Russia - such a disgrace !

[kopenhagen5]

I don't know about anyone else. but I nor our business, is any longer buying anything remotely Russian.

This is not so much choosing to take a side, but merely not wanting to be seen as condoning recent events.

'Hands off Ukraine!' Russian protesters, celebrities risk arrest to denounce Putin's war (yahoo.com)

[countessalmirena]

Opera, like all of the arts and sports, is one of various ways in which the message of how we support Ukraine and reject war can be shared.  It isn’t a missile and it isn’t a gun, but artists in theatre, comedy, acting, dance, athletics etc all have ways of expressing support. 

As long as we are united against this disgusting invasion, we share the same goal.

[janeababe]

Sorry Countess, but there’s a HUGE difference between ‘expressing’ support, and showing support.  

I’m not sure, how going to the opera, in Adelaide, will help the families of the dead in Ukraine. …. and it certainly won’t make Russia see the error of their ways! 

[countessalmirena]

It’s not about going to an opera – it’s about making a statement. The crew and cast involved in it are Ukrainian and Russian, and they reacted to some public outrage that wanted the opera cancelled by Adelaide Festival as a political statement against Russia. What those individuals did not know or realise is that the Ukrainians want the opera to go ahead. They see it not only as an artistic piece but as a political statement which they want heard. The opera is about an invasion by a Russian leader who is a fool; the parallel is clear.

Very clearly the Ukrainians feel that it shows support, expresses support, etc. Here’s a link to the ABC news story about it.

'Art mirroring life': Russian opera about tsar invading another country to go ahead at Adelaide Festival

A Russian opera centred around themes of power and war, and featuring both Russian and Ukrainian actors, will go ahead as part of the Adelaide Festival, as South Australians show their support for the Ukranian community. Read the full story

❝Despite boycotts around the world of Russian work, Adelaide Festival co-director Rachel Healy said the production had the company's full support to go ahead. 

Ms Healy told ABC Radio Adelaide both the cast and crew felt the current situation overseas made the production even more "urgent and necessary".

"This is a work about a Russian tsar whose paranoia, entitlement and arrogance leads him to mount an attack on a neighbouring country with his army, you couldn't write about it," Ms Healy said.

"It's been created by a company of artists from eight different nations, including Ukraine and Russia, and they are all horrified at how art is mirroring life outside the doors of the theatre.

"But they believe, as we do, that art does put a mirror up to society and it helps affirm our commitment to do everything we can to condemn, not only this military aggression, and support the Ukrainian people, but all military aggression and war.

"The work is an allegory about the foolishness of leaders who believe that military antagonism is the only way forward."❞

[janeababe]

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@countessalmirena wrote:

It’s not about going to an opera – it’s about making a statement.

……
❝Despite boycotts around the world of Russian work, Adelaide Festival co-director Rachel Healy said the production had the company's full support to go ahead. 

Ms Healy told ABC Radio Adelaide both the cast and crew felt the current situation overseas made the production even more "urgent and necessary".

Please tell me HOW, HOW, HOW this SUPPORTS the families in UKRAIN? 🤔

And for it to tell the ‘story’, first you must get bums on seats. Since there was already public outcry about it going ahead, then I wonder if that might affect the attendance numbers, don’t you think? 
But…. It’s just an opera! The ONLY people this supports are the directors and production managers! 

I doubt Putin will be following its stage review, wondering if he is represented by the old Tzar! 

I’m sorry Countess. I know you are an opera fan,  I just don’t think it is relevant here and I also don’t see how it helps, when many innocent lives are being lost, unnecessarily, overseas.  😔

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[domino-710]

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@countessalmirena wrote:

Opera, like all of the arts and sports, is one of various ways in which the message of how we support Ukraine and reject war can be shared.  It isn’t a missile and it isn’t a gun, but artists in theatre, comedy, acting, dance, athletics etc all have ways of expressing support. 

As long as we are united against this disgusting invasion, we share the same goal.

---

The message being given through the arts & sporting events is - cancel.

Sporting events have been cancelled in protest - tennis players refusing a Russian as an opponent - etc etc

And to be quite honest the sound of many feet showing appreciation of an Opera - smacks of 'boots on the ground '.

For those who haven't had the pleasure of a trite story - sung in German - Italian - or whatever - the lightly stamping of feet is done to show appreciation of same.

I'm no stranger to opera.

[countessalmirena]

Did you not read the news story, janebabe? Many of those involved have family in Ukraine and are anxiously phoning every day to check on their safety. They feel that this opera is a political statement and that it is worth putting on. I'm not about to argue with Ukrainian people and say to them, "What good is an opera when your countrymen are dying in this conflict?"

ANYthing that expresses support for Ukraine's situation is worth it. Protest marches, drafting condemnations, getting visas fast-tracked for Ukrainians, opening houses to fleeing Ukrainian refugees, giving them food and supplies, organising medical aid for those fighting or civilian casualties, imposing financial sanctions, stripping Putin of his honorary taekwondo 9th dan black belt, stripping Putin of his honorary presidency of the International Judo Federation, people's Facebook comments, people's tweets, Russian products removed from sale by Dan Murphy (although it's not going to hit Russia's pocket as Australia doesn't import very much at all from Russia - but the gesture is important), financial aid to the Ukraine, weapons to the Ukraine, Russian news outlets not getting traction with disinformation in the main sites... everything. It's not one thing, but the whole gamut. This isn't about opera, it's about the universal response. I posted it as one aspect of the entire global response, and while I mentioned I'd love to see it, it's an opera I've seen before and I'd primarily love to see it again in the current context, in support of the Ukrainian situation... but really that is tangential to the central issue. Every little thing that is going to raise awareness or maintain awareness or be part of a response is worth it.

