http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/chess-master-garry-kasparov-arrested-outside-pussy-riot-trial-1.918708
Kasparov arrested!
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-kenpo- wrote:
in any case it's not like western governments aren't violating the human and civil rights of their own populations in equally disgusting manners.
Much, much, much, much, much, much, much, much worse in the case of the U.S.
This whole thing has been blown tremendously out of proportion. The band expected to be arrested, even if not for such a draconian sentence. Hopefully that can be mitigated somewhat. At least they weren't "waterboarded, kept awake for weeks at a time listening to AC-DC at full-volume, stripped naked in a freezing 6′x8′ cell, force-fed through a plastic tube that was pushed up their noses without an anesthetic, and forced to crouch in a kneeling position for 12 hours at a stretch."
Theoreticalboy, why do you hate freedom?
I can't explain it. Every time I see little kids skipping along merrily I just want to put them in orange jumpsuits and lock them in a closet somewhere.
-kenpo- wrote:
silence or platitudes amounts to support.
either support or powerlessness.
in any case it's not like western governments aren't violating the human and civil rights of their own populations in equally disgusting manners. you just don't hear about it. and if you do hear something, it's just a bunch of bs and not what really is going on.
in my view, it's kind of like russians are more honest or upfront about things and don't go to such involved extents to pretend that the majority of the people actually have any power or say like they do in some countries. it's not like elections anywhere else really mean anything either.
I agree that most if not all governments are necessarily detached from the people they claim to represent, and that no political system is perfect.
They are not the same, though, and as much as I have a lot of problems with British society and its governance, I really can't imagine Ed Milliband getting bundled into the back of a van by riot police for trying to give a speech. A poltician? Trying to give a speech? Imagine that!
And yet right now the British government is threatening to overturn international law and storm the Ecuadorian embassy, in order to arrest Julian Assange over a clear kangaroo court case.
What's worse? The Russian courts sentencing a group of girls who did deliberately committed an act they knew they would face punishment over, or Downing Street setting the precedent that treaties and accords only apply to them when they want them to, and doing so in pursuing the vendetta of another country against a man who did naught but his duty as a journalist?
NimzoRoy wrote:
As for the majority of people not having ANY power or say in their govt maybe that's true in Brazil but it's far from true in the US regardless of your ignorant opinion on the matter
A more skewed perception of the situation could rarely be found. Brazil's democracy is far more vibrant than the mangled corpse that exists here.
theoreticalboy wrote:
And yet right now the British government is threatening to overturn international law and storm the Ecuadorian embassy, in order to arrest Julian Assange over a clear kangaroo court case.
What's worse? The Russian courts sentencing a group of girls who did deliberately committed an act they knew they would face punishment over, or Downing Street setting the precedent that treaties and accords only apply to them when they want them to, and doing so in pursuing the vendetta of another country against a man who did naught but his duty as a journalist?
I agree that's also disgusting (although they won't storm the Ecuadorian embassy, no need to get into hyperbole). It is possible for more than one thing to be wrong.
Yes, more than one thing can be wrong; my take is that if Downing Street follows through on its threats, that is a far greater affront to the cause of freedom than this tinpot Russian trial.
Still, they could be worse; they could be the Americans 
what was Gary thinking eh ?
that Putin does whatever he pleases, doesn't he know ?
I haven't seen the government threatening to storm the embassy - all I've seen is that they've said they won't give him safe passage out of the country, i.e. that he'll be arrested if he leaves the embassy.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19298846
yes, we all read the news
gabrielconroy wrote:
I haven't seen the government threatening to storm the embassy - all I've seen is that they've said they won't give him safe passage out of the country, i.e. that he'll be arrested if he leaves the embassy.
Don't rain on his parade. It is much more fun to live in the western world and use your freedom of speech to bash it and exagerate truths. Where in reality if a person hated it so much they wouldn't live in and be a citizen of the country they so hate.
I'd like to see theoreticalboy give up his U.S. citizenship to show that he truly hates the country and government, otherwise it is all attention grabbing statements.
Figured I'd go there since this thread went off the topic of Kasparov pretty quickly to a typical internet conspiracy rant on how every powerful government is evil and out to rule the world with an iron fist and make all those who disagree disappear (except for all those who disagree on the internet apparently).
gabrielconroy wrote:
I haven't seen the government threatening to storm the embassy - all I've seen is that they've said they won't give him safe passage out of the country, i.e. that he'll be arrested if he leaves the embassy.
"Britain's warning was carried in a set of notes delivered to Ecuadorean diplomats Wednesday as they tried to negotiate an agreement over Assange, who has spent nearly two months holed up at the Latin American nation's London mission in a bid to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he's wanted over allegations of sexual assault.
The notes, published by Britain on Thursday, said ominously that keeping Assange at the embassy was incompatible with international law. They added: "You should be aware that there is a legal basis in the U.K. — the Diplomatic and Consular Premises Act — which would allow us to take action to arrest Mr. Assange in the current premises of the embassy."
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/uk-threat-ecuador-experts-mistake-17028638
The difference between Pussy Riot and Assange is that the former stand up for what they believe in, knowing that they will suffer for it, while Assange seems to be utterly spineless and fears a fair trial more than anything else.
Now I get why these discussions always lock the threads: some of us can be discussing civilly, but an idiot like ChessSponge will always turn up loaded down with strawmans and woeful miscomprehensions.
I like Pussy Riot & I also like Gary Kasparov.
Freedom of speech always worth fighting for !
theoreticalboy wrote:
Now I get why these discussions always lock the threads: some of us can be discussing civilly, but an idiot like ChessSponge will always turn up loaded down with strawmans and woeful miscomprehensions.
Please explain. You have said how Americans are the worst over and over again yet clearly you like the U.S. enough to be a citizen and live there.
If you truly hate the country that much, prove it by giving up citizenship and moving to another country.
fabelhaft wrote:
The difference between Pussy Riot and Assange is that the former stand up for what they believe in, knowing that they will suffer for it, while Assange seems to be utterly spineless and fears a fair trial more than anything else.
lol, this is wonderful.
Actually, if Assange had a fair trial it would have been laughed out of court already. The difference between Assange and Pussy Riot is that the former revealed the machinations of the US Empire, whilst the latter protested against the favoured comedy villain of our times.
I would think that even those who are anti-Wikileaks would at least acknowledge this blindingly obvious truth.
Seeing news reports that he was in fact beaten, but is reportedly OK.