Here overseas a police state is already estabilished. However, little attention is paid by police to home pirates. Police is corrupted to the bone, and home users are too poor to prey upon. Also, pirates pose little threat to the regime. But should you wear a t-shirt saying that you are against Putin, you will go to jail for 'antisocial behavior' AND probably the devil himself, let alone pirated software, will be found on your HDD. We are heading into an enlightened future with heads proudly raised, soon to become another North Korea, singing hosanna to our sun-like leader and eating grass.

bristlehog wrote:

But should you wear a t-shirt saying that you are against Putin, you will go to jail for 'antisocial behavior' AND probably the devil himself, let alone pirated software, will be found on your HDD. We are heading into an enlightened future with heads proudly raised, soon to become another North Korea, singing hosanna to our sun-like leader and eating grass.

...I'm just wondering how long until the fashionably West-hating, "pro-freedom" contingent catches up and realizes that anti-American posturing and giving asylum to Snowden doesn't automatically cut you some slack. All you gotta do these days if you're running an oppressive state is to align yourself against the US loudly enough, and these guys will be tripping over each other to hand you a moral ambiguity pass.

VileRancour wrote:

...I'm just wondering how long until the fashionably West-hating, "pro-freedom" contingent catches up and realizes that anti-American posturing and giving asylum to Snowden doesn't automatically cut you some slack. All you gotta do these days if you're running an oppressive state is to align yourself against the US loudly enough, and these guys will be tripping over each other to hand you a moral ambiguity pass.

Alas, my English skills are insufficient to grasp your idea.

bristlehog wrote:

Here overseas a police state is already estabilished. However, little attention is paid by police to home pirates. Police is corrupted to the bone, and home users are too poor to prey upon. Also, pirates pose little threat to the regime. But should you wear a t-shirt saying that you are against Putin, you will go to jail for 'antisocial behavior' AND probably the devil himself, let alone pirated software, will be found on your HDD. We are heading into an enlightened future with heads proudly raised, soon to become another North Korea, singing hosanna to our sun-like leader and eating grass.

Well, I guess we don't have it so bad compared to that. But I am disturbed out how much things have changed over the years.
How is Pussy Riot btw? Weren't they jailed for giving Putin lip?

bristlehog wrote:

VileRancour wrote:

...I'm just wondering how long until the fashionably West-hating, "pro-freedom" contingent catches up and realizes that anti-American posturing and giving asylum to Snowden doesn't automatically cut you some slack. All you gotta do these days if you're running an oppressive state is to align yourself against the US loudly enough, and these guys will be tripping over each other to hand you a moral ambiguity pass.

Alas, my English skills are insufficient to grasp your idea.

Allow me to sum up: basically, he is saying that taking Snowden in when other oppressive regimes have done worse, does not give them a free pass on their bad behavior. Sort of a pot calling the kettle black situation (I don't know any Russian or I'd try and come up with an appropriate idiom).

Uh. For pot calling the kettle black, we usually use the phrase that has a direct Latin analogue: "Medice, cura te ipsum!"

Snowden is a hero, I certainly have no balls to do what he has done. I personally think that Russian regime gave him shelter to vex USA, not because they felt for him. If he'd given out Russian, not United States, dark secrets, they would instead claim him a traitor and send forth polonium assassins.

Pussy Riot (namely, Tolokonnikova and Alyokhina) were imprisoned for more than a year, but they have been recently released by the means of amnesty. I have seen them at Colbert's Report not so long ago.

bristlehog wrote:

Uh. For pot calling the kettle black, we usually use the phrase that has a direct Latin analogue: "Medice, cura te ipsum!"

Snowden is a hero, I certainly have no balls to do what he has done. I personally think that Russian regime gave him shelter to vex USA, not because they felt for him. If he'd given out Russian, not United States, dark secrets, they would instead claim him a traitor and send forth polonium assassins.

Pussy Riot (namely, Tolokonnikova and Alekhina) were imprisoned for more than a year, but they have been recently released by the means of amnesty. I have seen them at Colbert's Report not so long ago.

I must have missed that one, I'll have to see if I can catch it online.