Those Silly Soviets Are At It Again

Recently the Moscow government announced that they were suing South Park, because they found it offensive.

Aside from the obvious – the show was created to be nothing but offensive – I find this action completely, well, silly.

My hunch is, the Moscow government is looking for some quick – but not necessarily easy – cash. South Park, an American-made prime-time cartoon about a group of kids getting into unusual situations, is being carried on a private broadcaster over in the land of the former Iron Curtain.

As the show is being carried on a private broadcaster, they can’t just take the show off the air – or can they? Moscow is still very much a communistic society, and although they have elements of capitalism afoot, I’d be surprised if they couldn’t exercise some sort of control. Worst case scenario, they could always just use one of their nukes. . .

But realistically, it is only a television show – if the government doesn’t like it – or more likely the people within the government – they can just change the channel. Suing an American media outlet (FOX) and the shows producers is just an attempt to make money.

Money is something the former Soviet Union needs in major supply. They were hit – and still are being hit – by the separation of their union, and the collapse of the Cold War. Poverty is at an all time high over there – which begs yet another question – who can afford to watch television? Some can’t afford shelter, clothing, even a piece of bread to nibble on – are these people really at risk from an American cartoon?

Governments are supposed to look out for the best interests of their citizens. Is suing over a cartoon really going to put a homeless people indoors, food in the starving’s tummies, and clothes on those in rags?

I don’t think so. At best, all it will do is stir up negative media criticism over yet another poorly made decision by a bunch of politicians. At worst, it will highlight the ineptitude of a country as a whole, to recover from political unrest.

There wasn’t a real winner or loser declared in the Cold War, but it is clear that some governments just haven’t been the same since.