Posted on 08/11/2013 9:21:01 AM PDT by Kaslin
It's like 1980 all over again. There's a war in Afghanistan, the economy is lousy, Paul McCartney has a new record coming out, and some people are calling for the United States to stay away from the upcoming Olympics in Russia.
When the first talk of another Olympic boycott arose, no one took it very seriously. It came from Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who enjoys far more face time on Sunday morning talk shows than influence over U.S. policy, and who is upset about Edward Snowden. But the idea could be gaining traction.
Some gay rights advocates, from both the United States and Russia, have urged the U.S. and other countries to stay away from Sochi this winter to protest an anti-gay law signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in June. The law makes it a crime to engage in "propaganda" in favor of "nontraditional" sexuality among minors, which is an ominously wide net.
Human Rights Watch has said the law "is clearly incompatible with the Olympic Charter's promotion of 'human dignity,' as well as a blatant violation of Russia's international legal obligations to guarantee non-discrimination and respect for freedom of expression." Comparisons have even been heard to the 1936 Berlin Olympics, presided over by Adolf Hitler. On Friday, though, President Barack Obama said he does not favor a boycott.
It's true that the Olympic Games can be exploited for the benefit of a repressive, authoritarian government. But everyone knew all along that Putin's government views personal liberty with suspicion and malice.
It's not clear, though, that Russia is less free than China -- which was allowed to host the 2008 Summer Games. In both cases, the International Olympic Committee decided not to use human rights as the main criterion for choosing a site.
Maybe it should. But that would mean restricting the games to liberal democracies -- which could lead other governments to withdraw on grounds of second-class treatment. This approach, like a boycott, would undermine one of the central purposes of the Olympics: fostering international understanding and friendship. It would separate the world into good guys and bad guys, instead of building bridges between the two.
Back in ancient Greece, the games took place under a truce. "Wars were suspended, armies were prohibited from entering Elis (the site of the first Olympics) or threatening the Games, and legal disputes and the carrying out of death penalties were forbidden," notes the Perseus Digital Library Project at Tufts University. That allowed enemies to meet without hatred or bloodshed. To stay away from the event because it is being held in a place inhospitable to our values is to miss the point.
The International Olympic Committee says it has "received assurances from the highest level of government in Russia that the legislation will not affect those attending or taking part in the Games." If police were going to drag protesting medalists off of the podium, a different approach would be warranted. But Putin isn't likely to do something that would impress his brutality upon the world.
The last U.S. boycott, in 1980, suggests that refusing to participate will accomplish nothing of value. It was a protest of the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. But the Soviets stayed there until 1989.
What the protest did achieve was to punish blameless athletes who had trained for years for the chance to compete in the ultimate contest. Many of them lost the chance forever. The same thing happened in 1984, when the Soviets and their satellite states paid us back by spurning the Los Angeles Games. They had no more effect on our government's policies than we had on theirs.
It's true that host governments endeavor to strengthen their hold on power by showing themselves off in the most flattering light. But as the Chinese can attest, the games also invite intense worldwide scrutiny, which in the modern media age is likely to trump any gains.
By singling out gays for discrimination, the Russian government has invited athletes to find ways to signal their belief in equal treatment -- before the eyes of the Russian people and the world. In the end, the games are likely to highlight the flaws of the ruling regime, not conceal them.
Will the games make an important contribution toward expanding gay rights and human rights in Putin's Russia? No. But that's not their purpose. Their purpose is to showcase individual excellence, honest striving and peaceful competition across national boundaries. It's not everything, but it's enough.
The difference is there are certain events where gays have regularly won over the years, the main one being Men's Figure Skating...so there's really no comparison to Jesse Owens here.
“It came from Sen. Lindsey Graham...who is upset about Edward Snowden.”
*****
Lindsey is upset about not being able to attend the Olympics with his boyfriend. Has nothing to do with Snowden.
The laws against the fags in Russia as I understand it are for open displays supporting or exhibiting their choices in public. From a simple decorum point of view alone that seems reasonable. Frankly the last thing I wish to see is a bunch of fags cavorting in a parade or public setting exhibiting a repulsive behavior.
