Russia’s recent presidential elections once more provided an emphatic win for Vladimir Putin. Securing his fourth consecutive term in office with a huge 77% of the vote, Putin defied the odds, a constitution which limits consecutive terms to two, accusations of voting irregularities, and the assassination and imprisonment of the other candidates. A thoroughly deserved win then!
The run-up to the election which delivered Putin’s decisive victory was also assisted by a thorough and active police force, ensuring the the Russian people were safe and secure to cast their all-important vote. Many vehicles were deployed to this end, but our favourite is this, the GAZ Tigr SPM-2.
With 7mm armour plating, a four foot wading depth, and powered by a 5.9 litre Cummins diesel engine, the GAZ Tigr is the perfect vehicle for Russia’s armed forces to traverse their country’s vast and varied landscape. It’s also large enough to hold a number of police officers plus any citizens that are as yet unsure of whom to vote for.
This brilliant police-spec Technic GAZ Tigr SPM-2 comes from previous bloggee filsawgood and instead of containing undecided voters/rival political candidates it’s stuffed full of technical wizardry. All four independently suspended wheels are powered by a pair of BuWizz bluetooth bricks controlling four Large drive motors and Servo steering motor, whilst a Medium motor powers the front-mounted winch. There’s also a six-cylinder piston engine, opening hood, doors and sunroof, and a fully appointed interior ready to receive any political dissidents.
There’s lots more to see of filsawgood’s hugely impressive GAZ Tigr SPM-2 at both Flickr and the Eurobricks discussion forum – take a look via the links above and remember to show your support for the President in the comments.
I think, political intro is not needed here. Russia is not better and not worse than any other “democratic” countries, and no facts proving all that some of politics tell us about Russia. No independednt media, no fair elections, no truth and hypocrisy – that’s modern state of world. So better write about LEGO.
Hello rm8
Thank you for your feedback (genuinely!).
We will always use this platform for satire towards those we perceive as deserving of it. You are very much allowed to disagree with our choice of today’s recipient (we’d be disappointed if someone didn’t disagree to be honest!), as people have done when we’ve mocked various other institutions, car manufacturers, and countries in the past.
Russia has appeared here at TLCB both positively (e.g. https://thelegocarblog.com/2015/06/30/white-knight-2/) and negatively – (e.g. this post – if you read our praise of Putin as sarcastic).
However the great thing about the Lego Community is that it’s wonderfully varied and contains many different cultures, opinions and world views. We’re just one of these and our opinions are no more valuable than anyone else’s : )
We hope you understand this approach and do we value your thoughts.
Kind regards
TLCB Team
Well, Charlie Hebdo is also about Satire, they thought so. But 7th of January 2015 they paid high price for that. It means satire can be funny for one, and painful for another.
Veiled threats of violence? What a constructive addition to the dialogue.
more constructive as TLCB team’s answers in style “ha-ha, but that’s funny”. Everyone can laugh, when it’s politically suported humor, right?
Hey TLCB, mahj, why don’t you laugh on Afroamercans, LGBT, and as a high point – Muslims, ISIS ? I can build a brilliant tan pickup exclusively for you with a zenith gun, understand what I mean? but please, be funny, very funny, as you always do.
But something tell’s me that you are not too brave.
Hello rm8
You can use the Search bar at the foot of each page to find previous posts relating to a topic of your choosing.
As examples;
-ISIS
https://thelegocarblog.com/2016/04/01/bomb-disposal-if-you-see-me-running-try-to-keep-up/
https://thelegocarblog.com/2015/08/17/the-best-4x4xfar-3/
https://thelegocarblog.com/2016/05/06/over-syrian-skies/
https://thelegocarblog.com/2016/08/16/french-fighter/
-LGBT
https://thelegocarblog.com/2013/04/30/multi-coloured-nonsense/
-A tan pickup with a gun
https://thelegocarblog.com/2017/07/12/terrorists-friend/
Kind regards
TLCB Team
TLCB,
I have read all your links, and saw what I have expected to see – nothing provocative: you just noted objective facts about ISIS and even supported LGBT…
you can mock cars, brands, institutions and so on – that’s no problem laugh about russian lada. But when you laugh on leader of country – you laugh on people who support him, sometimes is is equal to whole nation. Just feel the border between joke and rude disrespect.
Hello rm8.
