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Sketch
Trad climber
Langley, VA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Dec 20, 2013 - 01:31pm PT
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I figured I'd start a thread, considering this topic is going to be newsworthy over the next two months.
My opening salvo has nothing to do with athletic competition.
I'm curious about the political ramifications for the host country. Earlier this week, it was announced that Obama will be sending two openly gay delegates to represent the US at the upcoming Olympics. Most people considered this an affront to Russia's discriminatory policies and laws against homosexuals. Additionally, Obama will not be attending the Olympics. Both seem to be a slap in the face to Putin.
On a different note, Mikhail Borisovich Khodorkovsky was recently "pardoned" by Putin. While this was apparently done to make Putin look good, some experts are saying this transparent gesture won't fool anyone.... that Putin is just as dirty and underhanded as ever.
Back when China was preparing for their Olympics, they was a lot of talk about China not delivering the goods. In my opinion, China did a fantastic job. It definitely helped their international reputation.
With Russia, I expect they will put on a very mediocre Olympics. It will not help Putin's reputation. That's just my gut feeling.
What do you guys think?
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Dec 20, 2013 - 01:54pm PT
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I'm curious about the political ramifications for the host country. Earlier this week, it was announced that Obama will be sending two openly gay delegates to represent the US at the upcoming Olympics. Most people considered this an affront to Russia's discriminatory policies and laws against homosexuals. Additionally, Obama will not be attending the Olympics. Both seem to be a slap in the face to Putin.
Just wondering which actual discriminatory policies and laws are there in Russia against homosexuals? Homosexuality is not outlawed there as far as I know. They even had some “Gay Pride” marches that were allowed in a few cities. They are usually not allowed though because the population strikes against them and they get violent sometimes, so authorities do not want to deal with this mess.
Free forum for all to post of course, but to mix a beautiful event like Olympics with politics is not a great idea. I am hoping to see a good show from all the nations and athletes competing against each other with class and respect, no matter from which country they are from or which sexual orientation they are.
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Dec 20, 2013 - 02:22pm PT
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passes bill that bans the distribution of information about homosexuality to children
What is wrong about passing a bill that bans distribution of information about homosexuality to CHILDREN?
Personally, I think gay pride parades in US are way out of control. Fully nude people walking around during a public gathering is way out of line. I think if people learned moderation it would be much better. Respect gay rights, and respect the other members of community who do not care to see your junk out no matter if you are gay, straight, or a combination.
Are you Russian? No, Ukrainian.
Also Vitaly, if you are unaware of the institutional homophobia / oppression going on right now in Russia, I would imagine you don't pay attention to politics much.
And yes, I do not follow politics much. To me climbing is a way to keep my head out of that useless pile of sh#t that divides humans all over the world. But how can you be so sure about what media feeds to you if you do not even live there? When I watched Russian TV I was in shock about the kind of sh#t I heard about US. I think the media here does the same to Russia to make it seem way worse than it is. People should find ways to connect vs find ways to call the other country savage.
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Dec 20, 2013 - 02:49pm PT
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Perhaps you can also tell us what units us all over the world?
Maybe it is international events like the Olympics, where people from all over the world compete in a a (hopefully) friendly and respectful manner. To me Olympics is an event to celebrate unity of all nations. World is whatever YOU make it out to be IN YOUR HEAD. To me Olympics is a great event I used to watch when I was a kid. Without caring about from which country the athletes were, what orientation, they showed some great stories about what some went through to get where they were. Actually in a way I liked how they showed Olympics back in Ukraine, they did not focus on JUST Ukrainian athletes, and showed off and talked about everyone. I liked it that way.
Anyway, Russia is a third world country, so why are you surprised that the way people view the world is different there? In US the Civil Rights Act was passed only in 1964 and blacks were allowed to vote only in 1965! And racism and homophobia still lives on in many communities. If you fill your head with everything that is WRONG OUT THERE IN THE WORLD you will not have enough time to enjoy the beauties of this world. Anyway, I stated my view and do not care to argue any longer. Carry on...
