36 photos from Russia that everyone needs to see

Then I must be juvenile. I think I am letting my personal feelings of hate cloud my logic. The Olympics and IOC will survive no matter what. I can have my little mini protest by not watching any Olympic coverage.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-23630868

While it is obvious that this is a polarizing issue that resonates deeply with people for many different reasons, I ask everyone to take a deep breath and keep from engaging in any kind of name calling or attacks. We may be strongly divided by our perspectives on this issue. But that's no excuse for unacceptable behavior.

Thank you

Actually some of us were upset about Vancouver building on land sacred to the First Nations. Aboriginals are in Australia. ;) Off the top of my head under the duties of the IOC parts 2, 6, 10, and 14 could be argued to require the IOC to makes its position on the matter clear.

Also please don't think my statements are a personal attack upon you or anyone else working for the IOC. I've been the program director of a couple non-profits so I can understand how sometimes an attack on the organization can feel like an attack upon yourself, but in this case it isn't. I can disagree with an organization without disliking the personnel. :)

Quote by Keioel

Actually some of us were upset about Vancouver building on land sacred to the First Nations. Aboriginals are in Australia. ;) Off the top of my head under the duties of the IOC parts 2, 6, 10, and 14 could be argued to require the IOC to makes its position on the matter clear.

Not to split hairs, but "aboriginal" is not exclusive to Australia. See Canada's "Constitution Act, 1982 Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms," where the term is used for all Canadian indigenous population, including but not limited to First Nations.

The problem with holding the Olympics in Russia is that the Olympics aren't about the competition anymore. It's about money and stature to the host location as well as the sponsors and news organizations involved. Just look at how Romney used his limited involvement in the SLC Olympics to try and boost his stature, not to mention how Hitler used it in 1936. By having the Olympics in Russia while they are enacting a campaign that is not dissimilar to Nazi Germany in 36 against an oppressed minority, the IOC is tacitly rewarding this behavior and giving Putin the same boost in stature, at least within his own country, that Hitler received. The IOC had the opportunity in 1936 to take a stand against one of the most undeniably evil people in the history of the world, and they didn't. The same thing is happening now. Is Putin evil like Hitler? Will he go down the same path of scapegoating a minority group that others conveniently dislike? Only someone from the future can tell us at this point, but why give him the same opportunities that the world gave Hitler?

I don't think any one knows the gravity and immense scope in planning for BIDDING for the games actually entails much less HOSTING the games.

Host cities are awarded 7 years ahead of the year of the games, The host city of the Games of the XXXII Olympiad (2016) was awarded to Rio in 2009 and next month we select the host city of the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad (2020) (Madrid, Tokyo and Istanbul are up and Tokyo and Istanbul are neck and neck, I haven't made my recommendations yet). The LAST time an Olympic games was moved from the city it awarded to was the XII Winter Olympic Games (1976) after Denver who was awarded the games in May of 1970 gave it back in November OF THE SAME YEAR and Innsbruck accepted it after MUCH hesitation. There was talks of canceling the games that left a very foul taste in the mouth of the IOC and today it would not make it to the floor of the IOC for discussion.

Keep in mind that Innsbruck has hosted the games before and even with that experience they had to really think about it. Asking a city that has hosted it in the past with just (let's be generous) 7 months notice is unthinkable. Please remember that the 7 years window is when the IOC awarded the city the games to the actual year of the games. These cities also had to make bids as well as funding the games, feasibility studies and a plan on where to put everything.

Also unless it is a major part of a city's infrastructure many venues for the Games are temporary and are demolished within a year of the games ending. My best example of this is Olympic Stadium for the Games of the XXVI Olympiad in Atlanta, it's now Turner field and 1/2 of it was demolished with in months of the Closing Ceremonies. The cauldron now sit in the parking lot of Turner Field.

So if the GLBT groups and George Takei want to foot to 30 BILLION dollars (Cost to date for Sochi minus corruption) to construct the venues in another city and RUSH the job in 6 months and comply with all the International Federations standards and safety compliance. Plan a torch relay, mine the gold silver and bronze for the medals, design a torch, put together an opening and closing ceremonies, build media centers, oh, and pay the media houses their rescheduling fee (It's built into their contracts). Schedule the events, get it cleared from the networks. Rework the NOC's Delegation, create new marketing for the games and, here's an important one folks, GET THE VOLUNTEERS WHO HAS BEEN SELECTED AND CLEARED FOR SOCHI CLEARED FOR THE OTHER CITY. If you can do that all in the next 6 months. Go for it, Also there are lists that needs to be cleared in the next 1,2,3,4, and 5 months too including Security and contingencies, the anti-doping center and Athlete Housing.

Also it was the USOC that didn't take action and it was the USOC that decided to change athletes in 1936. The IOC had talks to change the venue in 1934, but it was the USOC that stopped those discussion when it very publicly accepted an invitation to the games of Berlin. If you want to blame any one for 1936 blame Avery Brundage.

Also has any one found out if another city if even WILLING to take the games at this point?

I'm not sure how a country that is a danger to it's own GLBTQ civilians, visiting GLBTQ athletes and visiting GLBTQ spectators could possibly be considered as a "great venue" by the IOC.

