It is easy to praise Navalny and he deserves it. We can openly condemn Putin and he deserves it. But it is hypocritical. Putin is an extreme case but his behavior is standard operating procedure everyday everywhere.
Focus on the concept to see the greater application and then decide the criticism. Navalny represents a person morally committed to truth and justice and the promotion of those principles. Putin, like many who attain power without those principles, fears and hates truth and its discourse.
It’s always the same. It is hard to give support to Navalny when he needs it while Putin gets plenty of support, even if tacitly. All whistleblowers became that because of a lack of internal support. Is Edward Snowden our version of Navalny against Putin Clapper? Is Assange the next Navalny?
From a nationalistic viewpoint, should there be a difference? What are the ramifications? We want the Russian people to know about Putin’s social measures and atrocities. We don’t want the American people to know about our own. Is the New York Times being a Navalny for disclosing the hidden civilian casualties of airstrikes? Is Reality Winner a Navalny against Putin type Defense officials? Are the female Coast Guard sailors Navalnys against their Putin commanders?
Navalny Frances Haugen against Facebook Putin managers? The Navalny Wells Fargo employees who called the internal ethics hotline to report obvious unethical behavior and were fired by the Wells Fargo Putin managers? In the Mafia, Navalnys are called rats. Navalny journalists are considered the same. Many of our Navalny politicians are attacked, pushed out, voted out or resign.
What it really comes down to is that all countries, governments, corporations, institutions and organizations are comprised of a few Navalnys and lots of Putins. Everyone else is caught in between cowering in fear of either unjust punishment or unemployment.