Has anyone actually stepped up yet to clarify where they stand on this... or maybe shared a deep dive into their specific perspective? Come on, folks, let's get the conversation moving...
Timothy Campbell2 said:First things first, Turkey isn't exactly a Muslim country. They really ought to deal with their own minority issues and start giving women more rights before they try stepping foot into the European Union...
Hmm... yeah, you actually have a point there. While it’s officially a secular nation, when I say "Muslim country," I just mean that the vast majority of the population identifies as Muslim... Since Islam is the primary religion there, right?
I noticed that negotiations regarding Turkey joining the European Union were announced yesterday. What are everyone's thoughts on this development? Should they be welcomed in as the first Muslim-majority nation, and what would be the reasoning behind that... or if you think they shouldn't join, what's your take on why not?
I don't know about you all, but it's been pouring rain here in New York City for days on end, and since my bank account is looking a little slim, I decided to just treat myself to a movie this weekend instead. So, I finally went to see this one today. It was actually quite a good film... though I have to admit the first thirty minutes were a bit of a drag because they spend so much time rambling on with all this pointless philosophical nonsense, but once they really get into the deep stuff, it becomes genuinely engaging... And oh my gosh, Meryl Streep is absolutely incredible... she’s just so convincing and captivating that you can't help but want to swoop in and give her a playful little smack on the backside... Well, yeah... honestly, since the last time I saw her on screen, she has aged beautifully... The popcorn was delicious too, although I definitely overdid it and ate way more than I should have...
So, I headed over to the movie theater yesterday to catch this one, mostly just because the trailer looked so promising... like, if the teaser is that good, how bad could it be, right? And honestly, the first forty minutes actually kept me hooked, but then they completely ruined the whole vibe by throwing in some ridiculous aliens and just making a total mess of the plot. On top of that, the popcorn was way too salty and even my Coke tasted off for some reason, I have no idea why... Such a letdown.
I was watching this yesterday... A production from China. It was absolutely fantastic... The story was solid, but visually speaking... oh my goodness, it was easily one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen... I just absolutely loved how they used color symbolism and everything else like that... You really have to check it out...
Oh, come on, let’s stop with the patronizing tone... 🙄
Seriously though, when has America ever dealt with such a massive hostage crisis without some sort of mess following it? I mean, it's not like they haven't found themselves stuck in tight spots before... not by a long shot... it's just that they always manage to frame everything as a series of military triumphs, even when terrorists are breathing down their necks, right? Honestly, if you had just said that Russia messed up and left things as they were, I wouldn't have said a word, but when you compare their impact to what Americans do—who tend to leave much bigger messes behind in almost every situation—it actually becomes pretty laughable... BTW, I don't need the official Russian versions of events. There are plenty of reporters and former hostages coming forward now, sharing exactly what happened and how it all went down. If I don't need to trust "official reports," then I can certainly trust the hostages who were actually there to see it firsthand...
Dana Miller6 said:Exactly! It’s like how the Russian military just turns around and starts targeting their own people, whereas Americans don't go after our own kind...
🙄 🙄 Oh, really? Man, you are just so young and incredibly naive...
Look, I think there’s a bit of a misunderstanding here because someone mentioned in this thread that the terrorists were speaking Russian, and you're questioning how on earth Chechens could be speaking Russian at all... I was simply breaking down the logic of how that works, so I'm honestly not quite sure what you're getting at with your critique... By the way, yeah, in places like Estonia and so on... they don't speak Russian as their primary language, but they certainly CAN if the situation calls for it... It’s just like how I don't go around speaking English every single day here in the States, but if I actually NEED to, I can definitely do it... So, really, claiming that those statements about them "speaking Russian" are silly doesn't make much sense, especially since Russian used to be the official language of communication back then... You might only be able to make that argument once newer generations of Chechens, Latvians, or Estonians grow up without ever having Russian included in their school curriculum... Amen.
Aha... you might think they just don't talk about him at all. Look, it’s not like they aren't mentioning him behind closed doors anymore, but they definitely bring him up whenever it's necessary... like when they need to coordinate with the prosecutors or something similar... depending on the situation...
Actually, that’s not quite right... back in America, neither American nor Mexican was actually the sole official language. In Russia, however, Russian was the official language, and everyone learned it and spoke it fluently... I have some friends living in Estonia, and they all speak Russian just like Russians do...
I honestly didn't think they actually spoke Russian as their mother tongue, I just assumed they were incredibly fluent, which would definitely make it a direct quote... Back in the communist era, Russian was the official language throughout the entire Russian Federation, so practically everyone spoke it with total ease...
