Yea right, because America is so perfect, Mr Costas...

[busterbrown]

Mr. Costas Comments:

Surely did not want to talk about America’s imprisonment statistics..among many other things..

OUGH STUFF: Bob Costas' sharp, if jarring, commentary Friday changed the narrative for those who thought NBC ignored or displayed a naive attitude about the world outside of the Olympic Village. The NBC host noted how Ukrainian athletes at the games were showing their concern for their country's political unrest, and tied what was going on there to Vladimir Putin's Russia. Costas said the Sochi Olympics had gone off better than many people feared going in, "all of which is truly wonderful, but should not serve to obscure a harsher or more lasting truth. This is still a government which imprisons dissidents, is hostile to gay rights, sponsors and supports a vicious regime in Syria — and that's just a partial list." While the games' may burnish Putin's reputation in some eyes, "no amount of Olympic glory can mask these realities," he said.

[CAG]

1. Well we're a hellava lot better than Russia,

And Costas was quite brave a year ago commenting about gun rights without any provocation. He's a sportscaster, so I don't expect him to give us a whole dissertation on geopolitical struggles.

[busterbrown]

6. He got a whole lot of unexpected shit afterwards.

I’m not so sure he’d go down that road again!!!

[CAG]

15. Again, the fact that a sportscaster went down

The road in the first place speaks pretty highly of him.

[Bluenorthwest]

2. I know, how dare he stand up for gay rights.

nt

[MADem]

28. +1

This is one of those days when I look around for a damn UNREC button! I mean, really...the nerve of that sportscaster guy!

[NuclearDem]

3. Please point out where in Russia gay marriage is legal.

Putin's Russia is an absolutely brutal regime. That America does shitty things doesn't change that.

[busterbrown]

7. o.k. then you would not complain about a Russian Sportscaster at the next U.S. held

Olympics who talked about the horrible incarceration record of the U.S. Racism. homophobic behavior of many (Govt. Officials) our poverty statistics and homelessness.

I am sure Costas would want nothing to do with these conversations.


Of Course Russia has a horrible human rights record.. I just don’t think the right time for this commentary is right before the closing ceremonies.

[NuclearDem]

12. So one of the most watched parts of the whole Olympics isn't the right time?

And please stop with the bullshit false equivalence. Russia is a far more homophobic nation than the US, policy and culture wise.

I'm just fine with criticizing the US's institutionalized racism, poverty, and the rampant other problems. But as bad as the problems are here, they're far worse in Russia.

Pointing out Russia's faults is not absolving the US of its problems, and I wish people would just come to peace with that.

[Scootaloo]

80. What's your unit of measure, here?

It's not a case of "we're better than them" and not "they're better than us." More like "two different flavors of awful."

[NYC Liberal]

17. I wouldn't. Don't we talk about that all the time here?

Don't we usually applaud people who speak up about problems here in the US? We should. Just as we should applaud people who speak up about injustices in other countries.

[busterbrown]

18. I just think Costas amps up the dangerous nationalism card.. Big time.

Its all about the people who live within the country who should speak out!!!

Very safe, smart and self serving for a sports celebrity to speak out about another country..

[swilton]

58. Add to your

list the shameful ignorance of the American population (evolution, global warming, geopolitics, English and other modern/ancient languages) and you can add Costa at the top of the list as the most ignorant.

Thanks for calling him out on it!

[rufus dog]

4. Are you aware that he has been critical of quite a few things in the good ole USA?

Seriously, WTF! Should he have criticized the Redskins while in Russia?

[rufus dog]

16. That took a long time for me to find

Actually it was the time to google Bob Costas Controversy

Three for you below, don't ask again, do your own friggen work.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_W._Bush

http://t.mediaite.com/mediaite/#!/entry/bob-costas-mediaite,516c5384d7fc7b5670b13bea/1

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dc-sports-bog/wp/2013/10/13/bob-costas-on-redskins-name-its-an-insult-a-slur/

[mythology]

5. Good for Bob

And yes, we are a long way better Russia.

[busterbrown]

9. Russia sucks big time..

But don’t think we should be calling them out at the olympics unless we feel awful good about our state of the union..and right now it sucks as well.

[Pretzel_Warrior]

11. They aren't even in the same galaxy

[sabrina 1]

25. We are? How so? Heard about the latest 'law' about to be enacted in Az

regarding Gays being served by businesses? Apparently we are so wonderful that Az believes that Businesses, not just restaurants btw, can refuse to 'serve' Gays. That would include clothing stores, Super Markets, restaurants, I assume it would include doctors who run their own private practices, hospitals.

