Pussy, Putin and the right to be insult religion

[dellzeqq]

If you want a laugh, watch French TV newscasters talk about Putin.

But Osbourne a new Putin? His type are out there, but Osbourne is not one such.

He is ineffectual, weak and without a compass of any discernible variety, but he is no Putin.

allow me a small jokette...

 

[srw]

http://newhumanist.org.uk/548/blasphemy-law-is-dead
I'm no fan of Tatchell, but this - and the fact that it took a private prosecution to bring about in the first place - rather demonstrates that any "ban" is in name only. Since then, a best-selling novel and two major Hollywood films have been released with similar subjects and no sniff of prosecution.

I'm no fan of blasphemy laws, but think that the environment in the UK is rather different to the environment in Putin's Russia.

(Incidentally - why the caff? It doesn't show up in my default list).

 

[Boris Bajic]

allow me a small jokette...

Sorry. I had the wrong brain in.

On a less jokey note, I do worry that a nasty sort of rightwing, xenophobic political movement not a million miles from what we see in Russia and the sort of set-up run pre-war by Max Mosley's dad will creep into the UK political mainstream some time soon.

I do not for a moment want to say that UKIP is any sort of BNP-lite, but I hear occasional disgraceful and xenophobic asides from UKIP supporters or 'disappointed' rightwing tories that make me wonder whether there will soon be some sort of 'acceptable' level of Mosleyite BU thinking creeping its way into parliament.

But for all that, I'll keep my joke-detecting reading lenses in for now.

 

[TransientStates]

We do have some bizarre laws. Remember in 1991 Massive Attack had to drop Attack from their name because of a D Notice about the Gulf War? And yet Salad's Drink The Elixir (actually about golden showers and not the elixir of life) didn't even warrant a ban from Radio 1! We often laugh at the ridiculousness of other countries and cultures but we are a nation with some very peculiar and fickle laws and post-9/11 we can be prosecuted for tweeting a joke!

 

[dellzeqq]

(Incidentally - why the caff? It doesn't show up in my default list).

I'm doing missionary work

 

[MissTillyFlop]

We do have some bizarre laws. Remember in 1991 Massive Attack had to drop Attack from their name because of a D Notice about the Gulf War? And yet Salad's Drink The Elixir (actually about golden showers and not the elixir of life) didn't even warrant a ban from Radio 1! We often laugh at the ridiculousness of other countries and cultures but we are a nation with some very peculiar and fickle laws and post-9/11 we can be prosecuted for tweeting a joke!

Good song, Drink The Elixir. Thanks for reminding me of it.

Thankfully the twitter joke trial ended with a judge with a brain and the conviction was overturned.

 

[Maz]

I remember Fred Flintstone had trouble when he tried 'putin out the cat'...

Also Putin' on the Ritz...

 

[MissTillyFlop]

The one example of censorship which makes me laugh is Gay Bar by Electric 6.

In the Uk, they let the video pass for classification, but only if they edited out any reference to war, as it was at the beginning of the second Gulf war.

Just watch it and you'll see why this is funny as it possibly the least "offensive" ( I don't find any of it offensive, but I think inferring honest Abe liked putting hamsters up his bum may upset some) part of the video:

 

[Boris Bajic]

Was not Rock the Casbah off playlists for Desrt Shield and Desert Storm?

A more juvenile song was never writ (I like the Clash and saw them as a schoolboy at the EB) but it mentioned the Middle East, so it was dangerous.

Depleted Uranium is safe, but songs about the Casbah are not.

 

[lordloveaduck]

I say we march on the Russian embassy holding placards saying "Free Pussy Now"
and we don't leave until we see for ourselves that Pussy has been brought out in public
without any charge.

Who's with me "Free Pussy Now"

 

[dellzeqq]

you'd be lucky. It's on Kensington Palace Gardens, which is a private road. Along with the Lebanese and Israeli embassies to name but two.

 

[ASC1951]

But I agree this is a bad thing. Be it blasphemy or insulting, it must not be made a criminal offence.

I think you have to look at the context. This was at the altar of Moscow Cathedral. I don't myself see why we should have any blasphemy laws at all - people with such irrational beliefs shouldn't have their intellectual eccentricity protected - but I have no problem with prosecuting this sort of stunt. Protests which may be perfectly acceptable outside on the pavement are not acceptable in believers' private space.
Of course the Russian court proceedings are a gross over-reaction, but that's what happens when you insult the head of a police state.

 

[LarryDuff]

If you want a laugh, watch French TV newscasters talk about Putin.

But Osbourne a new Putin? His type are out there, but Osbourne is not one such.

He is ineffectual, weak and without a compass of any discernible variety, but he is no Putin.

New Labour were much more likely to pass Putin type laws.

 

[Maz]

Russia and Religion?...It must be Ras-Putin!

 

[dellzeqq]

I think you have to look at the context. This was at the altar of Moscow Cathedral. I don't myself see why we should have any blasphemy laws at all - people with such irrational beliefs shouldn't have their intellectual eccentricity protected - but I have no problem with prosecuting this sort of stunt. Protests which may be perfectly acceptable outside on the pavement are not acceptable in believers' private space.
Of course the Russian court proceedings are a gross over-reaction, but that's what happens when you insult the head of a police state.

agreed the Pussy Whatnots were out of order, and, yes, the reaction of the State is equally out of order. My point was really that in this country we pass or amend laws for what seem at the time like perfectly genuine reasons, and then.......five years down the line some old geezer is being arrested for wearing a t-shirt