All good points, and yes satire can indeed be seen as disrespectful (which we suppose it is much of the time). We’ve satirised our own country here at TLCB more than any other, so we certainly don’t count ourselves as better than anyone else.
Without wishing to get into a political debate though, whilst we were clearly very sarcastic in our praise for Putin in the above post, we don’t believe any of the facts (77% of the vote, 4th consecutive term, assassination and imprisonment of other candidates, and accusations of voting irregularities) are in any way untrue or unverifiable(?). All are statements of fact, even in Russia surely? It is the opinions and conclusions that we draw from these facts where we differ.
We hope that whilst you disagree with our opinions on the recent election, you do accept that we have a right to them, and we have a right to be wrong too!
All the best
TLCB Team (who will now be using the Elves to check our mail for nerve agent)
Hope we understand each other.
Thank you.
Guys, why there is politics in your blog? We are all about Lego and vehicles, not science, medicine or finance.
We all have access to news all around the world in another media’s, so please, don’t bring all this dirty political debates here, some people like me or RM8 come here to take a rest from all these things!
Hello Evolveur
Thank you for your feedback (genuinely!).
TLCB will always use this platform to point the ‘Finger of Fun’ at those we perceive to be deserving, and that does include those in politics. We appreciate that whether the recipient is seen to be ‘deserving’ or not will depend on the opinions of each reader, so we do try to ensure we vary the figure of fun.
This post may have been too close to home for you, but the next will probably be fine (and will be too close for someone else).
We hope you understand this approach and do we value your thoughts.
Kind regards
TLCB Team
There are so much wrong points your post. You not only make accusations to a public person but also don’t respect will and votes of Russians. Personally I didn’t vote for the Mr. Pitun but I respect law and rights of my neighbors to elect him.
That is my bit of support to my Country.
Hello Алексей
Thanks for your comment! We’re always happy to be corrected on anything we write if it’s inaccurate.
Let us know which of the below points are incorrect and we will happily update the post : )
– 77% of the vote
– 4th consecutive term
– Rival candidates have been assassinated and imprisoned
– Accusations of voting irregularities
– Anything else we may have mis-written
Thanks in advance for taking the time to assist us
Kind regards
TLCB Team
These two are incorrect from your list:
– 4th consecutive term
– Rival candidates have been assassinated and imprisoned
Anyway I appreciate your intelligent style.
Hello Алексей
Thanks for coming back to us. Supporting data for these statements can be found below;
* Fourth Term, albeit with a ‘Premier’ role in the middle to circumnavigate the constitution:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Putin#2008–2012:_Second_premiership
* Assassination and imprisonment of rival candidates:
– Alexei Navalny
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexei_Navalny
– Boris Nemtsov
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Boris_Nemtsov
– Human Rights Watch Report
https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2018/country-chapters/russia
and
https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/09/06/russia-nationwide-assaults-political-opposition-campaign
-Critics Listing
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/03/23/here-are-ten-critics-of-vladimir-putin-who-died-violently-or-in-suspicious-ways/?utm_term=.0db32f65ec44
Whatever the truth, Russia will continue to feature here both positively and negatively – as per any other country, and Russian readers and creations are very welcome : )
We are not experts in elections, so we’ll cease our replies at this point.
All the best
TLCB Team
If you are not experts in elections and politics, why do you write about it?
I could also share a lot of links for you with counter-opinion about all your facts, but I am afraid you will not understand it. My point is not to overwhelm you mind, but to be more correct and respectful, but you just share unchecked facts from zombieTv. So better stop using Anti-Russian propaganda from “free of regulation” media sources. I think you clever enough to filter all that garbage that they pour into your ears.
I for one appreciate the commentary, and don’t mind getting politics dragged in here at all. Bonus points for engaging intelligently with the naysayers.
Hello Mahj
Thanks for your positive feedback – it’s very much appreciated! : )
TLCB Team
Love your lego creations but don’t share the idea of messing lego and politics.
Fully support you, not because I am Putin defender, but because TLCB lost borders (Попутал берега)
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What makes tlgb stand apart from other blogs of its kin is the tongue in cheek approach to the subject and the ability of your writers to just let their mind wander and coming up with such hilariously entertaining posts that sometimes only very remotely have to do with the current MOC or set they are reviewing.
That’s the reason I really like this blog, and keep coming back all the time.
Hello prado
That’s made us smile. Thanks for the kind words : )
TLCB Team
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