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[Baffler]

Did you know I thought that Australia's national anthem was actually Waltzing Matilda right up until I was about to make a remark about it being really depressing and then finding out about the actual national anthem of Australia?
I suppose I'll be more forgiving if Americans mistake Danny Boy for Ireland's national anthem. Then again, it really should be.

Waltzing Matilda should be Australia's national anthem. Bonus if the official version is David Gordon Kirkpatrick's.

Hey guys, any predictions for tomorrow today? I mean how many people will get beaten and\or arrested in Moscow?

I suspect that it will be like summer Siberan stuff with a dozen or so actually arriving to the protest.

If you mean what I think you mean, I think there'll be a a couple hours of demonstration by a fairly sizable group of people who are mostly ignored, but have a considerable number of police waiting in the wings.

[Sergarr]

Fun thing: In Russia, police mostly protects the protesters from being beaten by crowds of disagreeing Russians.

This is especially so for gay marches. Without police protection, there would be major clashes any time they were carried out.

[Ukrainian Ranger]

Isn't it the same for Germany and neo-nazies?

[Knit tie]

Isn't it the same for Germany and neo-nazies?

Please don't equte gays and neo-nazis - they are an unnatural blemish upon the face of society that we should have eradicated long ago.

Gays, meanwhile, can be perfectly nice and peaceful people.

[Sheb]

I guess his point is that Russian beat up gays while German beat up neo-nazis.

[Comrade P.]

I guess his point is that Russian beat up gays while German beat up neo-nazis.

We beat up both, apparently.

[Knit tie]

I guess his point is that Russian beat up gays while German beat up neo-nazis.

We beat up both, apparently.

Hence my joke, which plays with the (sadly) popular expression that "gays are unnatural."

[Owlbread]

Eh, I think you are reading a bit too much into it.  I mean the British anthem is just "Fuck yeah Britain!" and the French is just "Fuck yeah France we'd fight for France!" and the Canadians are all "Fuck yeah Canada we'd fight for Canada!" and the Americans... recount a chapter of history only Canadians give a shit about.  The only national anthem I can recall with goals is "watch on the left bank" and well... we don't like to talk about that one.

In the de-facto Scottish national anthem the only explicit goal mentioned is independence - "and we can still riiise now... and be a nation again". It's funny to think how many people sang that at football games then voted No. Apart from that it's 90% "fuck yeah Scotland beat King Edward etc". I detest it, I must say. We have better ones e.g. Scots Wha Hae.

Do Russians acknowledge that Tchaikovsky was gay these days or is he just airbrushed into an asexual existence?

[Helgoland]

It is all about being proud of Russia. It has no goals to strive for. That text  can be shortened to  - "We are ideal already, no need to do anything. Be proud!"

Eh, I think you are reading a bit too much into it.  I mean the British anthem is just "Fuck yeah Britain!" and the French is just "Fuck yeah France we'd fight for France!" and the Canadians are all "Fuck yeah Canada we'd fight for Canada!" and the Americans... recount a chapter of history only Canadians give a shit about.  The only national anthem I can recall with goals is "watch on the left bank" and well... we don't like to talk about that one.

This is almost entirely wrong:
The British anthem is about wishing the Queen a long and glorious (read: good for the country) reign. There's no actual 'Fuck yeah Britain' in there.
The French anthem is about defending France (or, more precisely, the French) from the tyrants opppressing and killing the people. Tyrants from abroad as well as those from within! It may be one of the few anthems calling for the killing of one's own rulers.
The American anthem is - again - about defending America, or more properly the American ideals. Interestingly the whole anthem is a question: Does our banner still wave? Have we been beaten, or can we continue to fight? Is our country still the home of the free and the land of the brave?
The Canadian anthem is - once again - about protecting one's country, but with a strong admixture of 'Fuck yeah Canada', I'll admit.
The German anthem - which you ignored - is about striving for a good country, for Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit.
The Polish anthem - which you ignored as well - begins with 'Poland has not yet perished, / So long as we still live.' 'Nuff said.