What they do in private I don’t care and their private behavior should not extend to state sanctioning of it ala as a supposed marriage or as a parade as in SF led by dykes on bikes.
There's a record that's been broken repeatedly since 1980!
For God’s sake,let’s stop telling other countries
how to live their lives. They don’t need or want
our advice, No wonder they hate Americans. Maybe
we should solve our own problems first.
Got to remember that the Christian has made a VERY BIG comeback to Russia, so not surprised about the tougher laws.
Why didn’t he say “I hope Americans bring home the gold”
Funny though he doesn’t care a wit about homosexuals in the mide east
All the HomoNazis and their fellow liberal travellers whine about the Winter Olympics in Russia...
Yet the same liberals have no problem with the IOC refusing to acknowledge and memorialize the 11 Israelis murdered by Islamic Palestinian Terrorists at Munich. When Norwegian speed skater Johan Olav Koss wanted to do something in their honor at Lillehammer in 1994...the IOC shot that down
Boycotting Russian Winter Games not only a political disaster...it would be condoning perversion
I agree. A good start would be if the correctness nazis would stop telling me how to live my life in the US.
I don’t think anyone cares about this except for the queers and the MSM. In Russia this whole thing is a non-issue. I don’t think anyone even realizes that this is being debated/discussed in the US.
AMEN. We have to CLEAN OUT our own house before we say anything to other countries.
Correction, “the Christian faith”.
Exactly right...the liberal sports media would be trying to make the Homo issue the lead story....and any athlete gay or presumed gay will get favorable coverage
I would tell the PC dictators to MYOB.
I don’t think Jesse proved much of anything. The German who was his major opponent, and who came in 2nd place, was highly intellinent and went on to become a doctor. Jesse was basically illiterate. He was at Ohio State, but flunked out.
Gay hockey players oughta boycott, me thinks.
The ENTIRE coverage of the Winter Olympics will probably be:
1) Interviewing as many athletes as possible about the Russian law.
2) Looking for the first protest and point ALL the cameras at it, as if it’ll be the only thing going on..........
_________________________________
Don’t forget the relentless “Human Interest” crap about how little Mary Muttonfutch, who was born with no kneecaps went on to overcome diversity to be in the Olympics, or the wonder outreach having a bunch of blacks crash a bobsled and destroy the track for every real computer, O wait that part wont happen...
You can bet a fag will win the Men's Figure Skating Gold.
The Film Actors Guild?
"Nice going, F.A.G...."
I want to talk about the Summer games for a second. Not the Winter.
Why was Brazil awarded the games? The amount of poverty and crime there is so off the charts and the population that already exists in places like Sao Paulo, RIO, Porto Alegre, Vitoria....it is like holding the games in Detroit and Compton with a beach and palm trees.
The slums, HIV/AIDS/STD rate, murder, robbery, and rape rates are through the roof to the moon and yet....they get the games.
Why hasn’t a delegation from South Florida surfaced in the last 20 years to pitch for the games?
Miami, West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale area is PERFECT for the games and would give the U.S. a huge boost that is so desperately needed. You have I-95, 595/Alligator Alley, Ronald Reagan Turnpike, I-75, Sawgrass Expressway,A1A, Fort Lauderdale International Airport, Miami International Airport, Palm Beach International Airport, 2 train stations, Metro Rail, Tri-Rail, Amtrak, a huge bus transit system in all 3 counties.
Sports stadiums - Sunlife/Dolphins Stadium, Marlins Stadium, American Airlines Arena downtown Miami, BB&T Center in Sunrise,huge athletic facilities at University of Miami, Florida Atlantic University, Florida International University,aquatic center of Fort Lauderdale.
You have the entire Atlantic Ocean and tons of open fresh water everywhere to do water events. You can utilize everything from Miami up the east coast for events. Hell, you can even hold soccer events in a new stadium that they have been bitching to build in Pembroke Pines since the 90s and then pitch for the World Cup.
Miami is such a huge hub already for international flights to Latin and South America.
Instead they fought for games to come to Chicago. Chicago...one of the deadliest cities in the nation.
There is something seriously wrong with this picture.
