I don't really like the way people talk as if this-or-that nation is full of uniquely wicked people.
...
Every complaint I read here about those evil Russians ('they keep invading their neighbors' 'they are exterminating a culture') has applied every bit as much to the US in the not-so-distant past.
The idea that the Russian people are uniquely evil... stems from us stroking our own egos and telling ourselves how great we are. Humans are pretty bad in general.
However, don't be fooled into thinking there isn't a present crisis in Russian institutions instilling a sense of "kill or be killed" among their people. They only despise the war due to its failures. If they were successful at killing every Ukrainian, few Russians would care. Because they have been propagandized and brainwashed into wishing for Genocide.
It may not be uniquely evil, but for present day it is among the worst possible outcomes. Russia is among the worst examples of humanity today.
Yes, equal to our slaughter of the Native Americans. But to simplify the concept for discussion, we changed our policy for the better. Thanks to our institutions we placed a higher value on life, and rights.. of all peoples. We cannot say the same for Russia. They are currently waging a campaign to drive other people off their land. The war crimes and atrocities they are committing to do it would be unconscionable for us to ignore.
We must stand to end these atrocities, even if we ourselves committed them centuries earlier.