You probably know my position firmly is "Fuck Russia", and always was, but I was keeping my power level mostly in check here in normal circumstances. So my bias is open and clear, but what's happening is just so bizarre, literally hysterical, misdirected, and often even incredibly counterproductive. I'm being dismayed by this often. All these dipshits going "I'm doing my part!" who aren't even helping at all, or just making it worse. Especially in America.
Let's start with games. Video game companies (and even tabletop one like Gays Workshop) are cutting off Russians (and Belarusians, even as Belarusians are largely anti-regime) from their products and services since World War Z began. It's actually same with various other digital services and entertainment generally speaking. It's not even that it's punishing people regardless of their opinions or affiliations, which is unavoidable when sanction affect the general population, it's that it's just counterproductive. It's trying to cut the enemy population from your culture, and thus general cultural influence and even actually subversive messaging. It's not how it has worked for thousands of years, you'd rather really want to reach and influence and change them through your culture. I don't think I need to further elaborate on this and why it should be the Russian regime trying to cut it off instead, as they did historically during the Soviet era (successfully under Stalin, when this included imprisoning and re-educating the soldiers and civilians that have just seen the West during WWII). It's also missing out on opportunities such let's say having all sales to Russia include a company tax where the money goes to the Ukrainian Red Cross or whatever charity, which would also ensure Russian pro-war people would just fuck off themselves if you don't want them as your customers. The documentary "Chuck Norris vs Communism" is a sample of the importance of a popular culture penetration, even if it was unintended and completely grassroots there (in Romania). Ironically, with making piracy legal again the regime is going to sabotage these companies entirely and in some ways also themselves (there's a reason why North Korea so struggles to keep the South Korean culture out altogether).
Second, information (and propaganda). Now, Russia just like China, did cut off their general populations from internet services such as for example Twitter. But then Twitter in turn just won't cut off Chinese and Russian propaganda outlets targeting the West, including official government accounts, allowing them to have a completely one-sided flow without any serious consequences. This is where it actually matters, instead of LEGO heroically refusing to sell their so sexist (Sarkeesian 2010) toys to Russian children.
Then there's a general bullshit by randomly virtue signalling dipshits doing things like removing classic works of Russian high culture. What the fuck Dostoyevsky or Tchaikovsky have to do with any of it, I have no idea. And for example firing Russian orchestra members I believe just for being Russians, presumably while telling them "go back to Russia!" literally. A dumb fucking bigotry, especially since these people usually left Russia because they searched for a better life, and actually very many do right now too. And that all while I didn't see anything being done about spineless pricks like Vanessa Mae and especially actors like Van Damme or Depardieu that hanged out with and/or played for Ramzan like it's a completely normal thing to do. (I don't even count Nike Tyson because he's just a thug.) They were never told "go back to Chechnya, and stay there" by anyone, when they should have been. I hate these whores so much.
But I hope the hilarious dumb fake "self defense" "martial art" Systema actually gets canceled for good, if mostly because it's a dangerous scam and not even American Russoboo idiots deserve to get themselves murdered by a m*gger. (Sambo can stay.)
Well, it is failing. Ukraine can't win, but neither can Russia.
And yeah, ruining your economy to preserve existing status quo is not a "victory".