Just a quick thought here for anyone looking to point fingers at the Russians... This whole thing wasn't some planned operation; they were actually right in the middle of negotiations when it went down. The situation boiled over because the terrorists set off bombs just as negotiators were carrying out the bodies they had already agreed to release, and in the chaos, the kids and other hostages tried to make a run for it, which led the terrorists to start shooting, and naturally, the Russian forces responded. I honestly think any other country would have reacted the exact same way... Besides, how much longer could those children have held out without food or water? I even saw one boy on TV mention they were forced to drink their own urine because they were just so desperately thirsty... To be completely honest, it really turns my stomach to see people blaming the Russians for such a massive loss of life. It’s a simple case of cause and effect, people, let's get real!!! 🙄 If you’ve ever lived through actual terror, you know there is absolutely no excuse for acting out violently against children. I totally get that the Chechens feel oppressed or that basic human rights are being violated over there, etc., etc... but if you're that angry, go express your bitterness in the Russian parliament instead of in a school full of kids. Disgusting! Seriously, I just don't have any patience for terrorism of any kind. For me, there’s just no comparison between legitimate armed struggle and suddenly blowing up a bus, a subway, a plane, or a school. It's just pathetic and cowardly... Think about it, back when we were dealing with pressure from Mexicans, we didn't march into Mexico to blow up their schools and buses, did we? Terrorism only serves to breed more hatred, and this won't achieve anything for the Chechens—absolutely nothing at all...
Ashley Rogers4 said:Putin and his inner circle actually managed to kill off 200 of "their own" kids this time around, and they've wiped out 42,000 Chechen children over the last decade! Not a single independent journalist could even get a word in without the news being swallowed up by this whole Russian adventure... The hostages even mentioned that these "terrorists" were speaking perfect, technical Russian, and there were about 15 of them.
But the Russians claim they "killed" 27!
So, on average, it's like everyone was killed twice!
What a total lie from the Russian mob...
Oh, come on now. Honestly, I find this whole argument a bit distasteful... You're really mixing up cause and effect here. How exactly on earth did the Russians manage to kill 200 children??? (By the way, the BBC is reporting the number is actually over 322 now)... And of course the Chechens would be speaking Russian, since anyone who has ever been part of the Russian Federation speaks it... from Estonia and Latvia all the way down to Chechnya and Georgia...
I totally forgot to mention that Saffron Burrows is actually my neighbor—you know, that gorgeous actress who plays Hector's wife—and she happens to be a lesbian. She lives with that other actress, Fiona Shaw... who, if I'm being honest, isn't really my type at all... I’m definitely going to try and catch her off guard the next time I run into her on the street... maybe she'll take an interest in me! I mean, what have I got to lose...? She's stunning, wealthy, and famous, after all. Someone like her might just convince me to rethink my entire lifestyle...😁 🙏
silentpilot6... You've gotta be kidding me, don't tell me you actually think Braveheart is a good movie???? 😲 😲 I might just lose my mind... or at least go on a total rant....🙂
So... I just finished watching a late-night showing of Troy. The first half hour was a total disaster... just hammy acting and pure boredom... my friend and I spent the first thirty minutes just cracking jokes and laughing our heads off about how bad it was. My favorite part had to be that scene where Achilles' mom tells him, "Listen son, if you go to Troy, you aren't coming back," and Achilles just gives this super "deep" stare into the distance. Like... please. 🙄 And then there's the woman playing Helen, who is—well, I won't say she's ugly, but let's just say... she's nothing special... she looks like any other random person you'd see walking down a street in any US city. It’s so weird because she's supposed to be playing "the most beautiful woman in the world," when both Saffron (Hector's wife) and the other woman Achilles is seeing are way ahead of her in the beauty department. Plus, her acting is just DESPERATE!!! Both her and Orlando gave such catastrophic performances. On top of that, they completely butchered The Iliad, leaving out huge details and changing everything... and then they have the nerve to slap "inspired by Iliad" on the credits at the end as an excuse....🙄 But, honestly, once I pushed past all that nonsense, I actually got sucked into the movie and really enjoyed myself. I especially loved Brad Pitt and Eric Bana.... oh my god, if I hadn't been sitting behind a screen, I would have jumped right in and started flirting with them. Man, what absolute smokeshows. Brad is so incredibly buffed up that Russell in Gladiator looks like a total couch potato next to him. Seriously, you wouldn't want to run into him in a dark alley somewhere. And hey... the acting was actually decent, especially Eric. He was truly great. The battle scenes are absolutely stunning. I almost teared up when Hector died, and Patroclus too... and, uh... when Brad was giving that whole speech about humanity and blah blah blah.... So, basically, three absolute legends in one movie. That makes it worth it. All in all, I'd give it a 4 * out of 5. 😁