So the Russians used some kind of knock out gas on their little problem and then this gas killed over 100 hundred of the hostages.  That’s terrible and I know that I speak for the rest of western culture when I say, “It’s no wonder they don’t want to sign the UN resolution against Iraq!”

I really don’t feel like getting into a lengthy argument about this whole subject, but lets face facts:  The Russian government is not willing to stop Saddam Hussian from having chemical and biological weapons, because they want to be able to kill a few hundred of their own when it’s necessary.  At least they’re not being hypocritical about it, saying it’s good for them and bad for some one else.  And it’s good for us as well, because now we know where they really stand.

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/world/DailyNews/russia021028_gas.html

Note on Jackass (posted to the message board at imdb)

I've nothing to complicated to add, only that we must remember that there was a time when it was considered alright to watch people being torn apart by lions. We are taught that looking back at such times that those people involved were barbaric, un-educated, un-refined, and in some cases, un-dignified. And in all our great achievements from those dark times we learned some sanctity to individual life, thus the idea that some one burning themselves, but not dying is some how okay. But be warned, casual invasion into the mysterious wonderment of destruction is not simple encroachment. It is far more slippery a slope than one can imagine. Besides, what ‘movies’ like this show is that thought, culture, dreams, and individual identity are slipping away. That instead of growing through the use of story telling, we are de-evolving through simple entertainment and escapism. The real question should be, what’s next?