They are all quite different from the Russian one - I guess you read them too little as opposed to reading too much into them.
Just out of curiosity: What's 'Watch on the left bank'?

[Sergarr]

Eh, I think you are reading a bit too much into it.  I mean the British anthem is just "Fuck yeah Britain!" and the French is just "Fuck yeah France we'd fight for France!" and the Canadians are all "Fuck yeah Canada we'd fight for Canada!" and the Americans... recount a chapter of history only Canadians give a shit about.  The only national anthem I can recall with goals is "watch on the left bank" and well... we don't like to talk about that one.

In the de-facto Scottish national anthem the only explicit goal mentioned is independence - "and we can still riiise now... and be a nation again". It's funny to think how many people sang that at football games then voted No. Apart from that it's 90% "fuck yeah Scotland beat King Edward etc". I detest it, I must say. We have better ones e.g. Scots Wha Hae.

Do Russians acknowledge that Tchaikovsky was gay these days or is he just airbrushed into an asexual existence?

Wait, what?

[MarcAFK]

out of curiosity: What's 'Watch on the left bank'?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Die_Wacht_am_Rhein ?

[Helgoland]

Those watching in that song would've stood on the right side - and I'm not aware of any country using that as its national anthem...

[smjjames]

It is all about being proud of Russia. It has no goals to strive for. That text  can be shortened to  - "We are ideal already, no need to do anything. Be proud!"

Eh, I think you are reading a bit too much into it.  I mean the British anthem is just "Fuck yeah Britain!" and the French is just "Fuck yeah France we'd fight for France!" and the Canadians are all "Fuck yeah Canada we'd fight for Canada!" and the Americans... recount a chapter of history only Canadians give a shit about.  The only national anthem I can recall with goals is "watch on the left bank" and well... we don't like to talk about that one.

This is almost entirely wrong:
The British anthem is about wishing the Queen a long and glorious (read: good for the country) reign. There's no actual 'Fuck yeah Britain' in there.
The French anthem is about defending France (or, more precisely, the French) from the tyrants opppressing and killing the people. Tyrants from abroad as well as those from within! It may be one of the few anthems calling for the killing of one's own rulers.
The American anthem is - again - about defending America, or more properly the American ideals. Interestingly the whole anthem is a question: Does our banner still wave? Have we been beaten, or can we continue to fight? Is our country still the home of the free and the land of the brave?
The Canadian anthem is - once again - about protecting one's country, but with a strong admixture of 'Fuck yeah Canada', I'll admit.
The German anthem - which you ignored - is about striving for a good country, for Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit.
The Polish anthem - which you ignored as well - begins with 'Poland has not yet perished, / So long as we still live.' 'Nuff said.

They are all quite different from the Russian one - I guess you read them too little as opposed to reading too much into them.
Just out of curiosity: What's 'Watch on the left bank'?

On the American anthem: pretty much, yeah.

The German anthem also has that "over all the world" bit which Polandball comics made a joke out of with anthem powers or something.

[Helgoland]

THAT IS NOT THE GERMAN ANTHEM!
The German anthem is the third stanza - exclusively. There's hardly any faux pas an American can make than singing 'Deutschland Deutschland über alles.' And it becomes worse if they a) substitute a u for the ü and/or b) complain about Germans being embarassed about their anthem when it is pointed out to them that it is inacceptable to sing this particular stanza.

[Sheb]

Fun fact, the Belgian anthem only has one stanza because the rest of the song was originally in French and no one bothered translating it into Dutch.

It's like "Belgium, we really love you, we'll protect you, so that you can have for a motto "King, Law and Freedom", "King Law And Freedom" ,"King Law And Freedom". Come one, that's too short, lets sing that a couple more time. "KingLawFreedomKingLawFreedom".

Second fun fact, our national motto is not and never was "King, Law and Freedom".