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Soviet Russia is Alive and Well in Sochi
Townhall.com ^ | February 6, 2014 | Michael Schaus

Posted on 02/06/2014 5:42:34 AM PST by Kaslin

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To: Kaslin

A Russian cousin of my father’s got out in the mid-’90s. I asked him what it was like to finally have the Communists out of power.

He said, “Same wall, different wallpaper.”

The KGB is like the Mafia - once you’re in, you can never get out. Putin isn’t merely a KGB agent on temporary assignment, he was a General, and one of the higher-ranking ones at that. Anyone think that he’s given up on what he absorbed with his mother’s milk and protected for most of his life? Bueller? Bueller?


21 posted on 02/06/2014 6:43:06 AM PST by Ancesthntr ("The right to buy weapons is the right to be free." A. E. van Vogt)
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To: Kaslin

And, of course, the only reason its an “issue” is because a bunch of pampered mainstream media reporters went there and found that they weren’t going to be covering the Olympics in the usual luxury they were accustomed to.


22 posted on 02/06/2014 6:43:26 AM PST by Opinionated Blowhard ("When the people find they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.")
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To: Kaslin

On the other hand, I find it rather aggravating to see spoiled, pampered American Journ-O-Lists ripping the Russians to shreds over the quality of their accommodations. While at the same time they will gladly travel to the West Bank and extol the virtues of the Palestinians, while never making a peep about horrendous living conditions there.


23 posted on 02/06/2014 6:56:10 AM PST by Buckeye McFrog
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To: Kaslin
The games will still be fun to watch, despite the glimpse into Russia’s traditionally despotic form of cronyism But I’m glad I’m doing so from the comfort of my living room in America, and not in the communist-era-relic of Sochi.

Bingo - only 'progressives' want to live in the hell socialism creates.... the rest of us can watch it 'from the comfort of our living rooms...'

24 posted on 02/06/2014 7:16:28 AM PST by GOPJ (The Nation's divided between those who are to be fooled and those who do the fooling.Greenfield)
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To: yldstrk; Kaslin
The misery in Sochi is no different than in many other countries that held high profile sporting events recently. I would not put it past them to actually revel in highlighting these problems in the media... in this particular case.
25 posted on 02/06/2014 7:40:35 AM PST by mwilli20 (BO. Making communists proud all over the world.)
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To: mac_truck
I wonder if it ever occurred to the western media elites covering the Sochi Olympics that they were given crappy accommodations for a reason.

The Russian propaganda machine isn't what it used to be, I suppose--unless the object was to induce journalists to give you even more crappy coverage.

26 posted on 02/06/2014 8:35:20 AM PST by 1rudeboy
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To: 1rudeboy

Sochi isn’t about pampered western media elites level of comfort is it?

Let me know when the athletes start complaining...


27 posted on 02/06/2014 9:20:16 AM PST by mac_truck ( Aide toi et dieu t aidera)
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To: Kaslin
I had taken the attitude to be positive about the Sochi Games. I felt that the psychopathic swines who threaten crowds of people who are there to enjoy, deserve all our condemnation.

It was with regret that I saw this in Canada' Globe and Mail (left wing). The highlights and the reverse are paragraphed.
Wed. February 5th 2014. (A8)

Mark McKinnon and photographer John Lehmann.
Most depressing moment.
Visiting Nochlezhka, the lone homeless shelter in St. Petersburg, where 70,000 people sleep on the streets and 1000 die each year from the cold.

We learn that even the few resources available have been cut back at the homeless shelter. I sipped my Tim Hortons coffee as I read the Globe. Surely, surely, some of those billions expended could have been used for good works? I hope those figures are wrong, but it must be a living hell for some people there. Sure we have our problems with the homeless, not on that scale though.

28 posted on 02/06/2014 9:58:33 AM PST by Peter Libra
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To: 1rudeboy
The negativity on this thread is amazing.

What Sochi has done is open up a shot at hosting the Winter Olympics to hundreds of wonderful towns in semi-tropical regions across the world. (Not to mention here in the good ole USA!)

This means the next Winter Olympics might be held in Tallahassee, or Tampa! Santa Monica leaps to mind, with the skiing and other cold weather type stuff held on Mt. Baldy, a mere 80 miles east. El Paso?

They are just as close to really good snow as Sochi and already have wonderful hockey rinks. But remember, Sochi, (The Rodina's Answer to Asbury Park, NJ) also offers the chance, once you actually get to the slopes, to the ski biathlon guys to shoot at live terrorists rather than stationary targets.

Question:

WTF? Over.
Just who TF came up with
this sorry burg as a venue?

29 posted on 02/06/2014 10:02:15 AM PST by Kenny Bunk (This GOP is dead. What do we do now?)
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To: Kaslin

Dmitry Kozak, the deputy prime minister responsible for the Olympic preparations, seemed to reflect the view held among many Russian officials that some Western visitors are deliberately trying to sabotage Sochi’s big debut out of bias against Russia.

