The State of Affairs in Russia

[DGuller]

Bach suck my dick.

Standing up for equal rights is not "political dissent". What a douchebag.

Heads of international sporting organizations are inevitably the scum of the scum.  I guess needing Chad's and Burkina Faso's vote kinda makes your morals a little more flexible.

[Syt]

Bach suck my dick.

Standing up for equal rights is not "political dissent". What a douchebag.

When he was voted head of IOC there was much groaning, because he stood for the continuation of business as usual there. I think I may have linked an article about him at the time.

[derspiess]

Bach suck my dick.

Standing up for equal rights is not "political dissent". What a douchebag.

It is, though.

[Neil]

Bach suck my dick.

Standing up for equal rights is not "political dissent". What a douchebag.

Ummm....  That's exactly what it is.

[Duque de Bragança]

Heads of international sporting organizations are inevitably the scum of the scum.  I guess needing Chad's and Burkina Faso's vote kinda makes your morals a little more flexible.

Did not know these two mattered for the Winter Olympics. If so, it's hopeless.

[grumbler]

Heads of international sporting organizations are inevitably the scum of the scum.  I guess needing Chad's and Burkina Faso's vote kinda makes your morals a little more flexible.

Did not know these two mattered for the Winter Olympics. If so, it's hopeless.

Did not know the IOC only staged eh Winter Olympics. If so, it's almost certainly true that the head of the IOC that stages the Summer Games is likely just as corrupt.

[grumbler]

Bach suck my dick.

Standing up for equal rights is not "political dissent". What a douchebag.

Ummm....  That's exactly what it is.

Ummm... No, that's not what it is.  President Obama can stand up for equal rights in the US, but arguing that he is engaging in "political dissent" by so doing is laughable.

[alfred russel]

Bach suck my dick.

Standing up for equal rights is not "political dissent". What a douchebag.

I do wish we could just enjoy the Olympics for what they are though.

In 1996 the US hosted the Olympics in a place where homosexual relations were outright criminalized. There are significant portions of the world where that is still the case (but not in Russia).

Unless we want to restrict hosting the Olympics to anglo/french north america, central and western europe, and a half dozen or so other countries, the hosts sometimes won't be perfect regarding human rights and corruption.

[The Brain]

Bach suck my dick.

Standing up for equal rights is not "political dissent". What a douchebag.

Russia has equal rights?

[Jacob]

In unsurprising news - go to the Olympics; get hacked: http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/nbc-all-visitors-sochi-olympics-immediately-hacked_778718.html

[crazy canuck]

Unless we want to restrict hosting the Olympics to anglo/french north america, central and western europe, and a half dozen or so other countries, the hosts sometimes won't be perfect regarding human rights and corruption.

The IOC has a choice.  Either they do what they say they are going to do under their Charter.  Or they should adopt the Dorsey Rule of very few are perfect so why bother.

As a reminder this is what the IOC says it stands for:

2 Mission and Role of the IOC*
The mission of the IOC is to promote Olympism throughout the world and to lead the
Olympic Movement. The IOC's role is:
1. to encourage and support the promotion of ethics and good governance in sport as
well as education of youth through sport and to dedicate its efforts to ensuring that, in
sport, the spirit of fair play prevails and violence is banned;
2. to encourage and support the organisation, development and coordination of sport
and sports competitions;
3. to ensure the regular celebration of the Olympic Games;
4. to cooperate with the competent public or private organisations and authorities in the
endeavour to place sport at the service of humanity and thereby to promote peace;
5. to take action to strengthen the unity of the Olympic Movement, to protect its independence
and to preserve the autonomy of sport;
6. to act against any form of discrimination affecting the Olympic Movement;
7. to encourage and support the promotion of women in sport at all levels and in all
structures with a view to implementing the principle of equality of men and women;
8. to lead the fight against doping in sport;
9. to encourage and support measures relating to the medical care and health of athletes;

[Neil]

I'm pretty sure the 'why bother' ship has sailed a long time back.

[crazy canuck]

I'm pretty sure the 'why bother' ship has sailed a long time back.

I dont subscribe to the that ship has sailed so why bother talking about humans rights theory either.

[derspiess]

Let it go. Games are about to begin. You aren't going to change Russia, anyway.

[Grinning_Colossus]

Nonsense. One swift kick and the whole rotten structure will come crashing down!