[RD] War in Ukraine: Other topics

[red_elk]

Roblox is popular the world over, but has faced some criticism for exposing children to sexual content, grooming, extremist material, and financial exploitation, leading some countries to ban or restrict the platform over child-safety concerns. Critics argue its design and moderation failures make it too easy for predators to contact minors and push children into excessive spending through gambling-like mechanics such as loot boxes.

In the United States, the platform has been linked to dozens of grooming and abuse cases, with at least 30 arrests since 2018 and lawsuits following incidents of sexual exploitation and attempted abduction.

Which was the main stated reason for ban. I wonder why the article doesn't mention it.

 

[Broken_Erika]

Anti-Kremlin punk band Pussy Riot designated an extremist group by Russian court​

'In today’s Russia, telling the truth is extremism. So be it — we’re proud extremists, then,' responds founder​

The Russian anti-Kremlin feminist punk band and art collective known as Pussy Riot was designated an extremist organization by a Moscow court on Monday, banning its activities inside Russia as part of a wider crackdown on dissenting voices.

The ruling, announced by Moscow's court service, was made at a closed-door court hearing at the request of the General Prosecutor's Office.

The band's exiled members have often spoken out against Moscow's war in Ukraine, and in September a court handed them jail sentences in absentia of up to 13 years each after convicting them of telling lies about the Russian army.

The group, whose members have been labeled as "foreign agents" by the authorities, rejected the charges at the time, saying they were politically motivated.

Monday's ruling — which now sees the group share a designation with the Jehovah's Witnesses and the political organization of late opposition politician Alexei Navalny, among others — will make it easier for the authorities to go after the band's supporters inside Russia or people who have worked with them in the past if they want to.

It could also potentially make the group's dealings with Western financial institutions more difficult.

Group founder Nadya Tolokonnikova, who is outside Russia and describes herself as "geographically anonymous" for security reasons, shrugged off the designation.

"I can say what I think about [President Vladimir] Putin — that he is an aging sociopath spreading his venom around the world like cancer. In today’s Russia, telling the truth is extremism. So be it — we’re proud extremists, then," the 36-year-old said in a statement.

"This court order is designed to erase the very existence of Pussy Riot from the minds of Russians. Owning a balaclava, having our song on your computer, or liking one of our posts could lead to prison time. Pussy Riot has effectively become 'those who cannot be named,'" she said.

Tolokonnikova, who served nearly two years in a Russian prison camp in 2012-2013 after taking part in an anti-Putin protest which a court ruled was a crude violation of public order motivated by religious hatred, is wanted by Russia on criminal charges of insulting Orthodox believers' feelings.

'Threat to state security'​

The Kremlin has said some censorship is necessary at a time when it says it is locked in an existential struggle with the West which it accuses of trying to undermine national unity.

It does not comment on individual court rulings which it says are a matter for the judiciary which it says is independent despite critics asserting the opposite.

The Kremlin says that Putin, who sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022, remains the country's most popular politician by far and that Russians are united behind what he is doing. It dismisses bands like Pussy Riot as exiled activists who do not represent mainstream opinion inside Russia.

Providing a motivation for their request to brand the group as extremist, state prosecutors cited two of its past high-profile actions that they cast as a threat to state security, according to the TASS news agency.

One of the incidents cited was the 2012 Moscow cathedral protest, which Orthodox believers said was sacrilegious.

The other was the group's soccer pitch invasion — dressed as police officers — during the 2018 World Cup at Moscow's main stadium in front of Putin, an action the group said at the time was to promote free speech.

Leonid Solovyev, a lawyer for the band, was cited last month by TASS as saying that the group's actions had been "ironic" and not aimed at overthrowing the constitutional order.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/pussy-riot-kremlin-terrorist-organization-9.7016622

 

[Klaus Hergersheimer]

During their 2012 trial, I remember one of the band members delivering (ironically, given their name) one of the more interesting speeches about the workings of Putin's Russia that I've seen.

 

[caketastydelish]

During the Iraq War Green Day and their "American Idiot" stuff, they bashed Bush almost nonstop for the Iraq war (and rightfully so) and they never got arrested for faced goverment censorship or persecution for it. Criticize Putins war and this happens to you. That's the difference between a free society and a totalitarian one.

 

[PhroX]

During the Iraq War Green Day and their "American Idiot" stuff, they bashed Bush almost nonstop for the Iraq war (and rightfully so) and they never got arrested for faced goverment censorship or persecution for it. Criticize Putins war and this happens to you. That's the difference between a free society and a totalitarian one.