“We have surveillance video from the hotels that shows people turn on the shower, direct the nozzle at the wall and then leave the room for the whole day,” he said.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304680904579366712107461956


30 posted on 02/06/2014 10:07:21 AM PST by Velveeta
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To: thackney

Aw dang, now I got have that etched into my brain...


31 posted on 02/06/2014 10:23:58 AM PST by Made In The USA (I'm not yelling, just... just talking enthusiastically..)
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To: Velveeta
“We have surveillance video from the hotels that shows people turn on the shower, direct the nozzle at the wall and then leave the room for the whole day,”

...and you consider surveillance video cameras in your shower to be a good thing?

32 posted on 02/06/2014 10:32:14 AM PST by TXnMA ("Allah": Satan's current alias... "Barack": Allah's current ally...)
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To: DoodleDawg

Dear Americans,

Here, I am, a person born in Germany, Russian Citizen, lived in the Netherlands, Russia, Germany, US and Ukraine, well travelled around Europe and Asia. I have never met more close minded and ignorant people like the US public. Just reading this article and reading your comments , I become even more convinced that you show yourself as most arrogant, ignorant, close minded, narrow-minded and brain-washed nation on earth.

Where do you get all your anger from? Why do you think that your form of government is the right one? If you think that life in the US is ideal and cosy and not corrupted then that shows even more how brain-washed you are. Tons of the hotels in the US have missing bulbs, you have rats roaming around in Washington DC in the political center of the country on the streets in the parks, in regular neighborhoods, people dying from cancer and other deceases because they have no health insurance and can’t afford treatment, women who have to go to work almost right after they deliver a baby, maternaty is non-existent here, 15 % of your population live under poverty line, you have the worst education in the world. An american student from the 8th grade would be placed into 5th grade in the Russian school system., you still have houses that lack electricity and gas, people live in the eternal debt by constantly borrowing. Average americans do not own anything at the age of 45. At the age of 45 you still pay off your school loans and you pay for you house till almost you are dead. Well, let me tell you sit in your God Blessed Cozy USA, but personally I would not wish to live in the country such as yours. Freedom of Speech? well it is controlled by two parties here, I would not say it exists here either.

You so angrily criticize Russia, just because it is Russia, if such small things like missing bulbs would miss at the Italian hotels or French, I doubt americans would waste so much energy and their time writing about that.

Instead of spending your energy criticizing MY COUNTRY, go and fix your problems and we are very happy with our government. You are happy with yours , we are happy with ours. Redoing the entire infrastructure takes many years, what we have done within 24 years you petty Americans would never have done within that timeframe. Why am I even talking to you… If you had to relive 90s, you would never even servive, you are so used to your insignificant level of comfort.

so, some americans did not like the food, oh poor americans, you are so used to your shitty, non-organic, full of calories Mc.Donalds, well go ahead and continue eating it and continue suffering from high cholesterol and heart problems. Too bad, you did not like Russian food, one of the most delicious and organic foods. Go ahead eat producs from Junky Safeway and Giant. Only very small % can afford Whole Foods, SAD!!!!!!

Yes, go ahead and criticize Russia spoiled brats, you are like dogs who like to bark, powerless dogs from rotten capitalism who destroy the world by bombing innocent countries and killing innocent people.

Tiresome, stop projecting yourself as evil and ignorant nation. I do hope though there are some educated and open-minded people in this country!


33 posted on 02/06/2014 12:04:48 PM PST by cosmopolitan2015
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To: Kaslin

Consider it a sneak preview of our future.


34 posted on 02/06/2014 12:06:39 PM PST by Cementjungle
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To: All

Looks like there’s a few light bulbs missing over at the State Department also...


35 posted on 02/06/2014 4:37:21 PM PST by mac_truck ( Aide toi et dieu t aidera)
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To: Kaslin
My favorite pic. Are the chairs for those waiting to use the toilet?


36 posted on 02/06/2014 5:31:06 PM PST by Former Fetus (Saved by grace through faith)
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To: Kaslin

One of the most moronic articles I’ve read in a while.


37 posted on 02/06/2014 6:32:40 PM PST by eleni121 ("All Along the Watchtower" Book of Isaiah, Chapter 21, verses 5-9)
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To: cosmopolitan2015

Drop dead.


38 posted on 02/06/2014 11:38:39 PM PST by Clemenza (Lurking)
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To: Clemenza

ACCOUNT HAS BEEN SUSPENDED OR BANNED.


39 posted on 02/07/2014 8:01:02 AM PST by UCANSEE2 (I forgot what my tagline was supposed to say)
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To: Kenny Bunk

What’s the difference between Sochi and Las Vegas, that has skiing just an hour away?


40 posted on 02/07/2014 8:13:37 AM PST by dfwgator
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