which is the most corrupt country

Originally posted by Aelita

It's very idiomatic

"Vory v zakone" is slang, and means "bosses of the underworld" in plain English. The rest of the phrase is not informative

ah i see. im trying to learn some russian. nice language, just a random peice of info.

Originally posted by Otts
Interearthling - re China, I saw a pretty telling ad about the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. It denounces China's human rights and executions record. I have to find the video of it...

The ad opens on a Chinese marathon runner, feet in the starting blocks, concentrating... another Chinese guy, wearing a black suit, arrives with a gun to give the signal... raises his gun in the air... then lowers the gun to the runner's head.

Fade to black.

BANG.

Right. But it's not the same as corruption. Large bribes are punishable by death in that country, and such sentences are indeed carried out. Sounds like a very anti-corruption policy to me

Originally posted by Aelita


Sounds like a very anti-corruption policy to me

yeah but who enforces the law?
those who control those who control the law are untouchable.

Aelita - you're right on that point. What I wanted to convey is that I can't understand what kind of strings the Chinese government pulled to get the Olympics in Beijing when there are so many human rights abuses.

I respect the Chinese people very much, but I can't understand what kind of signal it sends that China, under this kind of government, is getting the Games.

Originally posted by Otts
I respect the Chinese people very much, but I can't understand what kind of signal it sends that China, under this kind of government, is getting the Games.

It can also be a catalyst for change, actually

Aelita - may the big guy upstairs hear you on that one. I want to hope it happens that way, but it's always difficult to put pressure on the Chinese government... they're huge and they know it.