Political Forum?

[Hanna]

Your posts don't make me uncomfortable.

(...)

You can offer whatever view of the world you'd like.

So what's the problem then, if you don't mind my views?

The people who left the forum in protest to alleged censorship, have exclusively been Russian, not American.

I think one guy from Germany got a bit fed up with the constant talk about WW2 across the forum.

We never had any Americans who expressed that they don't want to use the forum because of something that was said in the Political forum.

Do you think that only certain views on world politics should be allowed on this forum?

If you are a big supporter of US foreign policy, then by all means, create a post in the Politics section and refer to some examples to prove your point and the balance will quickly even out. The truth of the matter is that most people who use the site just want language help.

[bytemare]

So what's the problem then, if you don't mind my views?

The issue, like what i first posted, is that you constantly write tirades against certain countries and from that you've become a moderator. So in my mind, you're an official voice of the forum, so it follows that the forum is officially condones blasting certain countries.

The people who left the forum in protest to alleged censorship, have exclusively been Russian, not American.

I think one guy from Germany got a bit fed up with the constant talk about WW2 across the forum.

We never had any Americans who expressed that they don't want to use the forum because of something that was said in the Political forum.

I would imagine if an American wanted to learn Russian, and descended into Politics or General forum and read negativity from moderators about the USA, he or she might not want to participate here or even become turned off with Russian language.

I wouldn't expect anyone, American or not, to express that they are dissatisfied with the forum before leaving, they would just leave and not come back.

Do you think that only certain views on world politics should be allowed on this forum?

No. As it is there already a prohibited topic. In my opinion, moderators should help maintain order and respect. This is my opinion only and I understand it may or may not reflect the actual thoughts of those in charge of the forum.

If you are a big supporter of US foreign policy, then by all means, create a post in the Politics section and refer to some examples to prove your point and the balance will quickly even out. The truth of the matter is that most people who use the site just want language help.

I have never said that I was a big supporter of US foreign policy.

[Lampada]

Feel free to point out anything that I have said, that is NOT correct. I base my views on facts. The truth makes you feel uncomfortable?

I'm sure there'd be no complaints from you if the same comments were against Putin, about the negatives of the USSR or the greatness of the new Kiev regime, right?

For those types of opinions, you can try: CNN.com International - Breaking, World, Business, Sports, Entertainment and Video News Fox News - Breaking News Updates | Latest News Headlines | Photos & News Videos BBC - Homepage Home | Mail Online Washington Post: Breaking News, World, US, DC News & Analysis and many more...

What's so terrible, about offering an alternative worldview? Or should there be an allegiance test / PC conformity test before anybody joins here?

All this here makes me cringe. Could it be qualified as trolling? Seems like it.
Hanna, all this prolong protracted rant about horrible US is tiresome and just plain boring already. And it's kind of sadly obvious that your intentions were to make our Americans fell uncomfortable. Time after time after time... there is no end to it. Nobody is arguing it. It's fine, you made your point, it's all clear. So, could you stop beating that dead horse and maybe we'd start taking about something else? Just a wish. No need to reply.
I sent e-mail to Admin and I'am waiting for his decision.

[bytemare]

On that logic, I'm surprised that ANYONE in Russia learns English, aren't you? They ought to run crying from most English speaking forums. And as citizens of the only "super power" I should think Americans have a bit thicker skin than that, and the membership here seems to prove it.

No, I'm not surprised. English is quite a useful language. As for Americans should have thicker skin, maybe I could agree, but this appears to be your opinion and again trying to point out a fallacy against one particular country.

It won't do them any harm to hear these types of comments on rare ocassions, and I don't think they need mollycoddling any more than Russians do.

I just don't expect to hear these things from a moderator.

And I wasn't asked BECAUSE of these "tirades", rather DESPITE of them. If you read the posts above, you can see that I commented on them. I am well aware of the potential conflict.

Yes I see, it's true.

You seem to know English and Russian really well, so why don't you volunteer then, if you are concerned about my performance?

I am serious: I'd quite happily step down, if you agree to take my place, and Lampada agrees. I didn't go out of the way to get the role, it was more a case of stepping up since nobody else did. What do you say?

I appreciate your offer But I don't know why you are offering. All I'm saying is that it's surprising to me that a person can write dirt about certain countries, constantly, state it as fact, later to say that they are willing to engage in an intellectual dialogue about everything (I have yet to see evidence of this point), becomes a moderator.

[Hanna]

"Write dirt"? Is the truth "dirt" now?
Or did I write anything that was untrue? If so, what?

