All purpose news and politics thread part VI: This Is Not The Time For Posing

[Lieutenant]

Jesus, that train crash in India is horrific. Around 300 people dead.

Very Sad news. But it is no surprise that railway accidents are not uncommon in India, that has the world's worst railway safety record due to an inept and corrupt bureaucracy.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...dents_in_India

[Tami]

Very Sad news. But it is no surprise that railway accidents are not uncommon in India, that has the world's worst railway safety record due to an inept and corrupt bureaucracy.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...dents_in_India

I gather that they are getting new trains, but not investing in track repairs or other vital railway infrastructure issues. That's like trying to drive a race car at high speed on a dirt and cobblestone road.

[JCAll]

Weirdly enough, I hear some want the "B" gone.

They want the L and G gone too.

[The Cool Thatguy]

I gather that they are getting new trains, but not investing in track repairs or other vital railway infrastructure issues. That's like trying to drive a race car at high speed on a dirt and cobblestone road.

...that sounds kinda fun.

[Tami]

...that sounds kinda fun.

Sure, if you like skidding and crashing into things.

[OopsIdiditagain]

Gross

Fans drugged, assaulted? New accusations against Rammstein

Following initial claims by Shelby Lynn, several young female fans are now testifying that they were recruited to have sex with the band's lead singer, Till Lindemann.

Rumors of sexual assault and abuse of power on social media are not always taken seriously, but the accusations against the frontman of German band Rammstein, Till Lindemann, are now gaining weight.

Following the claims by Shelby Lynn that were made public earlier this week, a new investigation by German reporters shows that the case could by part of a systematic process to satisfy Lindemann's sexual requests.

The case that triggered more reports: Shelby Lynn's testimony
Lynn, a fan from Ireland, had traveled to Vilnius, Lithuania, to attend a Rammstein concert, the first one of their Europe Stadium Tour.

There, she was invited to a concert party. She reports that she met there the band's frontman, Till Lindemann, and that he wanted to have sex with her. Lynn said that Lindemann reacted very aggressively when she refused.

She also suspects that one of her drinks was spiked with drugs, because she has no memory of a part of the evening after having only two drinks and a shot of tequila. She says that she was left bruised and vomiting for 24 hours after the concert.

She posted a picture of her injuries online and filed a complaint.

Young female fans systematically recruited for sex?
On June 2, German public broadcaster NDR and daily Süddeutsche Zeitung published an exclusive report with new testimonies of women whose experiences mirror Shelby Lynn's, uncovering a systematic process to recruit attractive young women as participants in after-show parties, who were reportedly specifically chosen to have sex with Till Lindemann.

The journalists have collected the statutory declarations of more than a dozen women, who have described how they were approached by Rammstein's team, either through Instagram or at the concerts. Some of them were asked to send photos ahead of the event, or were photographed and filmed on site. The selected women said were asked to dress in a certain way for the event, and were given access to what is known as "row zero" during the concert, a special restricted space directly in front of the stage.

One woman reports that she was even directly informed that access to the party was only for those who were interested in having sex with Lindemann, and that the 60-year-old rocker only wanted very young women to attend.

Other women note that they were not even asked their age, even though they were offered alcohol and illegal drugs at the parties.

The reporters have also collected several screenshots from WhatsApp and Instagram chats backing the women's statements.

They have also filmed testimonies of two women, who decided to remain anonymous but provided a statutory declaration, who described their sexual encounter with Till Lindemann.

One of them describes having extremely painful sex with the star. While she didn't dare tell him she was feeling uncomfortable in the situation "because it was Lindemann," she says she now realizes that it was a form of power abuse.

The other woman reports how she ended up unconscious on a hotel bed while attending Lindemann's after-show party. She says that when she regained consciousness, he was still lying on her. He asked her if he should stop, but she said that she "didn't even know what he wanted to stop doing." Lindemann then left.

She later asked members of the team to get to talk to Lindemann, but they didn't see the point. She wanted to find out if he had at least used a condom.

No comments from Lindemann and Rammstein
Lindemann and the people involved in the reported recruitment of the young women did not reply to NDR's and Süddeutsche Zeitung's requests for comments.

Following Lynn's statement, the band has rejected all allegations on their Twitter account.

"With regard to the allegations circulating on the internet about Vilnius, we can rule out the possibility that what is being claimed took place in our environment," they stated in a tweet. "We are not aware of any official investigations into this matter."

Other women reported — anonymously — of having had similar experiences and expressed their full solidarity with Shelby Lynn. Others urged caution, as the claims were still unproven.

Many Rammstein fans consider the band's Twitter post to be insufficient and have asked through the band's social media channels why they are not addressing the issue more explicitly.

One Instagram user asked: "Don't you want to at least try to solve this problem? It is too serious for a single tweet to make a difference."

Rammstein, however, has until now kept a low profile, posting pictures of their performances.

A 2020 poem by Lindemann about rape
Amid the current accusations, a poem by Till Lindemann from 2020 is also being widely shared online, in which he writes, "I like to sleep with you while you sleep ... A bit Rophynol in a glass of wine / You can't move at all / And you sleep, it's a blessing."

The poem was already criticized upon its publication, but it was interpreted as a fantasy told from the perspective of a fictional rapist.

