Surprised people here are not talking about it more right now...

It's a country. A big one.

Has the Cold War finally ended?

What do you think the talk should be about?

This is what I know about Russia. It is the successor state of the former Soviet Union, the arch-enemy of the US during the Cold War. Economically, it is described by Western media as a crony capitalist state. It is one of the BRICS countries. It is the host country of the upcoming Winter Olympics. It has a strained relation with the US over Syria and nuclear proliferation of Iran. It recently passed discriminatory laws banning "homosexual agenda" and met with international criticism and boycott. It is the asylum home of Edward Snowden, the former US intelligence analyst who leaked documents about secret US surveillance programs.

I think the doctor is referring to some anti-gay legislature that was just passed over there, no? Apparently it won't apply to their Olympic athletes.

But yeah, I already knew those guys were dicks because Pussy Riot.

^ What he said.

Not much can a foreigner do about it. We have yet to see how far-reaching and threatening to gays and the freedom of speech the law would be when enforced. People in Russia can do something to protest this. Planning something of civil disobedience in nature (e.g. gay rights rally, same-sex kiss-ins, wearing a LGBT-themed tee, etc.) would be a good idea. If enough people did it, the law would be rendered meaningless.

LOL, you underestimate Putin and his gang.

Mr. R is going to roll in here in a vodka swilling righteous rage ("The whores in Pussy Riot just want ze publicity!") in 5...4...3...2...

Why didn't China get as much shit as Russia? They seem immensely worse than Russia in terms of civil rights abuses. Or Qatar getting the World Cup in 2022.

Also, I dislike the Olympics anyway. They are huge wastes of money for the host city/country.

http://en.rian.ru/society/20130627/181907980.html

"[T]he federal budget money set to be spent on the Olympics...[is] predicted to amount to 700 billion rubles ($21 billion). The total budget is around $46 billion and much of the non-budget funding comes from state-run companies."

Putin is evil. What is happening over there is scary, and we are pretty close to starting a new cold war. And look at this way it could just be the start with homosexuals, who knows there is still a great deal of anti-semtism in Russia, they could start passing laws against Jews. I think the Olympic athletes should make a statement at the games, and stand united and show Russia their view of this horrible laws. Also, think Obama needs to come out tougher against them. He said some harsh words on Leno last night, and he is refusing to meet with Putin.

Its a bit naive to say its Putin pushing the law on the people.

The people of Russia support that law and are just as guilty.

Also Obama is just talking tough to appease the gay community.

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Well, I was speaking more of historically, most of Europe, including Russia have an anti-semetic history. Also can't forget the poem by Martin Niemöller about how they first came for the Jews and nobody spoke out. People need to speak out or it will happen to other groups.

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Are people really surprised at social reactionarism in Russia? It's the best way of legitimizing and consolidating power for Putin if living standards are stagnant and the oligarchy still runs things, because there's still a suppurating ideological black hole left over from the collapse of the USSR.