Pussy Riot

[ColoWayno]

http://www.tnr.com/blog/plank/106281...de-putin-blink

The thing that struck me is how one of the first manifestations of a closer relationship with the church by the Kremlin is an act of oppression.

If this is what Russia does when it gets religion, they should give it back.

My apologies to mat clone for concerning myself with something happening 4753 miles away.

[Dastardly]

I was very surprised that they were headlining as the number 1 story on british news over the past couple days. Miles ahead of the assange story or serious shit going down in the middle east.

Also, surprised that British news was using the full name during daytime. They are kidding themselves if they think a feminist punk group are using the term "pussy" as in cat.

[Jonathan S]

I've had a lot of fun listening to all the posh reporters strain themselves saying 'pussy'.

[Mark E. Hurling]

The Russian Orthodox Church like the Church of England was always an arm of the Czar. The only lapse was the rise of the soviets.

I thought the continued use of the term I saw in another article about this was interesting. I don't know how far back the term goes, but it was a popular label of the soviets for those who wouldn't stay in line. But then when Putin who was part of the old order in the KGB is actually running the place we shouldn't be surprised.

[Patrick]

Two years? In Soviet Russia, government punks rockers (did I do that right?)

Evidently Kasparov was arrested protesting as well. This is nuts.

[Kyle Aaron]

The thing that struck me is how one of the first manifestations of a closer relationship with the church by the Kremlin is an act of oppression.

Historically that's what the Kremlin and Orthodox Church have usually done, whether it was Putin, Stalin (once the Nazis attached) or the Tsar in the Kremlin.

Worldwide churches both Orthodox and Catholic are usually on the side of oppressive governments, since while oppressive governments stamp out dissent generally, they're also able to stamp out religious dissent and protect the primacy of the particular church. The Catholic Church was good buddies with the Latin American military dictators, for example.

[Greg C]

This is NOT what I hoped this thread was about. I am disappoint.

[BryanM]

National chess hero now a pariah to be beaten and locked away. I'm pretty sure his younger self never thought such things would happen to him over such ridiculous reasons.

Some hilarious light monday morning reading, you'll at least want to see the photo of the giant galactic space penis: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voina