Yeah, we are so superior to everyone else on the planet. We just spent the last decade slaughtering hundreds of thousands of innocent people. We have yet to acknowledge that TORTURE is a crime. We just finished sentencing a whistle blower who reported TORTURE to 35 years in prison, AFTER torturing him for almost three years.

Ask our torture victims who is better, us or Russia. Ask the women who were raped by our troops in some of our gulags, who THEY think are better, us or Russia.

Ask the mothers of the babies blown to bits by our DRONES who is better, us or Russia.

We need to get our own house in order before we claim to be so superior to everyone else. The world LAUGHS at our claims of superiority on Human rights.

We honor our War Criminals and bail out our Wall St criminals.

Personally, I don't much care about the business of other countries. I am far too angry over our decade of bloodshed and lies and torture to have the energy to point fingers at anyone else.

And here I thought only Bush supporters had the gall to point fingers elsewhere while cheering on the murder and torture of 'brown people' or as they called them, 'camel jockeys' or 'sand 'n#$%rs. To quote one of our 'great Generals' "treat the Iraqis like DOGS". Yes USA! USA!

Until we prosecute our war criminals we are better off refraining from pointing fingers at anyone else. We simply do not have the moral authority to be minding anyone else's busines while we continue to DRONE innocent men, women and children for 'super secret' reasons.

Seems the 'left' has joined those we USED to despise for their xenophobia in the good old Bush erea in their sense of superiority.

[davidpdx]

30. Really we should ignore the injustice in the rest of the world because of our imperfections?

So we don't have a right to care about the other injustices in the world? What a load of crap! Get off your fucking high horse and pull your fingers out of your ears and screaming "LALALALALA".

Russia is just one place where they are going on and despite your Russian apologist attitude, it is happening. We have every FUCKING right to be worried about what happens in every country.

North Korea is one of the causes near and dear to my heart given I live close to the boarder. BUT I'M AN AMERICAN. BOOHOO FUCKING WHOO I DON"T HAVE A RIGHT TO GIVE A FUCK ACCORDING TO SABRINA!

We may have made mistakes, but it doesn't mean we give up the right to fight for others. I'm sick of your bullshit. It is because of the people WHO CARE what is going on up there that North Korean refugees escape, that information is shared with others, that information is spread inside North Korea about the world. They are Koreans, Americans, British, French, Canadian, etc. None of those countries are perfect. But as individuals we all care and we have the FUCKING right to care.

The same goes for Russia

Not you or anyone has the right to tell me otherwise.

[leftynyc]

32. Well put

Thanks to your post, I have nothing to add.

[sabrina 1]

33. Well, here's a thought since you want us to 'care' about justice in other countries.

How about we start with some of our allies, who make Russia look like a Liberal Paradise.

Saudi Arabia, do I need to explain why we look like the world's biggest hypocrites when we ignore their human rights abuses, against Gays, women and the poor?

Uzbekistan, whose Dictator, Karamov has committed genocide against his own people and is known to actually boil people in oil if they dare to oppose him in any way. Maybe we should stop sending him millions of dollars which helps keep in power making it harder for the oppressed people there to rise up against him??


Then there is Uganda where they have been persecuting Gays for years now and are about to pass a law making it illegal to be Gay, punishable by the DP. How about we point some fingers there, instead of sending them MORE of our tax dollars??

I have no problem with the US doing something WHERE THEY CAN, such as all these dictatorships we are supporting with our money.

Russia as I said, looks like a Liberal Paradise compored to some of our close Allies.

But when it suits the government for political purposes they 'point over there' hoping no one will notice their gross hyposcrisy when it comes to their own allies.

Let me put it this way, as a woman or any other minority, if I had a choice I would jump at the chance to live in Russia rather any one of our dozens of Dicatorship allies.

So lets start with our own support for anti-Gay, anti-Women allies before we pretend to care about these issues anywhere else. The world laughs because the world knows who we support, especially the victims of our dictator allies who are in the millions.

[Bluenorthwest]

34. You want to exempt criticism of Russia because of Uganda, but you vocally

attack critics of Pope Francis, spiritual leader of over 40% of Uganda, when we call him out about his homophobia and gay baiting.
The LGBT community is international, kid. We stand for our own in each and every country. We don't exempt from criticism any of your Straight institutions. You can, feel free to do so no one is stopping you.