I understand why Dallas was taken out of the running due to the extreme 100 to 110 degree summer heat. You would basically have to move the games to the evening every day it is that hot in July and August.
The three candidate cities for the 2020 Olympics are Istanbul, Tokyo, and Madrid.Multiple cities in the United States were interested in bidding, but the USOC confirmed that the US would not bid, citing an ongoing dispute with the IOC.The IOC stated that it would like to have received a bid for 2020 from the United States. On August 29, 2011, it was revealed that Las Vegas submitted a bid to the IOC without USOC consent. The IOC rejected the bid.
Why are we not bidding for games? The amount of jobs it would create, tourism dollars, construction jobs, American pride????? Hello?
The last games here were in 1996 so that means over 24 years will pass even before we MIGHT see the Summer games back here. MAYBE.
United States
By 2024, it will have been 28 years since the United States staged the Summer Olympics in Atlanta in 1996. New York City bid to host the 2012 Summer Olympics and lost to London. Chicago made a bid for the 2016 Games but lost to Rio de Janeiro. The United States did not bid for the 2020 Olympics. In July 2012, the USOC ruled out bidding for the 2022 Winter Olympics and is focusing on bidding for the 2024 Summer Olympics or the 2026 Winter Olympics. In addition to the cities listed below that are actively exploring a potential bid Chicago, New York City, San Diego, and Minneapolis–Saint Paul,and Philadelphia, have been mentioned as potentially being interested in bidding, but have not yet formally announced their intentions to explore potential bids. On February 19, 2013, the USOC sent out letters to the mayors of 35 cities to gauge their interest in hosting the 2024 Olympics. Some of the cities included were Atlanta, Boston, New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, Austin, San Antonio, Houston, Memphis, Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, Miami, St. Louis, San Diego, Sacramento, Seattle, Charlotte, Portland, Phoenix, Columbus, Orlando, Nashville, Rochester and Indianapolis.
Philadelphia
On 22 April 2013, Mayor Nutter’s office declared Philadelphia’s interest in bidding for the 2024 Games. The city had previously expressed interest in hosting the 2016 Games, but lost out to Chicago as the USOC’s bid city. Social media support around the Philadelphia bid, is presently the largest of any 2024 candidate cites.
Dallas (organizing committee website)
On August 14, 2012, WFAA in Dallas reported that the Dallas 2024 committee is firming up plans for a Dallas 2024 Olympic bid. Matt Wood, involved in the successful Sydney 2000 Olympic bid for the 2000 Summer Olympics, is leading the effort for Dallas 2024. The current plan calls for Fair Park to be transformed into an Olympic Village with housing for 20,000 people and which would later be converted to apartments. The existing Cotton Bowl would be heavily renovated for track and field events in order to serve as an Olympic Stadium. American Airlines Center, Cowboys Stadium, and FC Dallas Stadium have also been mentioned as potential venues for other events.
Los Angeles
Los Angeles hosted the 1932 and 1984 Summer Olympics. Los Angeles bid to become the US applicant city for the 2016 Summer Olympics, however the USOC selected Chicago instead. In September 2011, Los Angeles was awarded the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games. In November 2011, a delegation from Los Angeles attended a seminar at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne for cities interested in bidding on future Olympic Games.
In February 2012, Los Angeles hosted the 5th IOC World Conference on Women and Sport. At the conference, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and IOC Member Anita DeFrantz stated that that the city would be interested in hosting for a third time. On August 17, 2012, Councilman Tom LaBonge announced that he would introduce a motion that would get the ball rolling on a bid to host the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. The motion would call on the Southern California Committee for the Olympic Games to gather and explore a future bid, potentially in 2024. In March 2013, Villaraigosa officially sent a letter to the USOC stating that the city was interested in bidding to host the 2024 Olympic Games.
Baltimore-Washington
On August 5, 2012, it was reported that Dan Knise, President and CEO of the Washington-Baltimore 2012 Regional Coalition, which bid unsuccessfully for the 2012 Summer Games that were won by London, was scoping the level of interest for a joint DC-Baltimore bid for the 2024 Summer Games. According to the Baltimore Sun, Knise believes that “there’s a little bit of a spark” for another attempt at securing the bid The Sun also quoted John Moag Jr., a previous chairman of the Maryland Stadium Authority, in stating that the Baltimore-Washington area has “the largest sports infrastructure in a 40-mile radius.”