Sydney Opera House flaunted the colours of Ukraine last night; Parliament House did the same. Those things don't do anything tangible to help Ukraine, but they are symbolic and such symbolic gestures are worth making. I'm proud of Australia's response in being ready to condemn this invasion, and of the help Australia is offering Ukraine.

It wasn't a large "public outcry"; there were a few people who assumed that this opera would be offensive to the Ukrainians. The Ukrainians explained that it was not; on the contrary, they wanted it to go ahead. The Ukrainian community in SA has made this clear. There will be bums on seats.

Anyway, enough on that.

One of the frustrating things is Russia's own news media organisations' coverage. I would imagine we're all fairly familiar with the idea that Russia controls its news organisations quite tightly, and the journalists are forbidden to print anything not released by the government sources. There's an interesting article on Time.com about how the entire invasion is being distorted in Russia media...

Link is here: https://time.com/6151572/russian-media-ukraine-coverage/

I won't quote any of it, because the whole thing is well worth reading and I hope it will be read.

[domino-710]

I'm not sure ' Standing with Ukraine ' - could be described as ' flaunting '.

[janeababe]

*sigh*

I’m going to agree to disagree re: the opera. 
But I will say, that at $1691 per ticket, that money could have been better used to ACTUALLY help those in need, like food parcels, medical supplies, etc… But enough of that.
You see the Opera support as type A, and I see it as complete garbage! Tbh! 

With regards to the Opera House, lovely gesture…. But this is Australia, not everyone follows the news, we love our sport and footy season is about to kick off. It could very well be Parramatta colours for that matter! 
While most of us know what it represents, unless you are up-to-date with world events, (and don’t be so fooled as to think that everyone knows everything of current events, you might be shocked to know that there are folk out there who just don’t have a clue!), the fact that the opera house is now a lovely yellow and blue colour, would represent Jack-diddilly-squat to a lot of people. 

Unless we are all on the same page, the book will go unread! 

Everything else in your reply, I agree with. 


Have an enjoyable day, countess. Count your blessings 😉

💋💋💋

[twyngwyn]

Terms of Surrender

Vlad, you’re done. Sign here.

Michael Moore Mar 1

To: President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin  (Владимир Путин):

From: Michael “Moorovich” Moore, Interim Negotiator for Ukraine (Іди на хуй сам)

Subject: Your Surrender

Photo credit: Associated Press

Mr. President:

Now that your attempt to seize the nation of Ukraine is beginning to unravel — with your richest oligarchs, Oleg and Mikhail, demanding an “end to bloodshed” and “peace now”; the always neutral Switzerland now freezing your money, something that they wouldn’t even do to Hitler; tens of thousands of young Russians demonstrating against your war all across Russia; and the Russian army now finding itself lost and broken-down on the road to Kyiv (and discovering why the Ukrainian Army is the second largest in Europe) — you must see the writing on the wall. The entire world has abandoned you, they won’t let Aeroflot fly over their countries, they’ve cut you off financially and now you’ve just been booted out of this year’s World Cup. 

And the Associated Press has shown these photos to the world of the damage your missiles did on Sunday when fired into a Ukrainian market: You killed this little 6-year old girl:

As your descent into Hell seems to be happening quicker than anyone imagined, and because Ukrainian President Zelensky is very busy right now trying to kill as many Russians as possible, I have made an offer to him, as a fellow satirist and occasional TV star, to step in and negotiate your surrender. This won’t take long. We don’t even need to sit at one of your 155-foot long conference tables, you paranoid **bleep**. (Oh - sorry. I take that back. I forgot you still have nukes pointed at us! My bad! You are a strong man, with a strong chest!) 

You may not remember me. We’ve met twice — once in Dresden in 1989 when you were stationed there, and again in 1993 when I hopped on the stage in Moscow while Yeltsin was giving one of his drunken speeches and you were in charge of “security.” I simply interrupted him, took the mic, and started making my own speech — and you, Mr. Security, did nothing! I knew you were a loser then, and I know it today. (Oops. I did it again! Sorry! Nice chest!)

Back to the terms of your surrender. I’ll make it simple. Have your army return to Russia. End all threats and aggression to Ukraine. Then step down. And leave the country. We have found only one country who will let you live there in exile: Belarus! The only other European country that’s a dictatorship. You’ll feel right at home. I’ve found a lovely place for you to live there. It looks like a wee Kremlin — so you’ll feel even more at home. 

Unfortunately, the billions you stole from the Russian people will have to stay in Russia.

Now, in the coming days, your army will indeed have some dramatic successes with whatever rocket launchers that still work. It will seem like you are going to win. You won’t. There is so much stink around what you’ve done, how would you ever even define a “victory?” That you now get to “own” a country that’s larger in landmass than Germany and Great Britain combined — when you can’t even run your own? It’s lose-lose, Mr. President.

That’s why you must sign these terms of surrender. You have no choice. Don't worry — the worst that will happen to you is that you will be paraded through the streets of Kyiv on a leash by that nun from Game of Thrones, ringing her large handbell behind your shriveled naked body, and shouting so all can hear: 

“SHAME!

SHAME! 

SHAME!”

Enjoy your life in Belarus!

— Michael Moore

STATEMENT of SURRENDER

I, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, do hereby resign as President of Russia and all of its 1,100 I-Hop franchises. 

Regretfully, 

(In the meantime, here’s how your soldiers are doing):

[domino-710]

Priceless.

Thank you Twyn.