[sabrina 1]

36. I don't cater to hypocrites. I don't and never have supported OUR support of

Saudi Arabia or any of our other brutal dictator friends due to its draconian treatment of women and Gays, or any of the rest of the our allies to whom we pay MONEY strengthening their power over people making it impossible for them to do anything about their oppressive governments. And have spoken out against it for years. So I'm simply repeating my position on the US support for the worst human rights abusers on the planet.

Do you support our support for these countries, would you prefer we remain silent about the hypocrisy of paying anti-women, anti gay dictators while PRETENDING to care about these issues, when we know they do NOT? Especially when they could actually DO something about Saudi Arabia eg but have accomplished ZERO with their political game playing over the past several weeks.

I prefer HONESTY, over HYPOCRISY any day. The hypocrisy we are witnessing has done NOTHING for these causes they are using for political purposes. All of this will be forgotten in a few days which only goes to show how little they cared or how little they intended to accomplish.

I resent as a woman, being used by hypocrites who could not care less about women's rights, on the contrary, who are supporting the worst abusers of women's rights while trying to manipulate me emotionally with their political games. Guess I'm not easily impressed by hypocrites and apparently and thankfully, I am not alone. Ymmd!

[Bluenorthwest]

38. I exempt no one of your Straight Nations, I already said that. Why would

you ask if I support Saudi Arabia when I already told you, you exempt your favorites, I stand up for my people everywhere. You defend those with laws against minority people, you try to suggest I support what is done in Saudi Arabia? What gives you any standing to make such a suggestion? Certainly nothing I have said.
You defend Russia over homophobia, you defend Francis over homophobia, when called on in you accuse others of hypocrisy. You keep standing with the homophobes, be they sexist anti contraception activists or just good time oligarchs, be it in Uganda with Francis or in Sochi with Vald, you keep standing with those with whom you stand. Always with the homophobes and those shouting that abortion is murder.
The world is rejecting the hate in Russia and in Uganda and in Arizona. Deal with it.

[sabrina 1]

46. What gives YOU standing to lie about my position on human rights for everyone?

It's okay for YOU to lie about others, right? NO it is NOT. How dare you lie like that, which you have made a habit over now for quite some time. But when you perceive it is being done to you YOU complain? Don't do it to others if you find it so offensive. THAT is hypocrisy.

Now post a comment of mine defending homphobia in Russia or anywhere else or have the decency to apologize for your lies.

Thankfully most people do not have to resort to lies when they have a difference of opinion on how to accomplish their goals. But you have made a habit of it.

[Bluenorthwest]

48. You have tirelessly claimed Francis is 'pro gay' and ripped into anyone

who offers facts, truth and quotes to the contrary. Uganda is 42% Catholic, Francis says nothing, you defend Francis. Bob Costas points out anti gay bullshit in the place he is reporting from, you attack Bob Costas.
I'm reporting facts. You want links? Your defenses of Francis when people point out his bigotry have been exhaustive. Not sure you really want to do this. You have claimed he defends gay rights, this leader of the largest religious group in Uganda, a nation you yourself chide the US for dealing with. At least Obama told them he was against that law. Francis said nothing, and his Bishops supported the law. And you, you defend Francis when folks ask him to cut out the bigotry.
I note you can not actually refute a thing I said. Because it is all true.

[sabrina 1]

52. Post a comment of mine to back up your diatribes, I am not interested in your

twisting of my positions on anything. If you can't do that, then your diatribes mean nothing.

[davidpdx]

63. Frankly I am sick of the Russian apologists as well

and their righteous indignation as well. So I agree with what you are saying.

[davidpdx]

67. Russia looks like a liberal paradise

I think the poor, minorities, and LGBT might say otherwise. This is something you have made up in your own little head.

I challenge you to go live in another country (or two) and see the differences in how people live. I've been outside the US for 10 years. I have seen both good and bad reactions to the US.

You say we are the laughing stock of the world, but I challenge your assertion again. I have friends around the world, many who love our country. My father-in-law fought along side US soldiers in the Korean War. Do you think he's laughing?

Most everyone on this board (with a few glaring exceptions) supports gay rights and opposes what is going on in Arizona. The US hasn't reached the tipping point yet on LGBT rights, but my bet is by the end of the year we'll see it.

People realize there are plenty of issues within the US still, but your wrong headed assertions that we should start with our allies or this country or that country is just plain naive. I can care about multiple things at one time and so do many others.

You continue to make excuses for a country that abuses people and then scream about others. That is hypocrisy.

[sabrina 1]

68. I have three gay family members living in this country, the youngest is the ONLY one

who has some hope of not being ostracized or persecuted because of it.