Lindemann and Rammstein are known for breaking all taboos with their lyrics, videos and marketing stunts.

Lynn has also collected more testimonies
Shelby Lynn's testimony started gaining traction after she created on May 25 a new Twitter account with the profile description, "The girl who got spiked AT Rammstein."

She is using the account to document her experience and her claims, as well as to collect testimonies from other alleged victims.

Following initial reports of sexual assault, Lynn added a clarification on Twitter, in which she specifies that Lindemann did not touch her. "He accepted that I didn't want to have sex with him. I never claimed he raped me."

Rammstein's European stadium tour kicked off in Vilnius on May 22 and it will take them across Europe throughout the summer. In Germany, the band will perform in Munich in June and in Berlin in July.

This article was originally written in German.

Update: First published on May 30, this article was updated on June 2 with new accusations.

source: https://www.dw.com/en/fans-drugged-assaulted-new-accusations-against-rammsteins-till-lindemann/a-65772206

[shooshoomanjoe]

Very Sad news. But it is no surprise that railway accidents are not uncommon in India, that has the world's worst railway safety record due to an inept and corrupt bureaucracy.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...dents_in_India

Doesn't help that they hang off the trains and ride on top of them.

[Tami]

Doesn't help that they hang off the trains and ride on top of them.

I thought that ended decades ago when the wooden trains were replaced with modern trains.

[Tami]

Tennessee drag ban is unconstitutional, federal judge rules

A federal judge struck down a first-of-its-kind Tennessee law that banned drag shows in public or where children could watch them, writing that the unconstitutional measure was passed “for the impermissible purpose of chilling constitutionally-protected speech.”

In his ruling issued Friday, U.S. District Judge Thomas Parker wrote that the law violates First Amendment freedom of speech protections and was “unconstitutionally vague and substantially overbroad.” Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti said in a statement that he expects to appeal the ruling “at the appropriate time.”

The bill was one of at least 26 introduced across the nation this year taking aim at drag events. This sudden rush to regulate and ban drag shows, largely by arguing that the performances are harmful to minors, is part of a wider GOP strategy to roll back — or at least signal that it wants to roll back — LGBTQ rights as the 2024 election season approaches.

State lawmakers have introduced more than 400 anti-transgender bills this year, up from about 150 bills in 2022, according to a Post analysis of ACLU data.

LGBTQ rights groups are taking the Tennessee ruling as a victory that could set the tone for legal challenges to drag bans nationwide. Attorney Brice Timmons, one of the lawyers who represented the plaintiff in this case, said he and his Donati Law colleague Melissa Stewart are headed to Florida for a hearing on their court challenge to that state’s drag ban.

[Lieutenant]

Doesn't help that they hang off the trains and ride on top of them.

They are still doing that? That is way too overcrowded. You'd think the Indians would be afraid of trains after several deadly train accidents. But many Indians are still riding on those unsafe trains. Why are they still riding on trains?

I gather that they are getting new trains, but not investing in track repairs or other vital railway infrastructure issues. That's like trying to drive a race car at high speed on a dirt and cobblestone road.

You'd think that the Indian government would already invest in repairing or improving railway infrastructure, after a series of accidents? But those government bureaucrats are too corrupt to pay attention to the problem.

If I went to India, I would rather walk a thousand miles barefoot than take the chance and ride on an Indian train.

[scourge]

Tennessee drag ban is unconstitutional, federal judge rules

All this anti-LGBTQ crap from conservatives needs to be struck down and struck down HARD. Preferably with some penalty hitting those GOP assclowns for even trying it.

[Anodyne]

They are still doing that? That is way too overcrowded. You'd think the Indians would be afraid of trains after several deadly train accidents. But many Indians are still riding on those unsafe trains. Why are they still riding on trains?



You'd think that the Indian government would already invest in repairing or improving railway infrastructure, after a series of accidents? But those government bureaucrats are too corrupt to pay attention to the problem.

If I went to India, I would rather walk a thousand miles barefoot than take the chance and ride on an Indian train.

What alternatives do Indian people have? Walking a thousand miles isn't very practical if you need to get somewhere within a reasonable time

[Tendrin]

https://www.tiktok.com/@mostdangerou..._t=8cpt8WcRcdS

Made me cackle once.

[CaptainEurope]

They are still doing that? That is way too overcrowded. You'd think the Indians would be afraid of trains after several deadly train accidents. But many Indians are still riding on those unsafe trains. Why are they still riding on trains?



You'd think that the Indian government would already invest in repairing or improving railway infrastructure, after a series of accidents? But those government bureaucrats are too corrupt to pay attention to the problem.

If I went to India, I would rather walk a thousand miles barefoot than take the chance and ride on an Indian train.

Before this turns into an India-bashing thread: There was a deadly train crash in Greece just a few weeks ago and the India crash happened on the 25th anniversary of the most deadly train accident in German history, which had killed 101 people. I still remember watching the CNN International live coverage, they were on the phone with a local reporter who was fighting back tears and suddenly said he had to go, they were asking him to help.

[CaptainEurope]

Gross

Fans drugged, assaulted? New accusations against Rammstein



source: https://www.dw.com/en/fans-drugged-assaulted-new-accusations-against-rammsteins-till-lindemann/a-65772206

Guy who wrote poetry about drugging girls to rape them is not a good guy? This is my shocked face.