- Joined
- Aug 18, 2010
The rule of law is deteriorating further in the country.
Right! As if the rule of law is not deteriorating further in US.
The rule of law is deteriorating further in the country.
Its very obvious that criminals are saying they oppose Putin to get people in the west to believe they aren't guilty so there is pressure to release them from western governments.
Right! As if the rule of law is not deteriorating further in US.
Well, I'd point out what's really obvious here, but I'll give your literacy and education the benefit of the doubt. FYI, Alexey Navalny is a major organizer and political leader in the opposition movement years before he was charged and convicted.
This is not a competition or game between Russia and the US, it's a very real struggle in Russia for fairness and decency. Although, if it were a competition, the US would win. See, in the US, opposition leaders are elected to major offices where they wield obstructive power, personalities such as Lindsey Graham and John Boehner who have been mentioned in this thread. Opposition leaders in Russia are exiled, jailed, tortured and/or assassinated.
In 1980, there might have been a reason to boycott the Olympics because of some thought that the boycott would have an effect. (Though I was against the boycott and have always felt bad for the athletes who lost their chances to compete.) But after we saw how ineffectual that boycott was, we can no longer realistically consider an Olympic boycott as a possible action to take. In fact, from the intervening years, it's been made clear that keeping channels open in international events in areas such as sports, music, and science is one of the best ways to improve relations among countries. It's no coincidence that many of the earliest meetings of the U.S. and China happened through sports (ping-pong first) and music (Isaac Stern and I think the Boston Symphony, or was it the New York Philharmonic?). I'm sure that the Soviet skaters at the Calgary Olympics, especially the charming Gordeyeva and Grinkov, helped narrow the chasm between Us and Them (whichever side you consider to be Us).
In any case, I hope this move goes nowhere. Not only will the athletes be hurt by it, but America will look like a bunch of sore losers. This time around, no other countries are going to join in solidarity with us and boycott arm in arm with us. We'll be twisting in the wind alone.
^ I don't think so. Why would the UK and Canada want to look like fools just because the United States did?
By the way, in the 1980 boycott the United Kingdom decided to leave it up to the national federation of each sport separately, or to the conscience of the individual athlete, whether or not to participate in the Games.
U.S. President Jimmy Carter sent famous boxer Muhammed Ali to Africa to try to get some African countries on board, but none was persuaded. Maybe this year we can send renowned figure skater and state department good will ambassador Michelle Kwan to Asia for the same purpose. Maybe she can talk her good friend Yuna Kim into withdrawing.
By the way, China joined in the 1980 boycott against Russia but not the Soviet-led 1984 boycott of the Los Angeles games.
Well, I'd point out what's really obvious here, but I'll give your literacy and education the benefit of the doubt. FYI, Alexey Navalny is a major organizer and political leader in the opposition movement years before he was charged and convicted.
This is not a competition or game between Russia and the US, it's a very real struggle in Russia for fairness and decency. Although, if it were a competition, the US would win. See, in the US, opposition leaders are elected to major offices where they wield obstructive power, personalities such as Lindsey Graham and John Boehner who have been mentioned in this thread. Opposition leaders in Russia are exiled, jailed, tortured and/or assassinated.
I definitely think if the us got to the point of boycott other countries would follow. Canada UK etc.
But after we saw how ineffectual that boycott was, we can no longer realistically consider an Olympic boycott as a possible action to take.
Maybe it's a good idea if USA withdraws. Less competitors mean and more medals for others.
I think we're only getting one medal in figure skating, two if you consider the team competition a real event
I still don't think we should boycott, for the athletes' sake. But I wish this Olympic Games was anywhere but Russia.
I truly love and appreciate and respect Russian culture. But IMO Putin is destroying this country, or at least its international reputation. His antigay legislation is a disgrace, his jailing and destruction of his political opponents is immoral, and his decision to shelter Snowden is not only deeply hypocritical but also beyond insulting to the U.S.
But I wish this Olympic Games was anywhere but Russia.