Maybe a different set of criteria needs to be introduced if safety of those 3 groups aren't already on the list?

The idea of moving the games is silly at this point, cancelling and boycotting seem to be very good options however.

From Stephen Fry's statement: "At all costs Putin cannot be seen to have the approval of the civilised world." He's right, and part of the IOC choosing Russia as the host country is giving them approval. Political organisation or not.

The conceit that the IOC or the Olympics or whatever is a non-political entity is absolute baloney. The reality is that by going to certain places and participating with certain groups and legitimizing certain types of behaviour, you are giving tacit approval.

In this case, the Olympics are giving tacit approval to the legitimacy of the Russian government and what it is doing right now.

Likewise, every time the Olympics occurs on aboriginal land, the IOC is giving tacit approval to land theft.

Moreover, when the Olympics occurs in cities where the homeless population is arrested, placed on buses, and shipped to other cities in order to shirk social responsibility onto other communities, the IOC is giving approval to that as well.

As Howard Zinn said: you can't be neutral on a moving train.

The reality is that the Olympics are and have been a highly political entity for decades and they hide behind the cowardly facade of pretending to be apolitical but let's not kid ourselves: The IOC is firmly entrenched in the Money Party. And they gladly walk all over any country's most vulnerable citizens to get it.

I've personally been boycotting the shit show that is the Olympics since I was old enough to read about jut how destructive and predatory this institution is and I'm happy to continue the tradition with Sochi.

No organization is perfect. Humans are not perfect. The world flat out sucks in areas where people are shit on by oppression or corruption, and times like now it's very hard to see past those things. I can't see past the violence because each one of us in here knows that, as humans, we are capable of much better than this.

That said, I've had and always will have respect for the athletes who do honest competition in the games.

I have to say this, is this truly wanting to effect change in Russia and the protection of delegations and tourists in Sochi or is it once again a hissy fit over the IOC decided that we would take actions for the good of the Olympic Movement and not for the (Insert Special Interest Group Here) or be their tool to further their cause. If it's the first then why haven't any one pressure the US State Dept and other national foreign ministries to request Diplomatic Immunity for their delegations from Russia? DI is the best diplomatic channel for this kind of situation. If it's for the persecution of Russian gays then the UN would be the appropriate channel for that.

When we select the games it's for a myriad of reasons other than who are we going to offend the least (let me tell you that's the last thing we think about). In 2007 Sochi was in the best position to be able to host the Games in 2014. If we start introducing protection criteria for certain groups we would have to introduce them for every groups with out bias or prejudice. We can't do that. BTW We already knew of Russian human rights abuse against gays in 2007 and in the months leading up to IOC Session in Guatemala City. Where was the uproar then? Why wait this long when it's too late to change anything to make a fuss?

I wouldn't put it pass the Russian government to blame the gays for a less than stellar review. I'm not unsympathetic to the plight of gays and lesbians through out the world and I am all about effecting meaningful change. But I refuse to act on a temper tantrum, calling it self activism. Instead of delivering that petition to the IOC it should have been delivered to the UN Council on Human Rights.

Instead of calling for boycotts you should be petitioning those companies to sponsor cities and countries with human rights records you like to bid for the Games. Let me tell you the 3rd world is developing. Nairobi, Casablanca, Durban and Doha Wants the 2024 Games. So Does, Kiev, Guadalajara and Busan. Each of those cities are in countries with a not so stellar record of human rights violations or they are not sympathetic to the GLBT communities. And it's not cheap to even BID for the Games. Taipe, Berlin, Paris, Toronto, Philly and Los Angeles also wants the games, the biggest obstacle to mounting a full bid? Money. Also just giving y'all a peek into my crystal ball, Moscow will be mounting a bid for 2028.

For me it's completely about affecting change in Russia so that the willful and state sponsored suppression of a segment of it's population isn't internationally endorsed. I do NOT want to see the IOC became a political weapon designed to punish those the majority disagrees with. If Russia was simply saying it didn't like gay people and thought they were abominations in the eyes of God I wouldn't be opposed to them holding the games. When it goes beyond words into action that's when I have a problem.

Yes, aboriginals has been used by the British to apply to all indigenous groups within their empire. However, it was specifically First Nation land that was seized in Vancouver and I prefer to be a bit specific when talking about groups to try and avoid as much confusion as possible. Especially with text and most people naturally reading it in a negative tone. :) Thus the liberal use of smileys as well.

At this point while they are not speaking out, the message and the plight of the GLBT community in Russia is heard well and clear through out the world. If any one is trying to use the IOC as a tool it's the GLBT community at this point. We know how to stop people from using us as tools. Any attempts from Russia or any any other countries to put down a minority group would be dealt with swiftly, and the reason the IOC has not acted against Russia yes is because it has not attempted to use the games as a weapon. They may be evil but they aren't stupid.

Of course the LGBT community is attempting to use the Olympic Games to bring further attention to what's going on in Russia. I'll also agree with you that the tactics being used by some are disgraceful, but then I've found that most activists believe the ends justify the means. You have my sympathy for taking the brunt of that. Also, you raise a good point about how much it would cost to move the games, and I wouldn't like to see a country basically voluntold they're holding the games and then devolve into a situation similar to Brazil with the World Cup.