If there's four things I hate, it's homophobia, vanity, mysogyny and people who make a career out of politics without ever intending to make the world a better place.
Russia is one of the most violent, unequal, corrupt and suicidal and places on earth. For ten years, Vladimir Putin has been in charge of keeping it that way & furthering the interests of the controlling class. While I DO agree that money and home comforts are equally/more important than freedom of ..and the average Russian household has got richer this decade), Russian police's brutal treatment of anyone that dares campaign for a better life, or for a cause that the government is not sympathetic to (e.g. homosexuality, the right to be Muslim, women's rights, freedom of speech & the media), is a disgrace for any government, east, west, north or south. (So excuse me foisting my 'western liberal values', but millions of people in Russia would thank me for writing this so I don't care if it's a bit preachy.)
People don't choose to give a shit about how the world is; you imagine what a better world might look like, and you have the urge to act upon it: that's good politics, from the top to the bottom. If it's non-violent it's fine. So if you feel strongly enough about the same sex, social democracy, religion etc, you ought to be able to live that way, and stand up for your way of life, without being beaten up by officially-sanctioned neo-nazi thugs:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6696329.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8050068.stmVladimir Putin (ex-KGB, and head honcho of post-communist Russia since the late 90s) sees politics differently- it's all about power, securing it for yourself and your cronies, regardless of what they must think are wimpy, effeminate ideas about creating a better future for all of us... see his track record on suppressing political opponents for more info about this.
I think it shows what a dick Putin is, that he's proudly released a few macho photos of him on his holidays this summer (surrounded only by other muscular middle-aged men, and tough animals)- in what could pass for soft gay porn, were it not for the macho, aggressive motivations of the Russian government in releasing these photos.
Next time you're in Moscow for a stag weekend/football match/mindless degeneracy at knockdown prices, please (don't) feel free to protest in whatever way you see fit about the shameful way Russia treats its own people- and the shitty triumphalism of the boss's holiday pictures... (where are his wife & kids??? suck my cock, VP)
