The Black Keys

at

This morning.

Further to the exclusion by the Dublin International Piano Competition of nine Russian pianists because of the war in Ukraine…

…via Irish Times Letters:

The Dublin Piano Competition has cancelled its Russian competitors (“Dublin piano competition’s move to ban Russian competitors faces criticism”). Do these people know the histories and opinions of the pianists concerned?

Our culture is obsessed with individual choice and a refusal to apply stereotypes. Until, it seems, we decide to tar entire nations with one brush. How ridiculous we are going to look in a few years.

Kevin O’Connell, Carlow.

Irish Times Letters

Sponsored Link

Related posts:

Keeping An Eye On Russia “Hit Putin And His Henchmen Where It Hurts” Under Siege Meanwhile, In Orwell Road [Updated]

47 thoughts on “The Black Keys”

  1. Janet, dreams of an alternate universe

    it’s childish behavior, over simplification, so their careers are over because what they are Russian ?

    1. Fergalito

      Agreed, I’ve no truck with this kind of thing.

      It reeks of “à la mode” posturing.

    2. scottser

      i can state quite categorically that there have been absolutely no russian artists, musicians or writers who advocated freedom of thought and the value of fundamental human rights, or my name’s not ‘CItizen 5467894C’.

    3. Dinkum

      It’s pretty pathetic and dose nothing to heal any future divisions
      Just imagine if we did the same with the brits over Bloody Sunday

  2. ANO

    The thinking isn’t hard to comprehend – ostracise Putin’s Russia from the world stage in the hope that it isolates him from his own people at home.

    Is that approach likely to work with a country structured like Russia ? Seems unlikely to me but this non-violent approach is worth a shot.

    1. Janet, dreams of an alternate universe

      he doesn’t give a monies, this is just punishment for the innocent

      2. Wilhelm

        You are naive to think that the common folk (or celebrity, artist, athlete) are innocent. They are very much in support of the regime and the war.

          2. Wilhelm

            It’s not. You can’t exactly compare a terrorist organization with a government/regime.

            You ever been to rural Russia? No roads, just dirt tracks, people living in wooden shacks with rags for windows, moonshine for breakfast, dreaming of the Soviet kolkhoz and former glory. They are very much in support of Putin and his ambitions to restore the former Soviet states. Still fighting Nazism because what else is there for them.

            Athletes, artists have had decades to speak against Putin. Every single one of them could have left Russia and any country would have embraced them with open arms.

            I have no sympathy whatsoever.

          3. Janet, dreams of an alternate universe

            Yes I have been to Russia, my x husband’s family are from Odessa.

          4. Micko

            “ They are very much in support of the regime”

            I also hear that all Muslims are also terrorists

            “ had decades to speak against Putin. ”

            And then Putin makes your family disappear…

            What a childish view of the world.

          2. Janet, dreams of an alternate universe

            although technically you’re right I should have put an “and” in the place of the comma

      3. ANO

        It’s more about what everyone else in Russia thinks, the aim is for literally everyone else in that country to realise that they’d be better off without Putin in charge.

        Not being able to ply your trade must suck but, hey, it beats having a missile dropped through your kitchen roof.

        1. Janet, dreams of an alternate universe

          that’s a little whatabouty, everyone’s experience is relative

          2. ANO

            One is a direct result of the other though.

            If Putin wasn’t lobbing missiles into kitchens then these pianists would be free to keep getting their piano on.

        3. SOQ

          Putin’s popularity has risen by another 10% to 70- he is going nowhere.

          What people don’t understand is that while for eight years the western media were completely silent about the Azov Nazis butchering Russians in the east of Ukraine- the Russia media would have been giving it extensive coverage.

          So the average Russian probably sees this invasion as a humanitarian exercise. Throw in a twice weekly story about Bio Lab safety on the border, and it should be no surprise if they are in favour of this invasion.

      4. Kim The Cardassian

        On the contrary, he definitely does. Snipers at his rally last week, in hiding in his bunker, not to mention the Russian equivalent of Air Force One in drills at the weekend. While we are a long way away from revolution, he is looking over his hairy shoulder.

        1. ANO

          Granted he may care about the culmative impact but taken in isolation I doubt he’s bothered about some pianists having their gigs cancelled.

        2. Nigel

          I expect he loves this kind of thing as more proof that the west is just plain anti-Russian, but it isn’ as if he cann’t just make things up to drive that point home, so mixing in a little truth is hardly significant. Still, a better approach would be to openly welcome ordinary Russians as individuals, to seperate them from Putin and cronies.

          Can’t be a good sign for him that he felt the need to stage a pro-war rally of his own, though.

    2. K.Cavan

      Nonsense, ANO, you’re presenting silly, childish ideas, just like the idiots who came up with this utter crap.

      1. Fergalito

        “In 213BC, the Chinese emperor Qin Shi Huang buried 460 scholars alive and burned all the books in his kingdom so he could control how history would remember his reign…”

        Remembered for burying authors and burning books then?

        Banning books not a great benchmark for a nation that regularly blethers about first amendment rights. Wasn’t so long ago we were doing likewise and running authors out of the country.

        Maus is a great graphic novel incidentally. Recommended.

    2. Nigel

      It’s an over-reaction, but I don’t think it’s part of any trend other than responding to the war.

      2. K.Cavan

        Russia has not declared war on us, Nigel, not that one might know, from your reaction. This is, as pointed out above, childish cancel culture writ large. It’s embarrasing to even be associated with such witless, small-minded bitchiness. The people directing this have no class, no culture & very little intelligence. Morons & emotional retards have taken over so many of our institutions. Time for a pogrom.
        CLEAR THEM OUT!

  6. Broadbag

    Stupid stuff, they canceled Swan Lake a couple of weeks ago, like where do you stop and who decides this war is worse than that one, it’s barmy.

    1. Cú Chulainn

      Boycotting is one of the few direct ways to communicate your message and it has proven over the years to be extremely effective. Not nice for the individuals concerned, but neither is being bombed out of your home. Expect these boycotts to remain until Putin has met his maker.

      1. Broadbag

        Let’s boycott Saudi Arabia so and then start drawing up a very long list, there won’t be much left – see the hypocrisy in the UK in the approach to Chelsea, Newcastle and Man City and how only 1 of the 3 has been sanctioned.

  7. SOQ

    Not sure where this comes from, but it is on the mark.

    Blaming all Russians for the actions of Putin is like blaming all Jews for the Israeli army bombing Palestinian civilians, or blaming all Chinese for the Chinese army persecuting Uyghurs.

    Collective punishment and guilt by association is the trait of racists and xenophobes.

Comments are closed.

Broadsheet.ie