IMHO regimes like in Belarus or Turkmenistan is so dysfunctional and live in delusional bubble, they generate quality comedy material for outside world, we don't need sketchy spy or political satire anymore, just read the news.
If you happen to live in the "inside world" of such despicable excuses of human trash then the situation is rather less funny.
I meant to say, world outside of group of people behind the cogs of regime.
> word régime originates as a synonym for any type of government, modern usage has given it a negative connotation, implying an authoritarian government or dictatorship.
'Inside world' would mean inside government. Outside world - civilians, even inside said countries.
Seeing Lukashenko in one of his ridiculous uniforms, for example, certainly is pure comedy. But if you're imprisoned by his thugs it's far less funny. That's what I meant to express.
Uhh...we don't need to look far geographically and only a few months back in time to see something similar closer to home.
Not a crossfire, but a very directed one. It's critical to such regimes to never let anything the West does happen without it hitting their own civilians.
If the population see Western sanctions benefiting them, and visibly harming the regime, people will be ready to take bigger sacrifices, knowing that the regime will loose much more than they do.
It is equally critical for the West to communicate loud, and clear to Belarusian people that they are doing those actions to support their resistance, and not just because they want to hit Lukasenka.