**** Riot

BlueFox

What a great name for a band. To bad they are going to jail for two years for singing a song. Maybe there needs to be Putin Riot band.

agfrost

"Prison Riot" for a couple of years now...:razz:

nspindel

Here's the thing, though. I feel about as sorry for these people as I did for the hikers who got taken captive by the Iranians. They knew full well that what they were doing had dire consequences, and they did it anyway. I hate to say they were asking for it, but I think they were. So while I don't agree that the ramifications they received were correct or just, there's only so bad that I can feel for people who really were asking for trouble. If you go hiking on the Iran/Iraq border, you are just asking for trouble. Go hiking on the California/Oregon border and you don't end up in an Iranian prison. Sing a song like that in a Russian church, you're asking for trouble, and you found it. Doesn't make the trouble right, or just. Doesn't mean I agree with it, I don't. But not like any of this was a surprise. If you stick your head in a snake pit, you're going to get bit....

soundfreak1

Well i will never. Believe those "hikers" werent workung for the "company" or the single stupidest people on earth. After all who ( in thier right mind) chooses that area as americans oooooh let go hiking in or real close to toe iran border
REALLY! come on! How did tjey get visa's . Transportation to that area, not exactly on the tour gide list.look at a map surrounding that area not a friendly contry bourdering that reagon. Hell at best tjey could be shot for being that stupid if not "connected". Ya they were just kids out for an interesting summer vacation. If anyone believes that--- i have a bridge for sale

---

CHEEP!

stretchl

Guys, with due respect -

1) They're not a "band," they're a performance art group that's part of the dissident political movement of which former chess world champion Garry Kasparov. According the the New York Times - "But while the women became minor celebrities, **** Riot is far more political than musical: Its members have never commercially released a song or an album, and they do not seem to have any serious aspirations to do so." http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/18/world/europe/suspense-ahead-of-verdict-for-jailed-russian-punk-band.html?pagewanted=all

2) There is no parallel whatsoever to PR and the "hikers" along the Iran border. The members of PR are Russian and were arrested by their own government, not the same as the Iranians arresting individuals who were apparently in their country illegally.

Finally, I swear I'm not going get sucked into a political discussion on this board, but I would like to point out that the same type of rabble rousers for whom some feel no sympathy today (ie. **** Riot, flag burners, other types of political protesters) are of a kind with the mob that threw all that tea into Boston Harbor in the mid-1770's (probably spelled Harbour then).

Political protest that involves risking one's life, fortune and sacred honor is just about the only kind of speech I do give a monkey's about. IMHO, what was good for the American Colonists then is still good for America now.

And, since I've said "finally" already, I'll make this a ps -

If you like **** Riot, you'll love this, available here or at your local record dealer.

nspindel

My comparison with PR and the Iran hikers is fairly simple. They each knowingly did something that they knew was highly dangerous, for their own pleasure. And they paid the price. If you go hiking on the Iran/Iraq border, there's a very good chance that your hike will end up in an Iranian jail. If you go singing Putin protest songs in a Moscow church, there's a very good chance that you will end up in a Russian jail. They both did so anyway, and they both paid the price. I am certainly a supporter of free speech, and agree that this is a right that we hold dear as Americans. Do I think these people deserve to go to jail? No. But these events did not transpire in America, they transpired in places where such rights don't exist. That's why I live here, not Iran or Russia. If you think PR sang that song in the church thinking they'd get a big round of applause and then do an encore, you're crazy. They knew they'd end up in jail, they did it anyway, and they're heading to jail. I'm not saying it's right. I'm saying they knew what they were getting themselves into, they did it anyway, and this is what happens.

Strong Bad

nspindel wrote: »

My comparison with PR and the Iran hikers is fairly simple. They each knowingly did something that they knew was highly dangerous, for their own pleasure. And they paid the price. If you go hiking on the Iran/Iraq border, there's a very good chance that your hike will end up in an Iranian jail. If you go singing Putin protest songs in a Moscow church, there's a very good chance that you will end up in a Russian jail. They both did so anyway, and they both paid the price. I am certainly a supporter of free speech, and agree that this is a right that we hold dear as Americans. Do I think these people deserve to go to jail? No. But these events did not transpire in America, they transpired in places where such rights don't exist. That's why I live here, not Iran or Russia. If you think PR sang that song in the church thinking they'd get a big round of applause and then do an encore, you're crazy. They knew they'd end up in jail, they did it anyway, and they're heading to jail. I'm not saying it's right. I'm saying they knew what they were getting themselves into, they did it anyway, and this is what happens.

Amen Brutha!

I do think that PR knew what they were getting into and just came to a collective agreement to take the punishment for everyone. I suspect they knew the level of punishment they would get and did it to expose Putin and his goon squad.

Now, the hikers...they're just idiots. There's 2,180 miles of gorgeous hiking trail called the Appalachian Trail right here in the good ole USA, but you have to go hiking on the Iraq/Iran border. How about the Rockies? How about a friendly nation in Europe?

I went round and round with a friend recently about countries I would NOT step foot in. Mexico, China (and most of Asia), Africa and the Middle East. Go to Europe, go to Australia or even Japan if you feel the need to travel overseas.

rtart

This serves as a great example and/or reminder of how unique America is. Many Americans take our freedoms for granted and do not understand how precious and unusual they are.

I've lived around the world and visited many more countries, with no problems. A large part of the reason is that I never forget that my rights and freedoms as an American end at our borders. When I visit China, or Mexico, or the UAE, or Saudi Arabia, I act like a guest and keep my mouth shut. While I do not agree with much that these regime imposes on their people, it IS their country, and I am a guest. I 'vote' against their rule by living elsewhere.

I also believe that people usually get the government they deserve. Freedom is NOT free, and many of our citizen-soldiers fought and died so we (and many others around the world) could be free. Our founding fathers dumped tea in the harbor and risked their lives to overthrow a tyrant. 1,000 fists will always triumph over a single rifle.

Countries that truly want to be free must want it badly enough to fight for it. Only a very few have ever done so. That makes citizenship in the USA a remarkably valuable thing.

nooshinjohn

crap... I thought we finally had a porno chat room.

stretchl

Strong Bad wrote: »

I went round and round with a friend recently about countries I would NOT step foot in. Mexico, China (and most of Asia), Africa and the Middle East. Go to Europe, go to Australia or even Japan if you feel the need to travel overseas.

Holy Travelphobia, man! Why on earth would you NOT go to those places? I've been to all except the mid-east and I can tell you from first hand experience you're missing out.

Notice, for instance, Bali. Some of the best scuba diving, most friendly people and most sheer natural beauty in the world -

These are NOT my photos, by the way. When I'm in Bali I do my best NOT to work.

stretchl

rtart wrote: »

1,000 fists will always triumph over a single rifle.

Hear hear!

I tried to tell this to a gentleman with whom I was in a discussion the other night, but he'd have none of it.

He kept insisting that he needed the freedom to purchase a semi-automatic rifle and a huge magazine to protect himself and his family.

Go figure.

Randnich

nooshinjohn wrote: »

crap... I thought we finally had a porno chat room.

No, but watching news anchors talk about the story is mildly humorous..

newrival

Stetchl, excellent points all.

It's interesting, and extremely unfortunate to witness the xenophobia that seems to be deeply pervasive in our country. There are so many naturally and culturally beautiful places on earth that people will avoid because they haven't been wiped with "western sanitizer," so to speak.

bikezappa

Remember Bill Baird!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Baird_(activist)

Face

Song embedded in first video.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/17/****-riot-putin-lights-up-the-fires-video_n_1797880.html