SOCHI Winter Olympics 2014 Russia

[jacee]

I thought a dedicated thread for all topics and issues and outcomes related to the winter Olympics in Sochi would be interesting.

Official SOCHI 2014 website

And I'll start it off with the current controversy:

Putin (and the Russian Orthodox church) think homosexuality should be discouraged and discriminated against because ...

- homosexuals tend to be pedophiles

- homosexuals can't have kids and Russia needs to increase the birth rate

- homosexuals choose to be so ... and shouldn't

putin-offers-gay-athletes-assurances-but-says-russia-must-cleanse-itself-of-homosexuality

MOSCOW -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered new assurances to gay athletes and fans attending the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics next month.

Yet he defended Russia's anti-gay law by equating gays with pedophiles and said Russia needs to "cleanse" itself of homosexuality if it wants to increase its birth rate.

...

A Russian law passed last year banning "propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations" among minors has caused an international outcry.

Putin refused to answer a question from the BBC on whether he believes that people are born gay or become gay. The Russian law, however, suggests that information about homosexuality can influence a child's sexual orientation.

The law has contributed to growing animosity toward gays in Russian society, with rights activists reporting a rise in harassment and abuse.

I suspect that the result of Putin's law and comments will be a backlash, and gay athletes and their supportive teammates will be more vocal, more visible, more activist than at any Olympics ever ... exactly the opposite of what Putin-and-the-Russian-Orthodox-church want.

Edited January 19, 2014 by jacee

[Shady]

I can't wait for the Olympics to start. The Winter Olympics are my favourite.

[eyeball]

I refuse to watch them and I'm ashamed that Canada is such a willing participant. I loath the respect our participation confers to the sorts of regimes this planet needs to relegate to history, like Putin's. To me it's no better than wheeling and dealing with dictators.

[Shady]

I refuse to watch them and I'm ashamed that Canada is such a willing participant. I loath the respect our participation confers to the sorts of regimes this planet needs to relegate to history, like Putin's. To me it's no better than wheeling and dealing with dictators.

Right. I'm sure you were equally ashamed of our participation in Beijing too right?

[Argus]

Right. I'm sure you were equally ashamed of our participation in Beijing too right?

I was. But there is, at least, an argument to be made that continuing interaction with the west will change China, in a similar way as South Korea ultimately changed.

There is no such argument to be made to favour any kind of interaction with the Russians.

Edited January 19, 2014 by Argus

[bush_cheney2004]

....There is no such argument to be made to favour any kind of interaction with the Russians.

Really ? Canada's pop star astronaut might disagree after riding a Soyuz into low earth orbit.

[Shady]

Russia isn't any worse than China. One can find a reason to boycott any Olympics if one wanted to. Thankfully we have adults in charge.

[Guest Derek L]

I refuse to watch them and I'm ashamed that Canada is such a willing participant. I loath the respect our participation confers to the sorts of regimes this planet needs to relegate to history, like Putin's. To me it's no better than wheeling and dealing with dictators.

I agree........We’ve boycotted the Russians before..........Or better yet, participate, but put a honking big rainbow on the uniforms.

[Bob Macadoo]

I agree........We’ve boycotted the Russians before..........Or better yet, participate, but put a honking big rainbow on the uniforms.

Does the IOC have veto rights on wardrobe? Some rainbow armbands/gloves and a 68 "pride" power type salute would be in order.

[Bonam]

I was. But there is, at least, an argument to be made that continuing interaction with the west will change China, in a similar way as South Korea ultimately changed.

There is no such argument to be made to favour any kind of interaction with the Russians.

Of course not. After all, Russians are some kind of strange alien creatures whose thought processes, desires, aspirations, and needs are different from those of humankind. To try to talk to Russians is like talking to a bear. You may think you're having a conversation, but it's just waiting to eat you.

[jacee]

I refuse to watch them and I'm ashamed that Canada is such a willing participant. I loath the respect our participation confers to the sorts of regimes this planet needs to relegate to history, like Putin's. To me it's no better than wheeling and dealing with dictators.

I disagree. I think we have a responsibility to watch out for the people living under oppressive governments however we can. Leaving oppressive governments out of international conversations and events - UN and Olympics, for example - just isolates their people from the free world even more.

Any opportunity to connect them to the rest of us is critically important.

It isn't about governments.

It's about people.

[bush_cheney2004]

I disagree. I think we have a responsibility to watch out for the people living under oppressive governments however we can.

Right...like oppressed First Nations in Canada. That why I "supported" the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. Also, women were denied access to ski jumping events...oh the humanity !