Tragic if you think the truth about the US is so embarrassing that foreigners must take it upon themselves to protect those poor sensitive Americans from reading it.

Meanwhile Russia is rated just after ISIS, Boko Haram and North Korea in terms of negative coverage in the US.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/currente...-adolf-hitler/
But God help anyone who speaks up for Russia, or dares to critisize the great champion of freedom and democracy that shall remain un-named.

I'm sure your reservation has been noted by Lampada, and if you are extremely concerned, why not write to MasterAdmin as well.

You are welcome to take my place if you are concerned about my objectivity and think you can do a better job.

New word for Russians readers: Whinge: To complain without any valid reasons, and without offering to assist in improving the situation.

[Eric C.]

If you are not willing to step up, then stop complaining.

"... I said, NOW!!!"

[bytemare]

Sure, you're written your negative opinion numerous times, not just about the USA but against lots of places. Really, I'm not offended, and I'm not complaining, just noting that officially this is the voice of the forum.

I personally would like to see more people have an interest in learning Russian.

This thread is getting a bit a lengthy so I would be happy to continue via PM to continue the discussion and not subject everyone to our back and forth conversation.

[Hanna]

I don't see any reason to continue the conversation. Sorry I jumped on bytemare here, I didn't see fortheether's post just above.

Well - fortheether has been a member since 2004, so it looks like he can handle a bit of criticism. He hasn't been scared off by anything I said, and I am not going to keep quiet just because he would rather I ranted about how much I admire and respect the USA. (there are others here who do a good job of that!)

Feel free to write a post to counter anything I say. I can't help it, Scott, if you can't or won't defend your country from horrible Swedish ladies making outrageous accusations

Likewise as a long term participant in the forum, why not offer your services as a moderator?

[fortheether]

Hanna,
I come here to learn about Russian speaking countries culture, language, food, life etc. I would expect that the moderators here would allow a fair view of the Russian speaking countries. How are you as a moderator going to allow a fair view of the USA for the Russian speakers that are interested in the USA?

I never visit the politics section here any longer. I don't see the point as my language level and knowledge of Russian speaking countries doesn't allow it. I assume you still constantly bash the USA there, I don't read nor care about it.

If you feel that you can be a fair moderator to people wanting to learn about countries that you constantly bash then I'm all for it, otherwise, as a moderator, you'd be doing a disservice to those folks.

Scott

I don't see any reason to continue the conversation. Sorry I jumped on bytemare here, I didn't see fortheether's post just above.

Well - fortheether has been a member since 2004, so it looks like he can handle a bit of criticism. He hasn't been scared off by anything I said, and I am not going to keep quiet just because he would rather I ranted about how much I admire and respect the USA. (there are others here who do a good job of that!)

Feel free to write a post to counter anything I say. I can't help it, Scott, if you can't or won't defend your country from horrible Swedish ladies making outrageous accusations

Likewise as a long term participant in the forum, why not offer your services as a moderator?

[Antonio1986]

I want to admit my own guilt: I have been using this forum too much, and plan to use it less. [/LIST]

You can use the forum as much as you want.
There is not a use limitation.
Only through discussion we improve ourselfs and others.

[Hanna]

I really don't care whether I am a moderator or not.
I just wanted to help, and was offered the opportunity. Feel free to try somebody else, if I'm not the kind of moderator that is wanted. My interest was in keeping the forum alive, and keeping the standards high.

The thread above shows a great deal of hypocrisy in my view. No end of insulting, provocative and ridiculous comments are constantly made about Russia in the forum. There is not the slightest sympathy that any of the Russian participants might be offended. Likewise both Ukrainians and Belarussians have been under fire in the forum, to the extent that they actually dropped off. But woe betide anyone should comment negatively on the US and and accidentally offend the sensitive souls from there. Double standards.

While I have certainly used the forum to vent my own feelings, and agreed that it's not always the best thing to do I'm not interested in censoring either myself or others.

All I'd look for is obvious trolling and rude or insulting posts. One of the reasons I like this forum is because it's always had a relaxed and laid-back style where discussions are allowed to flow freely and people speak their minds without self-censoring. I am aware that a few of the Russian participants have been rude in the Ukraine threads and I am just as much against that, as I am against insults on Russia. However, in general I support people's right to say whatever they like, as long as they are not rude or deliberately trolling.

Right now, I am really put off the whole situation, and I am wondering whether we simply have too many persistent trolls and too much controversy and sensitivities to use the Political Forum at all at the moment. A "self-censored" trollpit is not for me.