The oldest died in his seventies a short time ago never coming out for fear of losing his job, the acceptance of some of his family, friends, co-workers and of being subjected to bigotry, which he was sadly throughout his life.

Sadly his life here in this country was not a happy one due to the widespread bigotry against Gays that is PREVALENT here still and has shown little progress despite the few legal gains so recently accomplished.

Even now with small gains long overdue that bigotry still results in violence and other forms of prejudice against Gays and other minorities.

Please stop pretending this country is in any position to claim any moral authority on bigotry.

As far as Gays in Russia, I will go by what they themselves have said. They appear to have no more problems, less in many ways, than Gays have here. Several Gay Russian activists BEGGED the US to stop drawing attention to them as all it was doing was causing problems for them they did not already have. Many live openly as Gay partners there, and of course, like here, they have their narrow minded bigots aslo who were being stoked by our use of the issue for political purposes, it certainly wasn't out of concern for Russia's gay population who will not be mentioned here on this forum after we move on to the next thing that grabs our wandering attention.

I will raise this issue to prove my point in a few months when I am absolutely certain not a single thing will have been actually done for Russia's Gay community, or for those in Uganda, or Saudi Arabia unless there is some political gain in pretending to care once again.

I have not only lived in other countries, I have family and friends all over the world. While most ordinary people have no problem with the American PEOPLE, most now regard our government as one of the biggest threats to world peace and wonder 'what happened to America'.

I defended NO ONE, I pointed out hypocrisy and blind xenophobia and always will wherever I see it. You otoh appear to be defending this country's interference in the business of everyone on the planet where we have no right or standing to interfere , ignoring how incredibly bigoted we are towards ANYONE who is 'different' here and anywhere else. See our great Generals' instructions to the troops regarding the civilian populations we invaded eg. See the constant bigoted references to 'camel jockeys' 'ragheads' etc and ask yourself, are we really in any position to point fingers when it comes to bigotry. Ask any parent of a mentally or physically disabled child how all inclusive we are eg.


How about we just be honest for a change. It's not hard nor does it ever harm a nation to focus on its own problems rather than ignoring them and pointing elsewhere. How about we stop pretending we are superior to everyone else in the world, because we are not.

How about we try to become an EXAMPLE to the rest of the world which we could be if we stopped minding everyone's else's business, before we lecture them on things we are no example of ourselves.

I'm sorry the truth hurts. The Left used to be a lot more fact based than the Right which was also certain we were 'numero uno'. Sadly in many areas that count most, we are no longer anywhere near being number one in anything other than how many people we have in PRISON, War, Torture with no consequences, among other things.

Let's leave everyone else to solve their own problems because we are quite a failure lately at solving OUR OWN. And that isa fact.

[NuclearDem]

54. OFFS.

It's not xenophobic to say that the US is miles ahead of Russia when it comes to LGBT rights. You cite one state--one fucking state--and imply that that somehow makes us no better than Russia. DOMA was struck down, gay marriage is legal in many states, we have hate crime laws, and gays can serve openly in the military. Gay marriage is not legal anywhere in Russia, gays can't serve openly in the Russian military, and the Russian government has made it illegal to even "act gay" in public.

And for the rest of it, we are still far better than Russia. It's a country that poisons its dissidents, flattens their own cities dealing with terrorism, has the worst inequality between rich and poor in the Western world, supports its own brutal dictators throughout the world, and celebrates their war criminals to the point that they made one of them their president.

Good God, it's not xenophobic to point out that Russia is just objectively worse, and absolutely fucking no one is trying to excuse what we do by pointing out Russia's faults. In fact, the only ones using that logic are you and the other people doing the reverse.

[sabrina 1]

56. OFFS, it's not wrong to point out that this country has

killed over one million Iraqis and tortured and maimed untold numbers of others. And that it continues to kill innocent men women and children in various countries around the world. But then, it IS xenophobia not to care about those 'brown people' who probably don't die as seriously as we Americans do when hit by drones and bombs. And those 'brown people' don't suffer as much when they are raped and tortured by us superior beings who have an absolute RIGHT to their resources, which were really meant for us, God Knows.

Just stop, please, we went through this during the Bush years when at least we on the left refrained from claiming how superior we are considering what we were and are still doing to people of other nations.

If it makes you feel good to think we are the greatest and we don't need to apologize for the human rights abuses we have heaped on people in other parts of the world then rewarded our torturers and war criminals, feel free.

