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Sochi Winter Olympics - Relative Human/Gay Rights Abuses Obsession

I wanted to start a thread to just ask why there has been such a media ****storm about the Sochi Winter Olympics, and why such a negative limelight has been put on the event to the extent that it has dampened the entire mood of the games, which is a wonderful exhibition of sporting talent when it occurs every 4 years.

There has been an almost hysterical response to the games taking place in Russia almost exclusively from those left of centre with regards to perceived human rights abuses (Pussy Riot etc.) , supposed anti-gay government stance and environmental issues of various forms.

Although many of these accusations may have significant validity my particular grievance is that it is highly peculiar, outrageously ignorant and hypocritical that a similar reaction of even close to this magnitude was not experienced with regards to the Beijing Summer Olympics of 2008.

The Chinese Government is an authoritarian dictatorship which has peddled up immense human rights abuses since its decision to rule the country with no mandate from 1949 - the country even had state run concentration camps 'labour camps' up until this year for goodness sake and opposed all of what they called 'homosexual propaganda' and still does with gay couples losing out on significant equality to heterosexual couples with heavy institutionalised discrimination. The country is an absolute basket case in terms of human rights, not to even get started on its environmental destructive path (look at the smog in major Chinese cities for example) which it is allowed to get away with by calling itself a 'developing' countries despite having a space programme and almost ready to become the largest economy in the world.

Yet where were the mass protests? Where was the media ****storm? Where were the left wing activists complaining? There was only minimal concern shown at all, and I think it shows a certain agenda amongst groups in Western society that they would turn a blind eye to certain malpractice as long as it suits their particular agenda.

Anyone else have any thoughts on this strange double standard?

My personal view is that there are clearly severe ethical issues to deal with in Russia but not even close to the scale of China's horrendous abuse of human rights and this needs to be reflected in the narrative portrayed in the media.