fun, but I think I'll give it a miss for now.

 
Airsoft for most seems to be an escapism hobby.  For myself, this is both disconnecting from the real world for a short period of time and disconnecting myself by lets say dressing up as if from a different culture and/or time period.

It's up to the individual to decide how detached to the real world (and its current issues) their loadouts are and where to draw the line.  For example, its common to represent a middle east insurgent, but perhaps putting a black headband on with white writing isn't the best idea, same classic thing comes up with german ww2 loadouts.  I don't think a gorka and an AK crosses this line.  However, as the world changes, issues change and so that line fluctuates.  If it were the 70's and airsoft was a thing, I don't think many people would do VC loadouts.

My favorite rif is an AK74 and with it my chi-com kit and russian camos.  However, I now feel like that detachment between the real world has shrunk from comfortable to uncomfortable, so I will most likely slip into a more PMC role. 

I must say that yesterday wasn't the best timing for my Partizan camo suit (ordered a couple months ago) to arrive, delivered to work. ?

 
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I have (almost) no problem with what people wear.

Right now it would be in bad taste to fully dress up in a modern Russian load out.

I don’t do full on dress up, but have played roles in events and given the choice I’ll opt for the underdog/ bad guy

I’m also find of wood so have a selection of AKs (and SLR but sadly that’s the black polymer edition and not proper wood)

In our Takgur Ghar series I would also take the Taliban/villager/Osama & zombie Osama roles

I live in Salisbury, and around the corner from Novichock central, which brought a natural aversion to Putin, but to add to that I am a close friend to a particular family.  (She isn’t the only British citizen that he’s murdered in the UK as collateral damage or an obstacle to his activities)
Add on being a member of a forum that was heavily targeted by Putin’s trolls, both troll HQ & useful idiots 

I will never take on any Russian element again in a game environment 

But others are welcome to dress up how they like 

I have no issue with any Russian as a human being

I have a major issue with a mayors clerk who saw the opportunity to tie up with the Russian mafia and got rich taking a cut from the oligarchs that he helped to get rich.  He is now a dictator sitting on his pile of cash, getting revenge on anyone who fooled his beloved KGB/GRU and trying to bring back his glorious USSR - provided its him on top of the pile 

 
Whatever we personally see as the rights and wrongs in an extremely complex political situation with roots that go back hundreds of years, I expect that someone will wear Russian/Ukrainian kit this weekend.  It could well lead to very negative press attention for airsoft. 

There is no go to governing body to handle any fallout.   The situation shows yet again that there needs to be.   

If a journalist fancies it, they could attack airsoft in many situations.  I dare say that players unknowingly wear kit on anniversaries of horrific events, and that a professional muck raker could run amok with pictures from games that are years old if they wish.  

 
I'm still gonna rock the AK this Sunday.

Just because I bought it in 2020 and played a whopping three games with it.

 
Personally I see no issue with it (not that I could tell In the first place).

Like what's been said might be people's only kit. But I would remove/tape up any Russian flags or symbols just out of respect at this present time. 

 
I personally wont wear my Russian kit, but is it because of the current events or because its bloody hot and not as comfortable as my German outfits? If you show up in Russian kit I may ignore you as another BBLarper or compliment something if its particularly good. If you show up in Russian kit and talk about how youre invading Ukraine or making fun of the situation I have a feeling youll be kicked out. I wont be getting rid of my gear anytime soon though, and if I sign up for Fulda Gap, Caspian Assault, or any other NATO vs WARSAW/RUSFOR themed game as the Russians, then Ill wear it. I dont really care end of the day what you wear as long as it isnt purposely offensive. 

 
I don’t have problem with people using a Russian Federation load out. No one gave a shit during 2014 Crimean occupation, MH17 shoot down, Chechnyan wars and South Ossetia etc. Why start now?

If someone is running about saying what a hero Putin is then that’s different. 
 

Dressing up up to play soldier games doesn’t mean that person supports that regimes ideology. Makes too many assumptions for my taste.

I can’t think of many modern armed forces that haven’t been involved in some disreputable acts in living memory or indeed the last few years.

I’m thinking of drone strikes on 9 year olds…..

 
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