[jacee]

Right...like oppressed First Nations in Canada. That why I "supported" the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. Also, women were denied access to ski jumping events...oh the humanity !

Do you have any another persona but snide?

Just curious.

[Shady]

Right...like oppressed First Nations in Canada. That why I "supported" the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. Also, women were denied access to ski jumping events...oh the humanity !

Exactly. There could have been reasons to even boycott the Vancouver games. That's what people don't seem to get. You can find any reason.

[On Guard for Thee]

Putin's latest comment about how gays wouldn't be oppressed if they came to compete but "they must leave the children in peace" indicates just what a total dolt he really is.The statistics point out that far and away child molestation are carried out by striaghts It wouldn't surprise me to find out Putin is gay. I feel for those atheletes that have trained hard for this competition but who, at least some of which, must be wrestling with the idea of boycotting

[Bonam]

Not that I don't sympathize, but I'm a little puzzled by the emphasis on the plight of homosexuals in Russia. After all, it has only been a very short time since homosexuality has started to lose its negative stigma even in the most liberal Western countries. Russia is still rife with racism, antisemitism, and sexism to a far far larger extent than most any Western country. History shows us that race and gender equality come long before equality based on sexual orientation pops up on society's radar. And those themselves only come after a robust democratic system has been established and withstood the test of time and crisis. Russia has many stages to go through before anyone can be surprised that gays are discriminated against there.

[Topaz]

This morning , I heard that the games have been threaten to be attacked at some point and the USA is asking about security at the games and I'm sure their team will probably one of the groups being targeted. I don't have a good feeling about these games, especially after what we have seen what could happen from the past Olympics.

[Boges]

Will there be calls to boycott the World Cup in Qatar?

Also the comparison to Beijing is apt. Is it because Russia is a largely white nation that there's indignation that Western nations are participating?

I like what the US is doing by sending Gay athletes in their delegation.

Edited January 20, 2014 by Boges

[Black Dog]

Will there be calls to boycott the World Cup in Qatar?

There should be, if only because staging the World Cup in the Persian Gulf is a terrible idea (that and FIFA is likely the only global organization capable of giving the IOC a run for its money corruption-wise).

[Boges]

I hear that World Cup might happen in the winter due to weather concerns. Either that or outdoor AC a la the Hockey game they're playing in LA outside this coming week.

[eyeball]

I disagree. I think we have a responsibility to watch out for the people living under oppressive governments however we can. Leaving oppressive governments out of international conversations and events - UN and Olympics, for example - just isolates their people from the free world even more.

Any opportunity to connect them to the rest of us is critically important.

It isn't about governments.

It's about people.

Ideally this should just be about people but the fact remains it's also very much about governments. This idea that oppressed societies open up when they get together with societies like our's is laudable but it's a dangerous two way street that appears to be resulting in our's becoming more like their's. The evidence this is happening I think is apparent in the cavalier manner in which our governments treat our privacy and spy on us, it's apparent in the widening gap between incomes and especially the gap between people with lots of power and those with little. Oligarchies are the becoming the norm.

We have a greater responsibility to watch out for our own society.

[eyeball]

Ideally this should just be about people but the fact remains it's also very much about governments. This idea that oppressed societies open up when they get together with societies like our's is laudable but it's a dangerous two way street that appears to be resulting in our's becoming more like their's. The evidence this is happening I think is apparent in the cavalier manner in which our governments treat our privacy and spy on us, it's apparent in the widening gap between incomes and especially the gap between people with lots of power and those with little. It's apparent in our growing sycophancy and admiration for strong governments led by hard assed people. Oligarchies are the becoming the norm.

We have a greater responsibility to watch out for our own society.

[guyser]

Does the IOC have veto rights on wardrobe? Some rainbow armbands/gloves and a 68 "pride" power type salute would be in order.

Yes..sort of, through each countrys Olympic Committee

[Boges]

Canada can't use the Hockey Canada logo anymore on their Hockey Jersey, so they have to wear a simple maple leaf logo.

[jbg]

I refuse to watch them and I'm ashamed that Canada is such a willing participant. I loath the respect our participation confers to the sorts of regimes this planet needs to relegate to history, like Putin's. To me it's no better than wheeling and dealing with dictators.

Right. I'm sure you were equally ashamed of our participation in Beijing too right?

I was. But there is, at least, an argument to be made that continuing interaction with the west will change China, in a similar way as South Korea ultimately changed. There is no such argument to be made to favour any kind of interaction with the Russians.

South Korea is not a good example at all. It took military occupation to change South Korea and Japan. The idea of kow-towing to dictatorships makes me ill unless the West gains something concrete.

Edited January 20, 2014 by jbg