Vladimir Putin, President Pedophile

The BBQ Pit
61

[QUOTE=Biggirl]
After watching the video, the thing that bothered me the most wasn’t the kiss, it was the lifting of the shirt. That seemed like such a violation of personal space. Not pervy so much as WTF?
[/QUOTE]

The idea of “personal space” varies greatly from country to country. In my daughter’s Girl Scout troop there are some first-generation immigrants from India whose daughter(my daughter’s friend) was born in the US. They recently went back to India for a few weeks to visit family and friends they haven’t seen in years and they said there was some culture shock there. The concept of “personal space” they have been using all their time in the US went right out the window. They had trouble adjusting and when they came back they said it felt like people were avoiding them. The little girl, having grown up with an American’s feeling for “personal space” was a bit freaked out.

Heck, watching “The Amazing Race” and seeing Americans travel by train in India, packed in standing-room only and how much it bugs them, but the Indians don’t care at all, is a trip.

I’m thinking this was a slightly more over-the-top version of the old political trick of “kissing babies.” A long tradition in the US, and practiced by hundreds to thousands of politicians on the campaign trail. In this case Putin found an especially cute baby and did the equivelant of cuddling it as well as kissing it. Americans may find that a bit weird, we’d probably be all WTF if Bush not only kissed a baby, he also took it from Mommy and nuzzled its neck. Still doesn’t mean he’s a pedophile.

Enjoy,
Steven

62

What was interesting in the YouTube video, is he addressed the boy using adult formal speech. He was making the little boy feel important, addressing him as he would another adult. Just makes it cuter he smooched him on the belly anyway.

63

[QUOTE=Annie-Xmas]
And you can see the Great Wall of China ffom the moon.
[/QUOTE]
No, you can’t.

64

If it would have been Yeltsin, he would have been sucking a jello shot out of the boy’s belly button.

65

[QUOTE=Biggirl]
After watching the video, the thing that bothered me the most wasn’t the kiss, it was the lifting of the shirt. That seemed like such a violation of personal space. Not pervy so much as WTF?
[/QUOTE]

Yeah. And apparently the Russian media agreed with you.

To everyone else in the thread: it was a bizarre thing to do. The Russians thought so, the BBC thought so, and I sure as fuck think so. What, we have to pretend not to notice when a world leader does something weird and inappropriate? Um, why?

[QUOTE=KGS]
Man, enough with your slippery slope bullshit. It’s slipping, all right, but it’s sliding fast in the OTHER direction.

By 2010 we’ll be saying: What if he kissed the boy’s cheek? His forehead? Ruffled his hair? O MY GOD HE’S A CHILD MOLESTER! NUKE RUSSIA NOW!!!
[/QUOTE]

Well, yeah, exactly. You’re making a slippery slope argument. Dear God! First the media notice when a world leader engages in abberant behavior! Why, if they continue noticing things like this, next thing we know we’ll all be living in egg-shaped plastic bubbles and never allowed to speak to another human being!

Since you recognize that you’re making a slippery slope argument, now would be the time to stop, don’t you think?

My God! What is the world coming to when a world leader can’t lift up a strange boy’s shirt and kiss his stomach without the media noticing?

Can someone actually explain to me why they think this behavior isn’t both completely inappropriate and quite a violation of the composure to be expected of a world leader? Putin did something absolutely weird and inappropriate, and what he said afterwards was barely coherent (or else it lost a lot in translation.) The Russian media sure as hell noticed. But we’re not supposed to talk about it here? Seriously, what the fuck? And why the hell are so many people bringing up some imagined “cultural difference” that would make this appropriate? The Russian media obviously didn’t think it was normal either.

No, and the OP was obviously just being provocative, as he said. It does mean that he’s acting quite oddly, though.

66

It’s still much better than how Putin used to treat children. Not so long ago, the muscovite landscape was littered with their lifeless husks.

67

[QUOTE=Excalibre]
Yeah. And apparently the Russian media agreed with you.
[/quote]

Could you cite that the Russian media agree? I heard the spectators were surprised. People were also surprised a little while back when a really tall military grad hugged G. Dubya.

Again, provide a cite that the Russians & BBC thought it was weird and inappropriate.

Too much coffee today? Abberant behavior? Cite?

Jesus H. Christ. If a world leader changed his son’s diapers I guess in your world that would mean he was running his hands over the innocent child’s genitals? What the hell kinda weirdo world you live in?

Have you read this thread at all?

Exaggerate much?