I prefer to see the reality of our own abuses, true killing 'brown' people isn't quite the same as doing it to more 'superior' beings in the minds of some Americans, but this one views ALL human beings as having the exact same rights as we in this country expect and finds it horrific that we have done not a single thing to punish the torturers and war mongering criminals right here in the US. There is an old saying 'people in glass shouldn't throw stones'. Why? Because they don't have the moral authority to do so and will have zero effect when they do.

[NuclearDem]

59. Jesus Christ, are you kidding me?

If you think I'm part of the rah-rah-USA crowd and am somehow comfortable ignoring American human rights violations, then you have apparently not noticed a goddamn thing I've written since I've been here, because that includes:

-Criticism of Obama for not arresting Wall Street bankers responsible for the financial crisis and the war criminals responsible for those Iraqi deaths.
-My position that the way the drone program is carried out is tantamount to a war crime
-That torture is a crime against humanity and Obama should have shuttered Gitmo his first day in office.
-Extended solitary confinement as it's used in American prisons is psychological torture.
-We should withdraw all support for the Saudi government as well as all the other dictators we prop up in the world for their crimes against their own people.
-We have no business maintaining over 200 military bases worldwide.

But absolutely none of that excuses Russia's crimes against its people and the people under the heel of the dictators they prop up themselves.

I'm not going to disclaim every post I make about abuses by foreign governments with a footnote of US abuses, because I oppose this horrific behavior wherever and whenever it happens, by the US or somebody else.

And I am not going to avoid criticizing foreign governments for their abuses just because the country I live in carries out some abuses of its own.

[sabrina 1]

61. I've been too busy

trying to keep up with OUR crimes against our own people and against millions of others and feeling incredible frustration that we can't seem to stop them, to feel I have ANY credibility considering I live here, to go around pointing fingers elsewhere. Because I know what will be said to me unfortunately.

Just as China slammed the State Dept when Hillary attempted to point out THEIR human rights abuses (of course they too are allies of ours, nothing stops us from supporting human rights abusers when it comes to money). They responded with a long list of OUR abuses for the world to see admonishing us for not taking care of our own business.

I guess I see it this way. If someone robs a bank, then lectures others on the evils of robbing banks while he continues to do so himself, he's not going to have much credibility.

I'm for restoring OUR moral authority so that WE CAN go around the world lecturing people on Human Rights without having our own sins pointed out to us which kind of makes our lectures pretty worthless and ineffective.

[busterbrown]

72. Jesus almighty God..

No one is arguing that the uber nationalistic right wingers in both countries suck. A lot of us here feel however that Bob Costas a guy who makes huge bucks (a celebrity) should not be voice of our Country..listing the faults of another... Especially when we got the same fucking thing happening here..

Our Iraq Invasions nullifies the U.S. for calling any other country on our planet out.. For a long time.

Why can’t you get that....

[NuclearDem]

85. This isn't about "calling out." It's about solidarity.

The LGBT community and its allies are showing solidarity with their Russian brothers and sisters, and now the apologists are just telling them they can't because, you know, Iraq.

Enough with your bullshit. Iraq wasn't our fault as an entire people, and we progressives have absolutely nothing to feel guilty for as far as Iraq goes. So please, stop using that as a shield to protect Russia from well-deserved criticism.

[busterbrown]

70. Exactly!!!n/t

[cherokeeprogressive]

86. Um... I don't know if you noticed, but NOWHERE in Costas' commentary did you hear him

"cheering on the murder and torture of 'brown people' or as they called them, 'camel jockeys' or 'sand 'n#$%rs."

[sabrina 1]

88. No, of course he didn't. What I pointed out was that he ignored the bigotry

here while pointing fingers elsewhere. It's never a good idea to criticize others either as an individual or as a representative of a nation, unless you, or those you represent have been an example of what it is you are lecturing others about. All that happened was around the world, others reminded him of our own record of bigotry right here. That should have been anticipated.

[Arugula Latte]

50. I don't know that we're so much better --

we slaughtered hundreds of thousands of Iraqis recently for no reason. We wear the Dark Mark, as does Russia.

[Pretzel_Warrior]

10. Uhhh...really? NBC was preemptively attacked with comments

They would go silent on political issues and now Costas/NBC told by DU'er to mind their own business?

This place is more and more bipolar.

[busterbrown]

13. Talking about what?

Re read what I posted.. Of course Russia should be called out, but not by Bob Costas before the closing ceremonies.. Just stir the flame of nationalism...I would feel better if our Country had no issues with racism, poverty, homelessness, homophobia.. Take a look at Arizona’s next move.
I’m saying that Costas not the person to be doing so.

