Most everyone has been comparing the situation around the Olympic Games in Sochi with Berlin, 1936. That's not an inapt comparison, and gods know the IOC is diving headlong into complicity with yet another repressive, authoritarian regime, even claiming that the IOC charter forbids a Pride House, in spite of both Vancouver and London.
The more apt comparison, in my mind, is Munich, 1972. No, there won't be slaughter of a national team, but the skin-heads and ultra-right wing groups in Russia have been given free rein for torturing and killing gays while the police stand there and watch. Why should anyone expect that to stop? Putin will probably even provide transportation to Sochi for them.
Say Johnny Weir is beaten and killed by a group of thugs. The Russians will stage an investigation and turn up no suspects, even though someone will undoubtedly be bragging about it on Facebook or whatever the Russian version is, the IOC will deplore the incident, the U.S. government will protest -- not very strongly -- and the games will continue.
What it's going to take is major sponsors of the Games (and of NBC) to pull out. That's what the IOC understands. It is, after all, just another corporation with a bottom line. Either that, or we find a way to hire Mossad as a security detail.
Side note: Someone in a comment thread suggested picketing the homes and businesses of the members of the IOC. If nothing else, we can embarrass the hell out of them. You can find the members list here. And here's a list of their top sponsors.
The more apt comparison, in my mind, is Munich, 1972. No, there won't be slaughter of a national team, but the skin-heads and ultra-right wing groups in Russia have been given free rein for torturing and killing gays while the police stand there and watch. Why should anyone expect that to stop? Putin will probably even provide transportation to Sochi for them.
Say Johnny Weir is beaten and killed by a group of thugs. The Russians will stage an investigation and turn up no suspects, even though someone will undoubtedly be bragging about it on Facebook or whatever the Russian version is, the IOC will deplore the incident, the U.S. government will protest -- not very strongly -- and the games will continue.
What it's going to take is major sponsors of the Games (and of NBC) to pull out. That's what the IOC understands. It is, after all, just another corporation with a bottom line. Either that, or we find a way to hire Mossad as a security detail.
Side note: Someone in a comment thread suggested picketing the homes and businesses of the members of the IOC. If nothing else, we can embarrass the hell out of them. You can find the members list here. And here's a list of their top sponsors.
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