2014 US Sochi Delegation - A genius move or a blunder? How about both?

If you're going to disrespect a nation by sending a representative for the sole purpose of showing your disagreement with that country's policy, you would think you would be decent enough to send another representative that will show your respect for that country despite their beliefs, like the VP or First Lady. It's basic common decency.

What is the administration going to do about The World Cup in Qatar

In order to build their World Cup stadia on time, they are

- Actively indulging in human trafficking

- Employing slave labor, by confiscating the passports of foreign construction workers, and charging them extortionate amounts just to be allowed to work

- Routinely denying workers water in 120 degree weather

- Detaining and or deporting workers that complain about conditions

- Refusing to improve worker safety despite the death, on average, of more than one worker a day

By comparison, the building of a stadium in Brazil was stopped following the death of one worker. The remaining workers went on strike over working conditions.

Qatar

- imprisons journalists who disobey censorship laws

- sentenced a poet to life imprisonment for allegedly criticizing the government (he was released after a year)

- refused to let a French soccer player to leave the country for trying to claim over two-and-a-half years of unpaid wages

- refusing to criminalize domestic violence

- sentenced an American to five years in prison and 90 lashes for homosexual behaviour. Homosexual behavior still carries a mandatory 3 to 5 year prison sentence.

Sorry about the grammar.

On today's front page,

http://www.letsrun.com/archive/2013/12/19/

there are two articles from two big American columnists and they have two very different opinions about the US's delegation to Sochi. One says the delegation is insulting to Putin and the IOC and the other says it's a genius move to include a lesbian on the squad.

Who is right? I think they are both correct.

It's genius to include King front the gay rights angle but idiotic and disrespectful to not to send a high level official. Obama clearly didn't think this through all the way.

The proper play would have been to do both. Include Billie Jean King and a VP or first lady like Michelle.

It's provocative but to what point?

Doesn't change the Olympics at all because delegates don't do anything but maybe sit in the seats provided them.

It's insulting. That's about it. So why do this if it doesn't change anything?

I think its another Obama fail and I hate politicizing sport.

And weren't there any gay winter Olympic athletes from the US that would have been more relevant to send? I could think of a few, mostly figure skaters, but I digress...

'Mr. President, you are a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. You know full well the Olympics are a time when nations are supposed to give politics a rest, if only briefly.'

Please. Anyone who has heard of the 1936 Olympics should know full well that politics never rest with international athletics.

The modern Olympics have always been political and pretending they are not is at best silly and at worst an acceptance of the worst forms of thuggery. The President has not imposed an athletic boycott, he is merely using his office in its symbolic functions. Namely, to condemn an oligarchic regime with a long history of human rights violations.

The German President has publicly stated that he is boycotting the Sochi Olympics. Obama not sending any highest level representatives is not unprecedented, and certainly not an accident or blunder.

If sports is about sports, then what's the problem with not sending certain political figures. However, if sports is also about politics, then it is also right to make a political statement.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/08/german-president-boycotts-sochi-winter-olympics

He probably told the Russians, "Fine, we'll send someone better if you send us Edward Snowden. Do we have a deal?"

And I guess they couldn't send Johnny Weir. He'd be breaking that "no homo promotion" law every time he opened his mouth or moved his hands.

The Olympics are supposed to be about the individual athlete not the politics of the nations. If someone makes the US team and wants to boycott Sochi by declining to go and letting someone take their place, fine, let them (probably never happen). But neither the US our any other country should push the athletes aside and make the Olympics a stage for them to "make a statement." May seem fun to do it with Putin ("stick it to him"), but instead of solving anything, it just escalates the Olympic politics. The politically-driven Olympic boycotts of 1976/80/84 were a significant factor (followed by PEDs) in the decline in the popularity of track & field.

Not a Coach wrote:

What is the administration going to do about The World Cup in Qatar

The entire football/soccer world knows this scheme with FIFA/Qatar is a joke.

Honestly they should proceed with attacking the event, because most likely US/Canada would be the replacement since the infrastructure is already here. It would bring in money and would not require new construction. Hold the final at Jerry World, etc.

Genius move, did anyone hear or see anything about Putin's press conference today; the man and his nation is at an all time low.

There is a very good chance that Putin will embarrass Obama by refusing this delegations entry to Russia. Ironically, they could get stuck in the same airport transit center that was the home of Edward Snowden for a few weeks.

sub3over40 wrote:

There is a very good chance that Putin will embarrass Obama by refusing this delegations entry to Russia. Ironically, they could get stuck in the same airport transit center that was the home of Edward Snowden for a few weeks.

Let them in and then arrest them for violating the Russian Gay Propaganda Law.

Look around, our country is at a all time low. A record number of people renounced their citizenship this year.

Wørd wrote:

Yes, I'll never forget all those times Obama spent time playing golf at his Texas ranch when he should have been in the White House.

“I call upon all nations to do everything they can to stop these terrorist killers. Thank you. Now watch this drive.”

In June, Obama played his 100th round of Golf as president. Bush played 24 rounds of golf in 8 years. - ABC News, June 2012

"I think playing golf during a war just sends the wrong signal," Bush said. "I don’t want some mom whose son may have recently died to see the commander-in-chief playing golf." - Politico, May 2008

Also of note, while Obama has played Golf more than any president in the last few decades, Woodrow Wilson played over 1,200 rounds of golf.