Is it only okay to violate Olympic Committee principles if you're anti-gay? Why not ban Russia?

[bigtree]

tweeted by, John Aravosis ‏@aravosis 19m
BREAKING: US Olympic Committee says Russian anti-gay law is "inconsistent w[ith] fundamental Olympic principles" http://wp.me/p2LThC-qaz

The United States Olympic Committee, seemingly backtracking on an earlier statement – and now outright contradicting the International Olympic Committee – says Russia’s draconian new anti-gay law is “inconsistent w[ith] fundamental Olympic principles.”


1. The USOC head says Russia’s anti-gay is clearly “inconsistent with fundamental Olympic principles,” but they want US athletes to obey it anyway. Or maybe not…

2. At the same time, the USOC head also said this week that: “[R]estricting the right to act and speak in support of the LGBT community are inconsistent with the fundamental principles of the Olympic and Paralympic movements.” But that’s exactly what the USOC is doing by telling athletes to obey Russia’s anti-gay law, not to act or speak in support of the LGBT community…

3. And according to the IOC, if gay or pro-gay athletes do speak in support of the LGBT community while at Sochi, they’ll be kicked out of the Olympics all together, since the athletes’ actions will be deemed inconsistent with Olympic principles.

4. So why isn’t the IOC now throwing Russia out of the Olympic games all together, since the USOC has confirmed that Russia’s law – which the Russian Interior Ministry said this week will apply to Olympic athletes, visitors and media during the Sochi games – is inconsistent with Olympic principles?

Or is it only okay to violate Olympic principles if you’re anti-gay?


read: http://americablog.com/2013/08/breaking-us-olympic-committee-says-russian-anti-gay-law-is-inconsistent-with-fundamental-olympic-principles.html

[Dawson Leery]

1. The IOC had no problems having an open fascist as their leader for 20 years.

The IOC cannot be expected to stand behind their athletes. They will stand with their corporate sponsors since the Olympics is an advertising showcase for the world's largest companies.

[KurtNYC]

2. The IOC should be disbanded and the Olympics should be held every 4 years in Greece

The IOC is a predatory organization that bankrupts local governments (taxpayers) by buying off their elected representatives. The modern Olympic games have left a wake of destruction that rivals the one created by General Sherman.

[Igel]

3. The Olympics are not a private tool.

They have their own agenda. One is bringing together nations together in a non-polemic environment to celebrate competition with good will and overlook differences. It was a huge breech when the US ditched the Soviet Olympics decades ago.

The IOC has almost always overlooked a lot of problems when it comes to their principles. The principles aren't binding on all the countries; it's pretty much open to everybody, provided that during the games the principles aren't flouted. you can't have their overt agenda and any other kind of attitude. "Sorry, we want to overlook politics and international tensions, but we don't abide *your* politics" is a massive non-sequitur. Their rules mean what they say their rules mean. They're their rules.

Intentionally going in with ill will to not celebrate compeition but use it as a platform against the host country is not in keeping with that agenda. It dishonors the other athletes who are there for the competition and sports.

If LGBT athletes use it as such, it'll probably not go well, depending where it is done. If it's during interviews, nobody will mind or care. Russian media will carry the information as it sees fit; that's their call. If the LGBT athlete is completely ignored inside Russia it's beyond their control.

Pull some stunt on the athletic field and that'll be the IOC's business. It's nice to believe in your cause, but it's not nice to use somebody else's soapbox without their permission. You go and you consent to the agenda. You don't consent to your agenda, you don't go. When in Rome ... Or, a la Russian, You don't take your charter to another monastery.

Note that the Olympics were useful to Hitler in some ways, but the opening ceremonies always aggrandize the host. "See how great we are, welcome." Then Jesse Owens was an embarrassment, a huge one. Had he openly spoke out against Aryanism, he'd have been much less of an embarrassment. He'd have been ignored.

[bigtree]

4. the 'tool' thing is your own invention

you're ignoring the facts here. Russian officials have said they will prosecute any open display of homosexuality.

The IOC has said it will discipline gay and lesbian athletes for doing nothing more than being themselves.

That's worse than 'Hitler.' No one intended to arrest or kick Jesse Owens out of the Olympics for displaying his blackness.