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Sochi Olympics: Russian Anti-Gay Legislation
polaris_x
Posts: 13,559
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2013 ... -laws.html
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Thoughts? Should there be a boycott or is this the media blowing this out of proportion?
Personally, the olympics are a big scam and it's fraud is made so much worse because of the blood and sweat athletes give to make their dreams come true ...
in any case - if this new legislation was targeting jews or christians - i'm pretty sure there would have been a massive riot ... there needs to be a collective boycott ...
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Thoughts? Should there be a boycott or is this the media blowing this out of proportion?
Personally, the olympics are a big scam and it's fraud is made so much worse because of the blood and sweat athletes give to make their dreams come true ...
in any case - if this new legislation was targeting jews or christians - i'm pretty sure there would have been a massive riot ... there needs to be a collective boycott ...
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I agree that while the Olympics are cool, there is too much corruption. Putin and his kronies have already stolin $30B if reports are true.
It was shameful to me that we boycotted in 80. These athletes have put the work in, they should get to compete. They should also tread lightly while there with any protests. Nothing really overt, but sublte, like perhaps Human Rights Campaign equal sign. Maybe red bar , white space ,blue bar equal sign as a USA logo?
President has an opportunity to make a statement at the G20 summit. ON their soil. I'd like to see that.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Actually... that will get athletes arrested, beaten, thrown in jail for weeks and then deported.
There is zero tolerance for anything that suggests that being gay is anything but evil and worthy of death.
But yeah... I sure hope those fucking ski jumpers have fun. I mean.... you know, it's not like they should care, right?
(I cancelled my Visa card since I don't really support any of the other sponsors. I also told Johnny Weir to go fuck himself. But I've done that more than once. He's a twat.)
"IOC may ban Olympic athletes who stand up to Russian homophobia"
I think that's equally worrying.... what Russia is doing is terrible and should not be allowed yet if the IOC is really threatening this, what choice is there other than boycotts by athletes and / or countries
Effing Soviets do it and the whole world basically does a shoulder shrug.
i'm not sure how mark tewksberry can say just show up and pretend nothing is happening ... not that gay people necessarily are obligated to act in these cases ... but the guy is representing canada and this legislation goes against our charter of rights ...
but i like POD's idea of boycotting as many sponsors as possible ... visa will be hard for me but companies like mcdonalds and coke are a no brainer ...
why do we blame mcdonalds, coke and visa instead of Vlad Putin????? Why does Ivan get a pass??
I'd support a ban of the Olympics ... what a waste of money. As for a boycott ... I doubt it'd have much impact.
"Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon
I'd support a ban of the Olympics ... what a waste of money. As for a boycott ... I doubt it'd have much impact.
"Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon
That's because America touts itself as the standard bearer for the free world. Russia is quite open about having complete disregard for equality.
A boycott will never happen, not by any body of influence because they have all already spent too much money on this to allow it. The Olympics should never have been given to a backwards, undemocratic country like Russia in the first place.
because ultimately money rules above all ... if consumers boycott the sponsors and the sponsors threaten to pull their dollars ... guess what ... huge fucking bill for russia to pay for the games ... these games are all run through corporate sponsors ... they have the most power ...
The government kicked in $9.3B Euros.
Or so the holiest of holiest websites tells me ...
http://www.theguardian.com/sport/datablog/2012/jul/26/london-2012-olympics-money
Based on a 82% public funding rate and reports that the Soviet Olympic cost / fraud is going to be $50B US, the citizens of the USSR have kicked in $1,351,950,000,000 roubles. While sponsers have kicked in $62,048,400,000 roubles.
Bill Gates don't have nothin on 'ol Vlady Putins ...
sorry ... i just assumed that we all knew that gov't puts up most of the money but they expect to get that back in tourism dollars and benefits to the local economy ... the sponsorship dollars is really where the meat of it is ...
corporations can wage significant influence ... see NBC and US drug tests in the olympics; nike with lance ...
I don't see Ronald McDonald making that gap up .... unless the KGB, I mean FSB, is dangling Ronald off the ledge of a 30 story building in downtown Moscow to help Ronald see things from their point of view.
Russian doesn't get a pass. But...