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hotlum
climber
Oregon
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Dec 20, 2013 - 03:31pm PT
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Anyone know the actual conditions right now? Is there plenty of snow at the venues?
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Dec 20, 2013 - 04:31pm PT
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To me climbing is like meditating. Helps to keep out of useless internet debates about politics. Debate about gay rights in a country where I do not vote and never lived seems especially moronic, to me. There is no reason for me to get worked up over Russian politics. Only reason I opened this thread is because it is titled “2014 Winter Olympics,” and if it was titled “Gay rights in Russia” I would not open it. As I stated above, Olympics to me is an international event where me as a spectator learns the positives about other nations and athletes. It is a place for unity, not a place to point fingers at other participants and laugh because we are so superior. That is why I replied and stated my opinion. When I opened the link to that article I also remembered when in Health Ed class a transgender person came in to speak to our class (Health Ed). I was 14 back than and though it was inappropriate. Don’t see the need for members of sexual minorities to address classes filled with 14 year olds with intention to prove it is normal to cut your penis off and replace it with a vagina/hormonal therapy. So obviously I do have opinions, but tend to avoid useless online arguments with other members of the site because I am not here to talk politics. I am here to get excited about climbing, and I respect opinions of others, even when I do not agree with them. Is that ok with you?
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RyanD
climber
Squamish
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Dec 20, 2013 - 04:32pm PT
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Besides what else is there to talk about.... bouldering?
That would be cool. Bouldering does unite many of us Bruce;-)
I worked right in the middle of the Vancouver/Whistler Olympics. Thought it was gonna be the worst, it was actually an amazing experience. So much fun & so many great people from all over the world enjoying our backyard- kind of.
Gotta say though, out of all the countries, of all the guests, from all around the world-The Russian teams & support were the most pretentious as#@&%es to deal with, it was really quite amazing & actually quite funny. When we would serve them we would play games to see if anyone could actually get them to smile- nobody could! Cheapest f*#ks too when it came to leaving a tip! I'm sure it's an elitist thing there to be involved in the Olympics & to them, anybody here who was not was just a peasant or at least that is how we were treated. I'm sure that there is lots of great people there but the impression they left on many around here by the representatives they sent was that people are not equal. I got the vibe that there probably isn't much of a middle class there.
Anyways, there was talk up until last summer about Sochi not having their venues ready & a chance that the previous host would host again? But apparently they just plowed through some villages, banishing the residents from their homes with no retribution or warning & destroyed some wildlife preserves without more than a short environmental assessment to get their hwy in place so it looks like all systems are a go. Apparently the Russian mob makes great contractors & know how to get sh#t done quick! I'm sure they will put on a good show if there isn't a revolt!!
http://nosochi2014.com/news/mgimo-meeting-highlights-russian-worries-about-circassian-campaign-against-sochi-games.php
http://www.outsideonline.com/adventure-travel/europe/russia/The-Zoich-Olympics.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/10414885/Sochi-chaos-behind-the-scenes-of-worlds-most-expensive-Winter-Olympics.html
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Dec 20, 2013 - 06:32pm PT
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Putin's easing up all right. That's a classic Russian military maneuver
before a big attack. And as regards Khodorkovsky that is a classic pick-pocket's
ploy - distract the mark while you pinch his wallet. The same with the
Sochi games. Putin is using that as a juicy lure for the Chechens to bite on.
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Bullwinkle
Boulder climber
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Dec 20, 2013 - 06:48pm PT
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Really? sending over a Champion Tennis Player, one of the Best to ever play the game is a slap in the Face? You've got issues, but we all know that. . .So I guess if the majority of Americans feel that Black people shouldn't vote, it's okay?