The Russian media sure as hell mentioned it as a tiny bit at the bottom of a much larger article dealing with much bigger issues than the prez giving some cute little kid a smooch.

Everyone in this thread is talking about it. Has a Mod stopped by to tell us not to talk about it? Has it made sticky-status?

I agree, WTF?

Because Russians are more affectionate & smoochy than you evidently are.

Russian media noted spectators were surprised. I haven’t read anything where they’ve said it was normal or abnormal. Russian media would note spectators were surprised if Putin tripped on a banana peel, too.

So? Geez, I’m really struggling here. I can’t possibly think of any examples of any other world leaders acting oddly.

68

[QUOTE=Excalibre]
Since you recognize that you’re making a slippery slope argument, now would be the time to stop, don’t you think?
[/quote]
Hey jerkface, read the thread again. I’m not the one who started the “slippery slope” argument, The Flying Dutchman did. It’s the same pervasive media bullshit that gets thrown in our face every day. It’s out of control, and nobody seems to care – in fact, they swallow this shit and regurtitate it all over the Internet. Monkey see, monkey do. Nobody stops to think about what’s really being said anymore.

Look, I’m not defending pedophiles. They’re a lost cause, sucks to be them I guess. But it does get my panties in a bunch, just a little bit, when perfectly innocent people get accused of being baby-rapers, just because they act a little strange. People like Pete Townshend, or some random brother-in-law who gets accused of owning kiddy porn by some delusional, trollish individual. Oh, and five states now provide the Death Penalty for repeat sex offenders. That’s very nice. Now, all those little boys and girls being raped by their PARENTS (who comprise 50% of all molestation cases, check the statistics) are going to be FAR less likely to come forward with a real accusation, because Daddy might be EXECUTED if they say anything!!! Oh yeah, we’ll see a sharp reduction in reported child molestation cases all right…with emphasis on “reported”. But…who cares? More votes for the politicians, that’s all they care about.

You’re joking, right? There’s nothing imaginary about cultural differences. Or are you suggesting, that AMERICAN morals are all that matter? We should force all other countries to fall in step with our fear-mongering, corporate-dominated, consumerist ways? Because, that’s exactly what’s happening. Just you wait.

69

[QUOTE=KGS]
Hey jerkface, read the thread again. I’m not the one who started the “slippery slope” argument, The Flying Dutchman did. It’s the same pervasive media bullshit that gets thrown in our face every day. It’s out of control, and nobody seems to care – in fact, they swallow this shit and regurtitate it all over the Internet. Monkey see, monkey do. Nobody stops to think about what’s really being said anymore.
[/quote]

What the fuck are you even talking about?

What the fuck does this have to do with pedophilia, beyond an obviously hyperbolic title to one thread? So, what’s your point? Vladimir Putin is not a pedophile? That’s good I guess, but one doesn’t normally go around mentioning everyone in the world who’s not a pedophile.

Um, he admitted to paying for child pornography. It’s not like he didn’t do it. While later evidence suggests that it was something he only did once, I don’t see why investigating someone who paid for access to a child porn website is wrong.

Seriously, of what fucking relevance is any of this? Obviously he’s not a pedophile. He still very publicly engaged in bizarre behavior.

When they’re invented on the spot in order to explain someone’s behavior, there is. And given that according to the linked article, onlookers were astonished and it’s apparently been in the Russian media enough for a newspaper to track the kid down, obviously it’s something that stuck out to the Russians as well.

Look, dude, take your moral outrage and your helmet and get out of here. Let’s not keep the short bus waiting.

Wait, are you really as stupid as you’re acting, or are you trolling me?

70

[QUOTE=Maus Magill]
It’s still much better than how Putin used to treat children. Not so long ago, the muscovite landscape was littered with their lifeless husks.
[/QUOTE]
As opposed to, say, a school somewhat nearer to Chechnya…

71

[QUOTE=Excalibre]
What the fuck does this have to do with pedophilia, beyond an obviously hyperbolic title to one thread?
[/quote]
Oh, right. I forgot. Whenever someone posts a thread that says, “So-and-so is a pedophile,” everyone immediately thinks, “Hyperbole!” You’re right, people are conscientious enough to recognize it’s just a joke, never mind your constant insinuations of “bizarre, inappropriate behavior” and “the Russian media thought it weird enough to take notice and track the kid down.” Ok, I get it now. Sorry for flying off the handle. :rolleyes:

“Invented on the spot,” eh? You’ve obviously never been to Europe. There’s a completely different moral attitude over there. Yes, Putin’s behavior was bizarre enough to get local media attention, but YOU are the one tagging his behavior as “inappropriate”, with no citation to back up your assertion.

