PUTIN SIGNS LAW BANNING PROFANITY IN FILM, THEATER, BOOKS, AND MUSIC

[Wilikon]

According to the Wall Street Journal, the new law covers all works of art produced after July 1. Films with profanity will not receive state distribution licenses, keeping them out of theaters, and books will require warnings on the cover should they contain foul language. Public performances of theater works are prohibited from using swearing, and even certain bloggers considered mass media could be fined.

The Journal notes that bloggers with more than 3,000 page views will be forced to adhere to anti-swearing legislation beginning in August. The definition of "blogger" is not entirely clear from the legislation, however, so it is unclear whether the law will apply to microbloggers on sites like Twitter or more extended posts on social media platforms like VKontakte.
The law has triggered some outrage with those who see it as a return to Soviet values of limited speech and note that Russian language has a rich history of colorful language. The BBC notes that the Communist Party restricted artists in the Soviet Union from using "'decadent' Western fashions" and implored them to "stick to traditional values," whatever the Party deemed those to be.

The legislation also leaves a mystery which words, exactly, will be targeted. New York magazine has some unrepeatable suggestions, which they note the Moscow Times reported the Institution of Russian Language at the Russian Academy of Sciences declared the cornerstones of Russian language profanity. Interestingly, despite the law apparently targeting art exclusively, New York notes that a spokesperson for the Ministry of Culture told the Moscow Times that "new strictures will be limited to pop culture and will not apply to matters of art: 'It will be up to the artistic director to decide what to do with swearing, whether to break the new law or not, we will not interfere in the process.'” The spokesperson added that the law was "not aggressive."

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Peace/2014/05/06/Putin-Signs-Law-Banning-Profanity-in-Film-Theater-Books-and-Music

[Nemo1024]

And on that note, bots will monitor the media for profanity (and maybe more )
http://rt.com/politics/157032-russian-swearing-robot-watchdog/

Also more info on the legislation here:
http://rt.com/politics/154056-russian-bloggers-mass-media/

This comes as a follow-up to equating popular bloggers to mass media, with regards to, e.g. fact checking (I wonder if BBC, CNN and Fox would pass the muster with regard to that law )

I am for getting rid of the overflow of profanity on the media channels. Would be nice if that also included enforcement of grammar, orthography and punctuation.

[Chef Ramsay]

I bet many of the devout Evangelicals that read Breitbart have little to no issue w/ this limiting of speech. The puritans love the limitations of all things deemed against their version of the Good Book but are the first to scream bloody murder if a Nativity scene on public property is taken down for religious sensitivity reasons. Just my perception from a spectator's angle having known so many of these types. I'm all for religious freedom, but for everyone and not at the expense of anyone. I guess my main point is that there's some commonality here on restricting social freedom w/ the similar sentiments that arise in the puritan religious camps.

[Wilikon]

I bet many of the devout Evangelicals that read Breitbart have little to no issue w/ this limiting of speech. The puritans love the limitations of all things deemed against their version of the Good Book but are the first to scream bloody murder if a Nativity scene on public property is taken down for religious sensitivity reasons. Just my perception from a spectator's angle having known so many of these types. I'm all for religious freedom, but for everyone and not at the expense of anyone. I guess my main point is that there's some commonality here on restricting social freedom w/ the similar sentiments that arise in the puritan religious camps.

Chef Ramsay's Best Insults

You are not welcome in Russia 

[Hazir]

Putin reigns supreme. Does anything he wants. Yet everything that west did was saying: 'we will consider sanctions against Russia'. We are looking at dawn of new USSR.

[bryant.coleman]

Putin reigns supreme. Does anything he wants. Yet everything that west did was saying: 'we will consider sanctions against Russia'. We are looking at dawn of new USSR.

To tell the truth... I feel sorry about the West... they feel suffocated between the OPEC and Russia. Either they should spend their hundreds of billions of $$$ to buy oil from Saudi Arabia. Or they should spend the same to buy them from Russia. 

[fsb4000]

Now people will be more polite  
About USSR: Many people dream of the revival of the USSR. (Those who lived there, and did not read the Western propaganda.) 

[umair127]

Now people will be more polite  
About USSR: Many people dream of the revival of the USSR. (Those who lived there, and did not read the Western propaganda.) 

Kinda reminds me on new york city, getting fined for cursing in public.  I guess he doesnt want russia to turn out like new york,  I thought Cursing and having balls in Russia was part of there culture, to be the macho man.

[bryant.coleman]

About USSR: Many people dream of the revival of the USSR. (Those who lived there, and did not read the Western propaganda.) 

I don't know whether the people living in Russia and Ukraine want the revival of the Soviet Union or not. But most of them claims that back then the wealth was more equally distributed and the public services were readily accessible. Now, all the wealth is concentrated in the hands of a few oligarchs, and the public services are rotten to the core with corruption and bureaucracy. 

[devinessa]

I have read some info about Ukraine. It seems it was part of Greater Russia or something and west militants are small minority of polish austrian descent. Maybe someone can post relevant links here. Imo at the moment Ukraine can do well if they remove western militants and they supporters from the parliament and carry on as lean dynamic democratic state with albeit less territory. Ukraine can co operate with both Russia and EU.