[sabrina 1]

27. The WORLD told NBC what they thought of our zenophobia. Costas was a disgrace

in his feeble attempts to undermine the Olympic games. The rest of the world ignores our claims of supperiority at this point, our hypcorisy after the past decade of slaughter of innocencts and torture and refusal to prosecute war criminals.

We are so isolated from the rest of the world. I never thought I would see the day when DEMOCRATS would align themselves with Bush supporters who we USED to apologize for to the rest of the world, in this kind of zenophobia.

We need to remember we are a small fraction of the population of the world and we have zero moral authority considering our recent history of brutal invasions, torture with zero accountability, our violations of International Law, to point fingers at anyone. To the rest of the world, Costas' attempts to TRY to drag politics into the Olympic Games were pathetic. In fact most people tuned him out and watched the Olypics on other venues. He was slammed and so was the Corporate Media everywhere.

We are being left behind as the rest of the world moves on into a future that rejects our brutality towards innocents now, it appears, everywhere we think we have the right to do so.

[Bluenorthwest]

35. It seems to anger you when people stand up for LGBT rights.

You are on the side of the rich clerics like Francis, the oligarchs like Putin. Never on our side.

[sabrina 1]

37. It seems to anger YOU when I point out that we are supporting brutal dictators

who condone and even practice the killing of Gays and punish women who dare to speak out even the most careful way about human rights. You are on the side of those who would use women and Gays for their own purposes, who support the most brutal anti-Women and anti-Gay dictators.

I want people who have CREDIBILITY on the issue of human rights standing up for MY rights. I do NOT WANT people who have zero moral authority and who can be laughed at due to their own record on issues that affect me, attempting to use my issues for their own nefarious purposes.

See, we can all play the game you are attempting to play with me. But my record on human rights is and always has been CONSISTENT. I have seen these issues USED and the HARM it does when there is no sincerity behind it.

You are free to keep on posting lies about me which will do nothing other than cost you the respect I once had for you, which I am sure will not bother in the least just as the lies you are posting about me, don't bother me in the least since those I do respect KNOW ME and it is their opinion I care about.

[Bluenorthwest]

41. Uh huh. This thread is about Bob Costas speaking out about where he was.

I liked what he said, you objected to it due to his not being from a Utopia or something. Why not start a thread about it rather than shout that you oppose those who stand up for gay people? Using CAPS does not make your hypocrisy any less obvious.
I understand that you think you can speak to me as if I am inferior to you, because I am gay and you think it is acceptable to lecture me about my own community. I just don't agree with you.
Bob Costas said something good for LGBT people. You sputter about Saudi Arabia, a terrible theocracy as if that mitigates Russia or Arizona or anyone. Hell, you defend Francis yet he supports the Ugandan laws you claim are the reason no one must criticize Russian homophobia.
None of your Straight Institutions are exempt. Sorry. No free pass for Francis and Vlad. Nor for Arizona or Saudi Arabia. Sorry.

[sabrina 1]

51. I never saw you as someone who would try that old emotional manipulation thing.

It doesn't work on me, never has. I know where I stand as does everyone who knows me and your attempts at emotional manipulation will do nothing other than lose you any credibility I have given you in the past.

The US, I will repeat, does not have the moral standing to attack ANYONE else on issues of human rights and can only harm the victims of human rights abusers by taking up their cause, providing those who are abusers with ammunition to point those fingers right back at us, until we clean up our own act right here.

I don't much care whether YOU see the harm in having someone who themselves is an abuser taking up a cause they clearly do not support, that is your problem, not mine. I will continue to point out hypocrisy and harm to those I care about.

I suppose you don't care much about the pleas from Russian Gays to the US to stop using this issue for their own political purposes as it was putting them in danger rather than helping them. I respect their request since I don't live there and assume they know what they are talking about.

[polly7]

53. You tried this same crap on me when all I did was post against the broad-brushing

of a whole nation and its people, 120 million plus of them who are struggling every bit as much or even more than we in the west. Talk about seeing others as 'inferior'. You might want to check out a mirror.

[randome]

60. You're one of the most virulent anti-anti-homophobia posters I've encountered.

If you're good with what Costas said, that's good enough for me!
[hr][font color="blue"][center]"There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in."
Leonard Cohen, Anthem (1992)[/center][/font][hr]

[busterbrown]

71. and the fact that we have a celebrity calling them out irks the hell out of me..

