News to make you feel bad
Aug. 17th, 2012 09:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
You know about this, I'm sure, but three members of
pussy_riot got two years in jail for a political protest. Isn't it great that there's no more Soviet Union and Russian citizens are free to express their beliefs?
Here's a letter from Billy Bragg to Pussy Riot:

There was a protest today, but I missed it. At least the world is outraged? That's something, I guess.
In South Africa, police murdered 34 striking miners, because apparently we've travelled back in time to that era of labour and race relations.
In Jerusalem, dozens of Israeli youth attacked three Palestinian kids, one of whom is now in intensive care.
It's a much smaller thing and no one got killed, but apparently it's a problem to have Asians on our money. Because Canada doesn't have a problem with racism at all.
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Here's a letter from Billy Bragg to Pussy Riot:

There was a protest today, but I missed it. At least the world is outraged? That's something, I guess.
In South Africa, police murdered 34 striking miners, because apparently we've travelled back in time to that era of labour and race relations.
In Jerusalem, dozens of Israeli youth attacked three Palestinian kids, one of whom is now in intensive care.
It's a much smaller thing and no one got killed, but apparently it's a problem to have Asians on our money. Because Canada doesn't have a problem with racism at all.
no subject
Date: 2012-08-18 01:47 am (UTC)Yeah, its better than it USED to be, but its still totally fucked.
no subject
Date: 2012-08-18 03:21 am (UTC)Yes, there are 10,000 atrocities happening a second that are worse.
You know why those other ones arent getting covered?
CAUSE GUYS JUST LIKE SAYING "PUSSY RIOT."
no subject
Date: 2012-08-18 03:22 am (UTC)Chess players, too
Date: 2012-08-18 03:58 am (UTC)I'm going to suggest that there is hope hidden in the growing extremes to which the fascists are going, not just in Russia and Israel but (it seems) just about all over. Namely, that behind the arrogant triumphalism is a fear that the party is just about over for them.
Somewhere in what passes for their paranoid and avaricious hearts is the realization that if they take all the money, there will be no one left to buy there crap. The world doesn't in fact run according to the notions of Ayn Rand; you can't build railways if all of the passengers have starved to death.
no subject
Date: 2012-08-18 05:32 am (UTC)(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2012-08-18 02:12 pm (UTC)I saw what happened in South Africa, but by that time, the only thing I could think was "wow, this is how super villain origin stories work."
One super power from being Magneto,
e
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2012-08-18 03:13 pm (UTC)And while sure, including more diversity by putting some other people of colour on other bills would be great, that was not the Bank of Canada's response to the complaints - instead, they've replaced her with a "so-called 'neutral,' non-ethnic look". IN other words, they made her white, which is somehow "non-ethnic".
So yeah, apparently including an actual person of colour somewhere in amongst a sea of white faces is somehow not multicultural enough, but if you get rid of her and make everyone white, that's OK, because white people are "neutral" and "non-ethnic" and therefore represent everyone. FFS. *headdesk*
(no subject)
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