About USSR: Many people dream of the revival of the USSR. (Those who lived there, and did not read the Western propaganda.) 

I don't know whether the people living in Russia and Ukraine want the revival of the Soviet Union or not. But most of them claims that back then the wealth was more equally distributed and the public services were readily accessible. Now, all the wealth is concentrated in the hands of a few oligarchs, and the public services are rotten to the core with corruption and bureaucracy. 

[Nemo1024]

There are 2-3 other threads on this sub-forum dedicated to Ukraine.
Here is a map of how Ukraine came to be over the years, which territories got given to it, by whom and when:

Light-yellow: Ukraine (Zaporozhje) before 1654
Orange: Presents from Russian tzars between 1654 and 1917
Green (right): Lenin's present of 1922 (that's where all the fighting is going on now)
Green (left): Stalin's present (1939-1940), territories, annexed from Poland.
And then there is a row of territories annexed before or after WWII, e.g from Romania (8 ) or from Czechia (9) or from Poland (5)

[sana8410]

In this respect at least, he has higher morals than our leaders. The first amendment was intended to protect political speech, not filth. But like everything good, it has been twisted and perverted to let evil men do as they please.

[bryant.coleman]

I have read some info about Ukraine. It seems it was part of Greater Russia or something and west militants are small minority of polish austrian descent. Maybe someone can post relevant links here. Imo at the moment Ukraine can do well if they remove western militants and they supporters from the parliament and carry on as lean dynamic democratic state with albeit less territory. Ukraine can co operate with both Russia and EU.

Ukraine was part of the Russian Empire for many hundreds of years, before it became a part of the Soviet Union. However, some of the Western provinces such as Lvov and Ternopol were seized from Poland after the WW2. The people there have a mostly pro-Polish and anti-Russian mentality, and want to have nothing to do with Russia or the Russians. Right Sector receives most of its support from these provinces.

[Jcw188]

About USSR: Many people dream of the revival of the USSR. (Those who lived there, and did not read the Western propaganda.) 

I don't know whether the people living in Russia and Ukraine want the revival of the Soviet Union or not. But most of them claims that back then the wealth was more equally distributed and the public services were readily accessible. Now, all the wealth is concentrated in the hands of a few oligarchs, and the public services are rotten to the core with corruption and bureaucracy. 

Maybe they should try something totally different, a true democracy?  I can see how they would be disillusioned now as things haven't gone as promised.  Things were not better in the USSR though, from what I've read.

[bryant.coleman]

Maybe they should try something totally different, a true democracy?  I can see how they would be disillusioned now as things haven't gone as promised.  Things were not better in the USSR though, from what I've read.

What do you mean by true democracy? You mean US / UK style democracy? Yes... Russia tried it... from 1992 to 2000 (Yeltsin era). And it was a complete disaster. Real wages dropping to one-tenth, inflation in three-digits, death rate increasing to three times that of the birth rate, and oligarchs stealing and plundering the national resources....

Started to change when Putin took over power in 2000. Most of the oligarchs were kicked out, salaries and pensions began to increase, public sector saw a marked improvement and people's live got better. In 2013, after so many years there were more births when compared to the deaths.

I would rate the 2000-2014 period much better when compared to the 1992-2000 period. If you want to go back to the US-style democracy of the Yeltsin era, then I don't think many Russians will agree to it.

[Wilikon]

That crazy Putin

But yeah, surely Breitbart support such measures?

... and since I am the OP I am supporting such measure...

[RodeoX]

Let me guess, profanity includes making disparaging remarks about Putin.

[Kluge]

Now people will be more polite  
About USSR: Many people dream of the revival of the USSR. (Those who lived there, and did not read the Western propaganda.) 

Kinda reminds me on new york city, getting fined for cursing in public.  I guess he doesnt want russia to turn out like new york,  I thought Cursing and having balls in Russia was part of there culture, to be the macho man.

Russia is manlier than NYC. In Russia, cursing at people is for old women. In Russia, when you want to make a point, you use your Kalashnikov.

[Nemo1024]

Swearing should be used in very limited quantities and to the point. What media, such as films, spew in Russia, is overloaded with swearing. Younger generation gets a signal that it's fine to speak in swearwords and jargon. It's not about manliness. A true male in Russia will never ever swear in the presence of women and children. It's about keeping the language, not losing your identity in the language and culture.

And for those who want to swear, there are always synonyms and euphemisms.

So keep silent and copulate off. 

[umair127]

Now people will be more polite  
About USSR: Many people dream of the revival of the USSR. (Those who lived there, and did not read the Western propaganda.) 

Kinda reminds me on new york city, getting fined for cursing in public.  I guess he doesnt want russia to turn out like new york,  I thought Cursing and having balls in Russia was part of there culture, to be the macho man.

Russia is manlier than NYC. In Russia, cursing at people is for old women. In Russia, when you want to make a point, you use your Kalashnikov.

what about drinking vodka and wrestling with bears?