Russian Anti-gay laws and violence, and the Olympic (Winter) Games.

[HoreTore]

I did not claim they are christian(notice the lack of the word "other" before the word "christian"?), I merely pointed out that they are making a claim that, in our western world, is usually done by christian groups.

The Russian orthodox group is a whole 'nother matter, and you often see priests marching with neo-nazis.

Russia is of course not a state with a functioning justice system or police force(I'm a commie, my knowledge of Russia is thus a bit more than just surface knowledge), and hate-gangs have found several different kinds of victims to beat up. The gays are far from alone in their situation.

Couple this with organized groups with stated victims to target, social media fame for theof stories of police and state behaviour going far beyond the normal Russian incompetence, and I feel perfectly justified in calling this utter barbarism.

[rvg]

... I feel perfectly justified in calling this utter barbarism.

It's all relative. This would be barbaric within the framework of a properly functioning nation state. Russia is anything but that. So in the context of that situation these occurrences aren't barbaric, just bad.

[Papewaio]

To quote Princess Bride 'I don't think you understand what that word actually means'


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bar·bar·i·an (bär-bâr-n)
n.
1. A member of a people considered by those of another nation or group to have a primitive civilization.
2. A fierce, brutal, or cruel person.
3. An insensitive, uncultured person; a boor. See Synonyms at boor.
[French barbarien, from barbare, barbarous, from Latin barbarus; see barbarous.]
bar·bari·an adj.
bar·bari·an·ism n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
barbarian [bɑːˈbɛərɪən]
n
1. (Social Science / Anthropology & Ethnology) a member of a primitive or uncivilized people
2. a coarse, insensitive, or uncultured person
3. a vicious person

A non functioning state is a barbaric one.

[rvg]

Don't patronize me, I have a damn good idea what it means. It's a matter of perspective. The samurai considered europeans to be barbarians.

[Papewaio]

You cannot excuse the actions of a subset of people in Russia being violent (barbaric) by excusing it because the Russian state is non functioning (Barbaric).

Two barbaric characteristics do not negate each other and form a bad situation. It just reinforces the perception that it is a barbaric state of affairs.

[rvg]

You cannot excuse the actions of a subset of people in Russia being violent (barbaric) by excusing it because the Russian state is non functioning (Barbaric).

Two barbaric characteristics do not negate each other and form a bad situation. It just reinforces the perception that it is a barbaric state of affairs.

I'm not excusing anyone's actions, I merely refuse to stereotype 140 million people based on the actions of a tiny minority.

[Papewaio]

I agree that the violence at this point is being handed out by a minority whom many characterize as Neo-nazis.

What is telling however is the way the state is handling this. Tacit support and harsh laws based on someone's gender is barbaric.

That the people on the whole seem comfortable with this makes them passively complicit.

That we would still send entertainers there for a big party to celebrate makes our countries complicit too.

[HoreTore]

I'm not excusing anyone's actions, I merely refuse to stereotype 140 million people based on the actions of a tiny minority.

Remember that I'm a socialist, rvg, I don't give a crap about the actual individuals, and when I call a society barbaric I'm not really talking about the individuals who make up that society(and I strongly believe that humans are basically good as well).

The person is the product of the society, and it is the society which is to blame here.