I wonder what he would have thought during the olympics around the time we were actively slaughtering innocent civilians in Iraq, a foreign Sportscaster called our asses out..

Good ole Bob certainly would have had something to say about that!!

[sabrina 1]

75. They took him off for a few days, supposedly because of his eye but I think the backlash

surprised them. The mindset that thinks the world cares about we think can't comprehend how awful we look, how hypocritical, considering the terrible bigotry that exists in this country, the world heard our Generals giving their intensely bigoted orders to our troops, which they followed, 'treat the Iraqis like dogs'. And we have people here lying about MY position on bigotry while they do nothing to defend the victims of our torture chambers, nothing to get any kind of justice for the families of those we tortured and murdered. Do they really think the World is blind?

The Olympics were spectacular. Johnny Weir refused to be baited when asked 'how were you treated, as a Gay Man here'. He didn't give them the answer they WANTED. Why would anyone WANT a Gay man to be treated badly btw? But then they suggested that 'inside the Olmpic bubble he was probably okay'. He refused to allow that also and explained how he had gone outside the 'bubble' and was treated wonderfully despite his insistance on making sure everyone knew he is gay.

Too bad the US Olympic Skating Committee made it impossible for Gays to come out until just recently. Great American Skaters up to now, had to remain in the closet or risk not being able to 'represent America'. The hypocrisy is sickening. I was a skater and have followed this for many years. Weir was in my recollection one of the very few who refused to hide that fact that he was gay. He was admonished for his 'flamboyance' and asked to 'tone down his style' but kudos to him for refusing to cave to such bigotry. Maybe it cost him some Corporate Contracts, but he has had the last laugh.

Now, the very same people who 'admonished' him, decided they could 'use' him for political purposes. But it was HE who used Them to expose the hypocrisy. He has done more for Russian Gays by simply going there and meeting the people and telling the truth despite the efforts to get him 'on board' than all the 'suddenly concerned for Russian Gays' who will move on by next week and totally forget what this week was so very 'important to them'. But Weir will continue, with his Russian husband to work to advance Gay Rights in Russia when everyone else has forgotten them.

Many of us who were involved in skating were fully aware of the bigotry right up to the last Olympics and beyond and condemned it. Sad to say, some of our greatest male skaters did not live to see this year when the US Figure Skating Committee finally acknowledged their gay skaters if only for political purposes.

[Crabby Appleton]

14. I agree with Bob Costas

[Blue_Tires]

19. damned if you do or don't situation here

Costas can choose to get criticized for on-air editorializing, or get criticized for being silent...

[busterbrown]

20. Don’t agree...

Since was it ever the job of a sports announcer at an international event to talk about another countries failures.. I’m sure if another country’s announcer did the same thing the American Press would have attacked with vengeance!!...

[Ikonoklast]

21. So? That wouldn't make anything Costas said untrue.

American press attacked Costas for speaking the truth before.


As far as I'm concerned, the vast majority of the American press are shills, idiots, and paid flacks for billionaires.

[busterbrown]

73. We did not say that what he said was untrue..

But he has no moral justification to do it unless he also calls his own country out..
What about the fucking Iraq invasion..Until we as a country settle that monstrous event we do not have the moral authority to speak out on any other wrongs in this world..

[MADem]

29. I think the man took the right road--and I'm astounded at the people on this thread who think

otherwise.

Then again, maybe not.

It's real easy to sit down and shut up when it's not one's own ox being gored, I suppose...

[Warren DeMontague]

22. Costas is right.

[Union Scribe]

23. Most of it was standard cold war nostalgia

just couched in modern superficially benevolent language. I see more and more of it in the media. They want a new enemy now that we're not bombing Iran.

[Blue_Tires]

45. +1

The world was simpler to understand and foreign policy was much easier back when we had the USSR boogeyman...

[Drunken Irishman]

24. Costas, like he is often, is right.

And if you knew a lick about him, you'd realize he's been critical of America too.

[davidpdx]

31. Damn Straight

Here it is for the ignorant bunch on DU:

NBC sports anchor Bob Costas channeled his inner Edward R. Murrow and Howard Cosell during halftime of last night's Sunday Night Football game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys, calling for stricter gun control in the wake of Saturday's murder-suicide involving Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher.

