lltnskyc

Suffice it to say it seems like you already agree with the de facto LML stance: west is evil.

Yep, that's correct. (btw I definitely do not associate myself with communists, it's just that we agree on this particular point)

This position seems to divorce Ukrainians of any agency in determining their future.

It doesn't! Those who want to fight, should definitely fight, and I don't argue against west supporting those who want to fight with weapons, training, and whatever else. It's actually the west that is not giving Ukrainians any choice in determining their future (see text below).

Are they not entitled to defending the sovereignty of their nation?

Again, they absolutely are! I totally support right for self-defense.

Who are you (or I) to tell them under what circumstances they should be allowed to push back against an invading force such as Russia?

Absolutely correct again and I totally agree with you, nobody should be able to prevent people from "pushing back against an invading force".

They are a sovereign nation that agreed to the Budapest memorandum and regardless who supplies them with weapons they can determine for themselves their destiny. It isn’t for us to adjudicate from some kind of moral high ground which parts of Ukraine should be sliced off to the highest bidder even if the bullets they fire are made in capitalist imperialist evil America.

Again, totally agreed.

The thing that I'm trying to say, and the thing that I'm getting called a fascist for, is that it is not "west is supporting brave Ukrainians who want to defend their nation and fight Russia to regain the occupied territories at all cost" it is "west is supporting Zelensky's regime (which I also consider absolutely illegitimate and authoritarian, their terms have expired, they ban all the opposition, they refuse elections, etc.) which forces people to fight by forbidding people to leave the country (which has already lead to many deaths of people who tried to escape this hell by crossing rivers/mountains and not making it), and kidnapping people on the streets, putting them into vans and sending them to the frontlines to die, and making the rest fear of going out" (you can find footages and sources for all of that if you visit my profile's comments, but lemme know if you want me to repost it again here).

But downvotes aren’t the same as admins banning you based purely on difference of opinion, let’s not conflate the two. This thread is about the latter, while downvotes are just another form of free speech.

But I don't complain about it and don't conflate the two! I totally agree that downvotes is just another form of free speech.
That was just ironic "you agreed with me that censuring people is wrong and now people are going to show you how wrong you are" kind of thing, I have nothing against downvotes (I mean I'd prefer people try to engage in a civil conversation instead of that, but I'm definitely not forcing anybody to do anything, downvote away) :)

When the left punishes you

When the left punishes you (without them even admitting or realizing it), your country is getting turned into a mass prison and your family, your friends, and you are then slaughtered in a war, all to the applause of the left, praising your dictatorial government for being heroes.
And then, when you try to show people what's happening in your own country, the atrocities your own government is committing upon you, the left tries to silence you until you get slaughtered, or until it becomes irrelevant and everybody moves on and forgets about it.
That's how the left punishes you.

At least with a loss of opportunities, you still have your life and other guaranteed freedoms to find a different opportunity.

Please tell me, and every other Ukrainian, how our life and "other guaranteed freedoms" is going? How we are able to leave the country if we want to, how we are not kidnapped from the streets (and soon will be from our homes) and sent to die? Please tell me more about it.

Oh well, prepare for the downvotes now, I guess..

So, most of the fediverse instances don't deserve attention is the fediverse? That's an interesting take :)