72

[QUOTE=NurseCarmen]
If it would have been Yeltsin, he would have been sucking a jello shot out of the boy’s belly button.
[/QUOTE]

It still doesn’t mean he’s a p-phile.

73

[QUOTE=KGS]
“Invented on the spot,” eh? You’ve obviously never been to Europe.
[/quote]

Indeed I have. And, in fact, in places I’ve been to, people don’t tend to take the same liberties with strangers that we do here in the U.S. One might kiss one’s acquaintances, but that’s an entirely different matter than showing quite so much affection to a total stranger.

Why do you keep bringing up morality? What does morality have to do with any of this?

It sure did. And international media attention too. Which is proof in itself that it’s not normal behavior in Russia. At least, I have yet to see any reportage of Putin eating borscht.

Tell me, did this sentence make sense when you wrote it? I’m just curious. I mean, did you think that you were writing something coherent? Or even that it made some sort of point? Or are you just sort of stringing words and phrases together?

74

[QUOTE=Excalibre]
One might kiss one’s acquaintances, but that’s an entirely different matter than showing quite so much affection to a total stranger.
[/quote]
Maybe I’m wrong, but the President of Russia doesn’t really count as a “total stranger.” And the kid, when interviewed, seemed quite impressed by the attention he received from Mr. Putin. He didn’t think it was inappropriate behavior. Or did you bother to read that far?

Morality has everything to do with it. Do you even realize that? Or are you stringing random words together?

75

[QUOTE=Excalibre]

It sure did. And international media attention too. Which is proof in itself that it’s not normal behavior in Russia. At least, I have yet to see any reportage of Putin eating borscht.
[/QUOTE]

Counterexample from Elian Gonzalez Imbroglio:

76

[QUOTE=Excalibre]
It sure did. And international media attention too. Which is proof in itself that it’s not normal behavior in Russia. At least, I have yet to see any reportage of Putin eating borscht.
[/QUOTE]
Actually, I heard that the Russian media is reporting this so widely because it’s suprising that Putin would do something that “human”; generally he’s not seen as a person who’d kiss babies or children, but as a stern authority figure. So there’s also that factor of a surpise at this change of image, not just his actual behaviour.

77

[QUOTE=Revenant Threshold]
Actually, I heard that the Russian media is reporting this so widely because it’s suprising that Putin would do something that “human”; generally he’s not seen as a person who’d kiss babies or children, but as a stern authority figure. So there’s also that factor of a surpise at this change of image, not just his actual behaviour.
[/QUOTE]

If the Russian media is reporting it, it’s a good bet that it makes Putin look good in the eyes of Russians. It seems less abberant than eccentric. And again, he’s not a stranger. He’s pretty close to president for life.

Besides if he was weird, Bush would have said something to us after looking him in the eye.

78

[QUOTE=Revenant Threshold]
Actually, I heard that the Russian media is reporting this so widely because it’s suprising that Putin would do something that “human”; generally he’s not seen as a person who’d kiss babies or children, but as a stern authority figure. So there’s also that factor of a surpise at this change of image, not just his actual behaviour.
[/QUOTE]
It’s funny, on the Europe-dominated message boards (including YouTube) they think the video’s sweet and charming, and they’re laughing about how “Americans will probably think it’s sexual assault.” Seriously, they’re laughing at us.

79

I know it’s not much of a cite, but someone on the YouTube page says he translated the boy to be saying “I’m hungry” to Putin.

If that’s true, it would certainly shed some light on why he kissed his stomach…

80

[QUOTE=KGS]
Maybe I’m wrong, but the President of Russia doesn’t really count as a “total stranger.”
[/QUOTE]

To 99.99% of the world, yeah he is. Even though you know of him, how is our President not a stranger to you? If you told your child not to talk to strangers but was okay if he was alone talking to the president, how far does that logic stretch? Other U.S leaders, senators or congressmen? Governers? What about the mayor? Clearly none of them might have a thing for little boys. What about other community ‘leaders’ or ‘figures’? The local priest okay? I mean he is a man of God, he would never do anything to harm your son.

I don’t understand why the fact that Putin had never known of or seen this kid in his life doesn’t seem to be phasing most of you. There is a big difference between hugging your child, changing your babies’ diapers, and kissing a random boys tummy and making a reference to touching a kitten. BIG DIFFERENCE.