Boston-Greater Boston-New England (organizing committee website)
On May 7, there was meeting held about the chance of Boston and New England hosting the Summer Games in 2024. There is a large group of leaders and politician that support the bid. The venues could include TD Garden, Fenway Park and Agganis Arena.Other cities around New England could help host some events like Manchester, New Hampshire, Portland, Maine and Providence, Rhode Island.The Committee for getting the Olympics to Boston said it could use New England or the Greater Boston area to host some events. The committee for Boston 2024 has a website also a Twitter account and a Facebook page too. On July 31, 2013 the senate passed a bill that would allow Boston to host the 2024 Olympics. It has been sent to the House of Representatives.
2014 Winter Olympics - Bidding Cities
Sochi
Russia Salzburg
Austria Jaca
Spain Almaty
Kazakhstan Pyeongchang
South Korea Sofia
Bulgaria Borjomi
Georgia
Do you see a single bidding American city for the 2014 games? I don’t.
Bids for the 2018 Winter Olympics
Three cities applied with bids to host the 2018 Winter Olympics and Paralympics (also known as XXIII Olympic Winter Games and XII Paralympic Winter Games) in October 2009. The International Olympic Committee, under the leadership of Jacques Rogge, received three bids on October 15, 2009. The cities of Annecy, France in the French Alps, Munich, Germany (host of the 1972 Summer Olympics), and Pyeongchang, South Korea, a two-time previous bidder, are vying for the hosting rights to the event.
This is the lowest number of bidding cities since the 1988 Summer Olympics. The winning bid was announced on July 6, 2011 at the 123rd IOC Session in Durban, South Africa by IOC President Jacques Rogge at 5.22 pm local time. Pyeongchang beat Munich and Annecy in the first round of votes with 63 of the 95 total votes.
United States United States
Denver, Colorado (previously chosen to host the 1976 Winter Olympics, but eventually declined the games),Reno–Lake Tahoe, Nevada–California, and 2002 host Salt Lake City, Utah.expressed interest. The USOC declined to bid, focusing on the unsuccessful Chicago 2016 Olympic bid instead,and will not bid until at least the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Did you read that correctly? Due to the unsuccessful strong arming from Obama/Axelrod/Emanuelle...the U.S. wasn’t even considered due to the failure of Chicago’s attempt at the games FOR THE SUMMER.
2022 Winter Olympics
United States
Multiple cities in the United States such as Bozeman, Denver, Reno, and Salt Lake City expressed interest in bidding for the 2022 Games, but the USOC is opting to bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics or the 2026 Winter Olympics.
So let’s see...I am going to be 40 in 2014. I will have to wait til I am 52 years old until I could possibly witness an Olympic games on U.S. soil...MAYBE. What on Earth is the USOC doing?
Ridiculous.
2026 Winter Olympics
United States
In December 2012, Salt Lake City, Utah, host of the 2002 Winter Olympics, announced its intention to bid to become the US nomination for the games. This came on the heels of the USOC announcing that it would not support a bid for the 2022 Olympics, but would support a 2024 or 2026 bid. If Salt Lake City were to host in 2026, the city would be twenty-four years removed from having hosted the games in 2002. Other cities that are considering bids include Reno-Lake Tahoe, Denver, Boston, Bozeman, and Anchorage.
Waste of time.
2028 Summer Olympic Games
United States
Los Angeles
Los Angeles hosted the 1932 and 1984 Summer Olympics. Los Angeles bid to become the US applicant city for the 2016 Summer Olympics, though the USOC selected Chicago instead. In September 2011, Los Angeles was awarded the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games. In November 2011, a delegation from Los Angeles attended a seminar at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne for cities interested in bidding on future Olympic Games.In February 2012, Los Angeles hosted the 5th IOC World Conference on Women and Sport. At the conference, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and IOC Member Anita DeFrantz stated that that the city would be interested in hosting for a third time.
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