Russia: the country that hates gay people

[Jezza]

Thanks for linking the article.

I think these recent events really demonstrate how Russia has regressed as a supposed democratic country under Putin's leadership that the likes of Boris Yeltsin and his government were attempting to strive for in the 1990s after the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991.

It's shocking that in a country that supposedly preaches democracy and transparency that something like this could happen. This drive-by shooting could prove to be very disconcerting for other potential Russians to speak out against Putin and the Russian government in the future. For what it's worth I still think that if Putin tries to contest for the presidency again in 2018 he'll win by quite a margin regardless of whether dissent rises or not as I read somewhere that he has even more support in Russia than he did in the 2012 elections when he became president for a second time after serving a first stint in 2000 to 2008.

I found an interesting article that may explain why Putin is enjoying such high levels of support in Russia at the moment despite being hit hard by economic sanctions and rising prices in the past year as a result of the intervention into Ukraine and Crimea. Much of this has a lot to do with state-funded propaganda of course.

http://imrussia.org/en/analysis/nation/ ... y-or-trend

[David]

Yep. When you own the media and can throw all but the most lame-duck opposition leaders in jail, you can pretty much stay in power for as long as you like. Unless the constitution says you can't, in which case you just change the constitution.

The door is swinging shut.

[Mugwump]

Yep. When you own the media and can throw all but the most lame-duck opposition leaders in jail, you can pretty much stay in power for as long as you like. Unless the constitution says you can't, in which case you just change the constitution.

The door is swinging shut.

It was shut once Putin performed the pas de deux with his puppet Medvedev. We are learning that democracy is a plant that can only evolve through a people's historic struggle in a favourable environment - it cannot be transplanted, and it doesn't really emerge spontaneously. Looking over history, what's most striking is the complete subordination of truth to politics in Russia, the idea that truth is entirely relative to political objectives. It seems that the totalitarian mind is invincible there. It is fascinating and mildly amusing to see how, whenever a major European paper publishes an article on Russia, the comments section fills up with pro-Russian /anti-Western comments and threats from people who just happen to register that day....

[David]

[stui magpie]

10 is getting a bit old, they don't need to be teaching the mechanics to kinder kids but they should be at least discussing the concepts that not all kids have a mum and a dad, some have only 1 parent, some have 2 dads and some have 2 mums.

[David]

Yep. As the father of a 7-year-old, I see absolutely no reason to hide the existence of homosexuality or same-sex relationships from him or to think that doing so would in any way aid his development. It's certainly not too early for basic sex education, either.

[stui magpie]

As the grandfather of a 6 year old who lives with 2 women in a same sex relationship, i think it's essential to at least get the concepts out. He gets invited to birthday parties so that has to spread to his friends and their parents as well, all of whom i understand have been very welcoming.

[David]