The 90-second segment, which quoted heavily from a column by FOX Sports columnist Jason Whitlock, ended with Costas making the following declaration:

'In the coming days, Jovan Belcher's actions and their possible connection to football will be analyzed. Who knows? But here, wrote Jason Whitlock, is what I believe. If Jovan Belcher didn't possess a gun, he and Kasandra Perkins would both be alive today.''

http://www.usatoday.com/story/gameon/2012/12/03/nfl-costas-speech-reaction/1742313/

[busterbrown]

42. I watch a ton of sports.. Know all about him. So you are wrong..Big Time,

It is wrong for an american celebrity to stir up shit, just to score points with viewers.
Unless we run a perfect ship, I suggest that we leave criticism of a powerful country like Russia
to the people who represent us .. Not a sports celeb..

[Auggie]

55. Totally agree. Bob Costas is nothing more than a narcissist ...

whose sanctimonious, conceited act should have been retired 20 years ago.

[Drunken Irishman]

57. It's not stirring up shit. It's being honest.

[busterbrown]

74. Yea where was he during the Iraq invasion?

Never would have said a thing about his employer...Makes too much money..

[Behind the Aegis]

26. Good for Bob!

Poor Pootie-poot!

[Cha]

77. Putie..

[Behind the Aegis]

78. Aren't you just devastated?!

I know I am.

[Cha]

79. Mean ol

Mr Costas.

[NCTraveler]

39. Where did he say America is perfect?

You need to point that out in order to make the argument you are attempting to make. I cannot find where he came close to calling America perfect in any way at all. Where were the games held? Maybe his commentary was in respect to the place they were being held and where he has spent the last couple of weeks of his life.

[busterbrown]

43. He never did and thats my point.

He could have added that we have our problems as well. That would have been enough for me..

[NCTraveler]

47. His commentary was about the host nation.

Why would he talk about prison statistics in the US? Lets turn it around. Would it have made you happy if he talked about some of the progress the US has made with respect to gay rights over the last couple of years, and compared to the host nation? Since he mentioned it for them, isn't that what he should have talked about with respect to the US? Not prison statistics.

[cherokeeprogressive]

87. He also could have added that the price of tea in China is way too high.

It have been just as apropos as what you're suggesting.

[joeybee12]

44. Yeah we suck in a lot of things, but posts like this are just an

excuse to excuse Russia...unrec

[AverageJoe90]

64. I don't think that's what he intended.

But Russia shouldn't be given a pass for anything, either. In fact, right now, LGBT folks over there are treated worse than even in the most conservative regions here in America right now.

[joeybee12]

65. Russia is closer to Uganda than any conservative area here in the US...nt

[AverageJoe90]

66. I won't deny that.

Though it can be pointed out, btw, that Western extremist Fundies have been the primary driving force behind the problems in Uganda, at least.

[qwertyq]

49. Costas is a propaganda mouthpiece

The US is doing nothing but shit-stirring on Russia's front doorstep to insure US global hegemony. I guess Costas like to support fascists and neo-Nazis. Costas is a tool.

http://www.alternet.org/tea-party-and-right/us-backing-neo-nazis-ukraine

[bpj62]

62. Wow

What the hell did Bob Costa do to you. He is one of the few Network Sports Announcers who tries to get officials/athletes to say things that they don't want to. He has spoken his mind on things like Sandy Hook and the issues mentioned above. Is he perfect no but then again he is a Sports Guy and not a social activist. At least he said something. He tried top get the head of the IOC to admit why they hate the US so much but the guy wouldn't bite. I do not expect our sports announcers to use their company broadcast as a platform to address all of our social ills. Sorry I just don't get the outrage.

[busterbrown]

69. I do not think he should be involved in calling one country out without mentioning our

faults as well..A celebrity should not be stirring pots.

[bluestateguy]

76. Then I guess us arrogant Americans can't criticize the Uganda anti gay law either

I mean, we don't have marriage equality in all 50 states yet and EDNA is not law yet. Therefore us hypocrite Americans had better just shut up about Uganda's law because we have no moral authority.

According to that logic only Sweden and Norway would ever have any moral authority to criticize anyone in the world.

[busterbrown]

81. No one stated that these countries shouldn’t be called out..

Just that Bob Costas should keep his mouth shut when performing on stage..If the someone who criticizes Russia has a history of calling the U.S. out on all their atrocities.. Then it is that person who I would favor to let Russia have it. Jimmy Carter certainly comes to mind...Gore Vidal etc..

[Donald Ian Rankin]

82. You're putting words into his mouth. He was right, and you are wrong. N.T.

[busterbrown]

83. Did you notice the quotation marks?

What words did I put in his mouth?

[Bartleby73]

84. Costas is a progressive

Why are some people such absolutest? Costas criticizes Russia therefore he is an American tool?