Date: Sat, 4 Oct 2003 14:08:45 -0600 From: "MALCOLM XERXES" <malcolm at www dot titanrainbow dot com> Subject: Re: THE AFFABLE MR. F
ANDREI,
I am sorry to read that you have such difficulty obtaining legitimate copies of the music of KING CRIMSON & "THIS FRIPP". I thought I was having a difficult time of it because I do not have a credit card! Thank you for your sobering perspective.
I do not presume to speak on behalf of "THIS FRIPP". However, my own interpretation of his remark about Russian distribution being "irrelevant" is that so far as his personal royalty payments are concerned in your marketplace, his profits are virtually nil, due to what he & many of his self- appointed minions perceive to be the total dominance of your marketplace, explained to me in an online discussion @ http://www.frakctured.net in the following manner:
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I can't believe that you are that ignorant, dude. It is hard not to be rude, but I can't believe that there's anyone less informed than you. Everything is always a question. What's the sun? Why is the sky blue? Where did I come from? It is like having a particularly inquisitive three year old on board.
Anyway, the Russian mafia is a bit like the mafia. What's the mafia? For those of you not familiar with the mafia, check out "The Godfather" movie/book. Basically, they are an organised crime family specialised in racketeering/gambling/protection/extortion. These crime families have their roots in Italy and many of them emigrated, spreading their crime syndicates, to the US.
So hold that idea. A crime family. Still got it? Good - well, the Russian mafia are just like that, but they are based in Russia. What's Russia? Well it is big, big country, much larger than, say, Canada which nestles between Europe and China.
The Russian were subject to Communist rule. What's Communist rule? The Communists were a bunch of guys who believe that all wealth should be shared equally. This is a noble thought, but power corrupts so the people at the top of the pile enevitably were corrupted and Communism failed.
So when Communism failed in the 1990s, market forces hit the Russians and many former KGB officers turned to crime. What's the KGB? The KGB is a bit like the FBI or CIA. What's the FBI/CIA? They are a bunch of guys that try to fight crime but generally get everything wrong.
So the former good guys in the KGB realised that there was more money on the other side of the fence and turned to crime. So now the Russian mafia exists - made of a disperate gang of ex-KGB members, families and general ne'er-do- wells. They specialise in kidnap, extortion, protection, drugs and, would you believe it, counterfeit products such as CDs.
What's a counterfeit product? This is something that looks like a genuine product but has been manufactured using inferior quality materials. CDs, perfume, medicine and industrial components are all subject to pirate/counterfeiting.
Hopefully this has explained about the Russian mafia and counterfeiting. Of course, you can still buy the fake products, that is your prerogative. Personally, I think you are ill-informed and cheap for doing such a thing. And guess what? That's my prerogative, buddy!
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Given that this level of propaganda is being disseminated about your country, it is not surprising to me that "THIS FRIPP" would make such a dismissive statement about the Russian marketplace.
Be seeing you!
MALCOLM XERXES Stuntman/Actor FINNEGANS SQUAD http://www.titanrainbow.com/fsq.html http://www.geocities.com/malcolmxerxes/MALCOLM_XERXES_MUSIC.html