It would be a pity because the political forum was once an excellent place to learn about Russian politics, and it was once a haven for unbiased straight-from-the-source info on Russia, in English. Not available anywhere else. But right now it seems in danger of dying a slow death. It was to prevent that, that I offered to help.

[bytemare]

Ok, I will take the bait

Ханночка, I agree with 90% of what you've just said. If you are responding to my comments in this thread, however, it's addressing something completely different than what I brought up. I have only said that it's hard to imagine a person that posts views anti 50% of the world becomes a moderator. To your point, it would likewise be a surprise if someone constantly bashed Russia (or insert country here) and became a moderator.

I also support the general freedom to be able to express views on this site for ordinary members, it's one way we learn not only about different views, but how express them effectively and have others accept our opinion.

[Lampada]

I really don't care whether I am a moderator or not. ...

Да это понятно, но я всё ещё жду ответ Админа на мой запрос. Насколько мне известно, он был вообще против большой (и часто негативной) активности в разделе Политика.

[RedFox]

(Склоку подробно не читал, но выскажусь.)

Ханна обладает культурой общения — качеством, которое не помешало бы «прокачать» каждому из нас. Уж если кто и имеет моральное право модерировать политический форум, это она.

[Alex_krsk]

(Склоку подробно не читал, но выскажусь.)

Ханна обладает культурой общения — качеством, которое не помешало бы «прокачать» каждому из нас. Уж если кто и имеет моральное право модерировать политический форум, это она.

Ханна - интеллигентный человек, немного эмоциональный, но очень вежливый и аккуратный в высказываниях.
И почему именно её обвинили здесь в троллизме, а не того кто начал перепалку, мне не понятно, вернее понятно, но объяснять это смысла нет.

[Hanna]

Thanks Redfox.

Does Malaysian Airlines Boeing 777 downed over Eastern Ukraine fall under the moriaturium on Ukrainian topics?

[Alex_krsk]

Thanks Redfox.

Does Malaysian Airlines Boeing 777 downed over Eastern Ukraine fall under the moriaturium on Ukrainian topics?

Поскольку событие произошло на украине, думаю попадает под мораторий. Хотя от местных "правил" можно ожидать любого морфизма.

[Hanna]

I don't think the Political forum here is any use, if all feasible/relevant topics that people want to discuss are banned. (see UA plane crash)

It's a shame, and I totally disagree with the way things have developed.

Is anyone aware of any alternative forum that discusses news out of Russia / CIS in English?

[Alex_krsk]

I don't think the Political forum here is any use, if all feasible/relevant topics that people want to discuss are banned. (see UA plane crash)

It's a shame, and I totally disagree with the way things have developed.

Is anyone aware of any alternative forum that discusses news out of Russia / CIS in English?

Why would one want to discuss a plane crash at a language forum? Why would one want to discuss a plane crash anywhere? A plane crash is a tragic conjuncture of concurrencies especially when one single airline is mentioned. Planes don't just disappear, well not in all cases they just disappear, in most cases they fall. But what does it have to do with a political forum? In political sections people would want to talk politics. Like, say, sixth BRICS summit. That would be pretty neutral political topic about e.g. establishment of a BRICS contingent reserve arrangement that would be worth intelligent discussion. Why would one bring uninvestigated tragic accident that had happened one day after that to a political thread of a language forum? That's what are moratoruims for.
Why would one post a map with lines drawn on it? Why not to draw circles?
I absolutely agree that we should not discuss whatever is not yet investigated properly.

[Lampada]

Why would one want to discuss a plane crash at a language forum? Why would one want to discuss a plane crash anywhere? A plane crash is a tragic conjuncture of concurrencies especially when one single airline is mentioned. Planes don't just disappear, well not in all cases they just disappear, in most cases they fall. But what does it have to do with a political forum? In political sections people would want to talk politics. Like, say, sixth BRICS summit. That would be pretty neutral political topic about e.g. establishment of a BRICS contingent reserve arrangement that would be worth intelligent discussion. Why would one bring uninvestigated tragic accident that had happened one day after that to a political thread of a language forum? That's what are moratoruims for.
Why would one post a map with lines drawn on it? Why not to draw circles?
I absolutely agree that we should not discuss whatever is not yet investigated properly.

"Наконец
Я слышу речь не мальчика, но мужа."

Из трагедии «Борис Годунов» (1825) А. С. Пушкина . Слова Марины Мнишек, обращенные к Самозванцу.