Nah, Russia's every bit as free as the US, I mean, c'mon, in America, you're free to stand in front of the White House and criticise America, and in Russia, you're also free to stand in front of the Kremlin and criticise America.

 

[Kyriakos]

Nah, Russia's every bit as free as the US, I mean, c'mon, in America, you're free to stand in front of the White House and criticise America, and in Russia, you're also free to stand in front of the Kremlin and criticise America.

"Roses are red, violets are blue, and in soviet Russia poem writes you"

 

[Zardnaar]

"Roses are red, violets are blue, and in soviet Russia poem writes you"

Yeah thats a reheated old joke.

 

[PhroX]

Oh I wouldn't for a second claim any originality. But it seemed very fitting.

 

[r16]

so , ı have noticed some guy complaining about the West , because the targeting information comes from the West unless it's the sons of very rich serving Ukraine in holiday resorts as an undercover and the targeting still comes from the West , about not respecting borders . Like conditioned by maybe 40 years of news reports of dogfights and overflights and claims of overflights and whatnot . The West does not respect borders , zones of influences , others' principles or vassals . They , for example , are crashing drones in my country , to make up for the shortfalls of troops to die in their glory . Owning the websites is no longer enough and they have no problems with war , going on , escalated or involving further countries , as long as they do not get return fire .

 

[Snowygerry]

Trump’s superpower flex in Venezuela delivers a humbling blow to Putin’s Russia

President Putin has proved a useless ally to deposed Venezuelan leader Maduro, but the humiliation runs deeper: The U.S, president’s real global superpower reach is turning the Kremlin green …

www.politico.eu

In truth, however, Putin has followed the might-is-right model for years. What’s embarrassing is that he hasn’t proving as successful at it as Trump.
Indeed, the dominant emotion among Russia’s nationalists appears to be envy, both veiled and undisguised.
“All of Russia is asking itself why we don’t deal with our enemies in a similar

 

[Zardnaar]

Trump’s superpower flex in Venezuela delivers a humbling blow to Putin’s Russia

President Putin has proved a useless ally to deposed Venezuelan leader Maduro, but the humiliation runs deeper: The U.S, president’s real global superpower reach is turning the Kremlin green …

www.politico.eu

Heh. How does this operation compare with Panama 1989 and Prague 68 bring closest equivalents.

It was a lot more surgical than those events.

In Russias case they're useless. That's why they cant duplicate it.

 

[Snowygerry]

Both in case of Panama and Prague the enemy occupied the place, that’s not the case in Venezuela. The US Americans are nowhere, regime checkpoints are everywhere, journalists were arrested at the Colombian border just last night trying to enter.

There seems to be a hunt going on to find those that collaborated with the US army inside Venezuela.

Even in Syria the ousting of Assad was followed by an actuall military advance to the capital.

Just arresting a figurehead leader is unlikely to accomplish much imho.

 

[Zardnaar]

Both in case of Panama and Prague the enemy occupied the place, that’s not the case in Venezuela. The US Americans are nowhere, regime checkpoints are everywhere, journalists were arrested at the Colombian border just last night trying to enter.

There seems to be a hunt going on to find those that collaborated with the US army inside Venezuela.

Even in Syria the ousting of Assad was followed by an actuall military advance to the capital.

Just arresting a figurehead leader is unlikely to accomplish much.

That's tbe difference I suppose. I think USA will get away with it minimal blowback.

 

[Snowygerry]

Everybody is happy to seem them distracted by what is basically a sideshow.

Except the Russian nationalists, they are green of jealousy apparently

 

[Gedemon]

it's a show of power, but it doesn't seem efficient, we'll see in the long run.

in the case of this conflict, I don't think that if Russia capture Zelensky, as they tried to do in the beginning of the invasion, or that if Putin was eliminated, it would stop the war.

 

[Zardnaar]

it's a show of power, but it doesn't seem efficient, we'll see in the long run.

in the case of this conflict, I don't think that if Russia capture Zelensky, as they tried to do in the beginning of the invasion, or that if Putin was eliminated, it would stop the war.

Democracies usually have a clear line of succession.

 

[Gedemon]

Pretty sure Russia has one, and if not FSB would choose, Russians would follow.

 

[Zardnaar]

Pretty sure Russia has one, and if not FSB would choose, Russians would follow.

He's a wet blanket Putin sock puppet.

 

[Snowygerry]

What is important here is that Russian allies are taken out one by one, in the long run that’s an advantage.

 

[Zardnaar]

What is important here is that Russian allies are taken out one by one, in the long run that’s an advantage.

Yeah wonder if Iranian regime will be a around much longer.

World needs a bit of a clear out.