If the Olympics is a money loser.... sponsors won't want to get involved. If giving money to the Olympics doesn't make your company look good, companies won't want to join in. If they don't make money... The Olympic committee won't get their 7- figure salaries. And something will get done.
The gay community is tiny and we've learned that we have to speak with dollars or nothing gets done.
This article makes the case that boycotts do not help a movement, showing up and having some kind of message or protest lasts the test of time.
I mean we all know the famous picture from '68 where the two black athletes gave the black power fist on the medal stand. That image is iconic. If they had boycotted like they almost had, no one would even remember who they were and that they boycotted the Oylmpics as protest to racsim in the US.
Also the 1980 Summer games boycott is universally regarded as accomplishing nothing. You know what DID accomplish something...beating Russia at hockey in the winter games from the same year. In turn when Russia boycotted the 1984 games, it also accomplished nothing.
Lastly these athletes work from the age of 4 or 5 to make it to the highest level amatuer athlete in the world, and you want to deny these athletes a chance to live out there dream because the games are being held in an oppressive country? I mean the 2008 games were in China and we all know the human rights viloations that country has. Putting 5 year olds to work and jailing homosexuals are both wrong but no one called for a boycott in 2008 so I'm at loss why we want one now.
Lastly it makes me love living in the US a little bit more when I hear what goes on in other nations.
6/7/2003 (***1/2)
7/9/2006 (****1/2)
7/13/2006 (**** )
4/10/2008 EV Solo (****1/2)
6/25/2008 MSG II (*****)
10/1/2009 LA II (****)
10/6/2009 LA III (***** Cornell!!!)
boycotts would indeed be effective if it is done collectively ... if the G8 countries less Russia all boycotted the games - it would be a huge blow to the organizing committee ... same thing with sponsorship dollars ... showing up and staying silent just validates their position ...
considering so many people won't even touch a RS magazine now cuz they put the bomber on the cover - i would think there would be similar sentiment ... if people are against a company's policies - do you shop there? ...
"The bottom line is, if you stay home, your message stays home with you. If you stand for justice and equality, you have an obligation to find the biggest possible megaphone to let your feelings be known. Don't let your message be buried and don't bury yourself."
— John Carlos (He was one of the Black Oylmpians to protest on the medal stand in 1968)
If you think a boyctt of Oylmpic sponsers will help I can support that. But skipping the games all together is off the table in my mind.
6/7/2003 (***1/2)
7/9/2006 (****1/2)
7/13/2006 (**** )
4/10/2008 EV Solo (****1/2)
6/25/2008 MSG II (*****)
10/1/2009 LA II (****)
10/6/2009 LA III (***** Cornell!!!)
at the end of the day - once the games come and go - there is absolutely no leverage to change this law ... a boycott of the games/sponsors is the only leverage currently available ...
now now.
I know four Olympic medalists who are gay and none of them are figure skaters. One is a boxer.
That said... you're right. There are a lot of flamers who partake in the "sport" of figure skating.
I can't wait to see a bunch of KGB type dudes hanging out outside of the rink.
Can't you just hook up on Craig's List like all the DL guys?
And now we have this!
The poison from the poison stream caught up to you ELEVEN years ago and you floated out of here. Sept. 14, 08
We basically trained a pit bull that eventually turned on us.
Most significantly, on Wednesday, U.S. President Barack Obama canceled a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin that was supposed to take place in September in Moscow, expressing displeasure at the Kremlin’s granting of asylum to Snowden, among other things.
Anger with Russia’s behavior on these scores is perfectly understandable. Snowden has been charged with serious crimes and Washington has a legitimate interest in bringing him to trial. Russia’s recent law banning “pro-homosexual propaganda” has created a climate of aggression, in which vigilantes attack LGBT Russians and post horrifying videos of their violence online.
But before leaping into action, those eager to punish Russia should consider two things. First, why is Putin behaving in this way? And second, will the sanctions in question hurt him or actually benefit him? Given that Putin is currently fighting for his political life, a public showdown with the West will help him stay afloat. The Americans and Europeans who want to change Moscow’s course should therefore be careful not to play into Putin’s hands.
Continued
http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/ ... nish-putin