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GDavis
Social climber
SOL CAL
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Dec 20, 2013 - 06:53pm PT
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JCVD, Putin and the Last Emperor in one shot?
Too much asskicking clumped together.
Putin on the Ritz...
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GDavis
Social climber
SOL CAL
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Dec 20, 2013 - 06:57pm PT
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Russia's politics are f*#ked up. Let's not pretend they aren't.
Who cares if its 2 lesbians? Or 2 black people or 2 PHD's or 2 babies or 2....
If Obama (which, I understand, no one likes right now) chose someone just to stir the pot, and the pot is stirred by the presence of homosexuals, is Obama really the bad guy here?
Maybe because he drone strikes children. Not because he thinks anti-gay policies are lame.
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Bullwinkle
Boulder climber
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Dec 20, 2013 - 06:58pm PT
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It has EVERYTHING to do with making a Statment, by sending over TWO Gay Champions Obama is saying it doesn't matter what your sexual orientation is. . .But you dont seem to be able to grasp that, or much else. . .Anyway your slur (Lesbos) shows us who you really are, a frightened little man. . .
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rectorsquid
climber
Lake Tahoe
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Dec 20, 2013 - 07:25pm PT
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Do a bit of research before condemning Obama for not going to the Olympics:
WASHINGTON - President Bush is so emphatic about going to the Olympics in China that one might think flying halfway around the globe to attend the games is what presidents do.
But never before has an American leader shown up at an Olympics on foreign soil. And Bush is doing more than just dropping by. He is planning to soak in as much as he can, with large blocs on his Beijing schedule devoted to watching athletes compete.
Maybe the gay delegation is a bit of an insult, but not attending the games is not a meaningful event. Bush was the only one to do it and only that one time. It would be unusual for Obama to attend, and probably a security nightmare for him.
Dave
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GDavis
Social climber
SOL CAL
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Dec 20, 2013 - 07:33pm PT
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Its obama continuing the decline of the USA abroad is what it is really.
Wouldn't this
hurt our foreign image more? just curious.
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crankster
Trad climber
South Lake Tahoe, CA
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Dec 20, 2013 - 07:35pm PT
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Ron, the foreign policy genius. It's a wonder the State Dept. doesn't have a hot line to his house.
The President made the right call regarding he Olympics. He has not attended any others.
And Ron, he has made the US much safer. You're wrong again.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Dec 20, 2013 - 07:36pm PT
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I'm sooo concerned about our nation's image in Butthurtistan.
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GDavis
Social climber
SOL CAL
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Dec 20, 2013 - 08:13pm PT
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How does that differ from Owens and Hitler- not much. But then we ended up going to war with Hitler. Wanna go to war with Putin???
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RyanD
climber
Squamish
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Dec 20, 2013 - 09:45pm PT
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Bruce, I had a few friends who rented their places to the fuzz as well. Pretty sweet deal, I wish I woulda jumped on it but there was no way in hell I could get outta work for the month of feb. let alone during Olympics.
As for athletes village, a friend had the contract to frame them all. They seriously got to screw the pooch & took their sweet ass time, making sure to milk it for all it was worth. Deep pockets surround the Olympics like not many other things in this world.
BTW feb 2010 was some of the greatest times I ever had on Whistler mountain, ski tourists were non existent. La Niña delivered heaps of pow & we had the hill to ourselves the entire time. Creekside was closed but there was an increased bus service (every 4 min) so I spent the month riding the south western aspects to the valley & catching the bus back to the village. We renamed $1,000,000 ridge $2 ridge & got to break a lot of trail into a lot of usually beat down, Aussie pillaged runs. Some great fun I wouldn't have traded for any amount of cash now that I think about it.
The thing that's funny is that Sochi is a summer resort, they might not even have any snow!
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Dec 20, 2013 - 09:50pm PT
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The last olympics was awesome!
My favorite part.
[Click to View YouTube Video]
And then they won 31 medals.
Is that DMT on the left?
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