Should we boycott the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia?

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The Olympics is a world event and I don't think the west should hijack it and only allow it in locations with politics we support. After all the majority of countries have at least some laws western Europe would see as unacceptable. We have enough other ways to show our opposition to these barbaric laws and boycotting the games will do more harm than good. Russia aren't going to care if we disagree with them, the only pressure that will work is going to be economic pressure which they can't just ignore. Many athletes have trained hard to compete in these games and denying them the chance to use all their hard work as well as the opportunity for us to cooperate with other countries seems pointless when the boycott will achieve nothing for homosexuals in Russia.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 61

Apocrypha

Original post by Fullofsurprises

I guess that's the point of my thread - if most people (and it's looking that way) support the line Fry is taking, maybe the government should be more responsive. I think Cameron has had a quick chat with the Ozzie guy who dictates current government policy (someone by the name of Crosby apparently), Ozzie guy has said something like "nah, don't involve yourself Dave, nobody much likes poofs anyway" or words to that effect and - wowza - Conservative policy is announced!

Or, to put it in a more polite and less dismissive way, Cameron raised Coe on the blower - Coe said there isn't a rats chance in hell that the British olympic team will boycott it - they always take a 'non-political' stance - eg, they ignore human rights - and Cameron has done his best with it. Also of course Hague is on Line 2 yelling that the Russians are already upset enough, etc.

First Paragraph, i giggled alot..

OT though, I think if we're looking at it from say, a homosexual GB athletes perspective, they train most of their lives to compete in events such as the Olympics, the location isnt a big thing for them, they just want to win, so long as they arent arrested for being homosexual im sure most of them would want to go to the olympics regardless of LGBT laws as long as they didnt effect them competing.

The reason I get hacked off is when people like Stephen Fry act somewhat as a voice for Team GB and all LGBT people, even though id believe that homosexual athletes would disagree with the boycott.

Reply 62

InnerTemple

Original post by Apocrypha

The reason I get hacked off is when people like Stephen Fry act somewhat as a voice for Team GB and all LGBT people, even though id believe that homosexual athletes would disagree with the boycott.

Fry has already made clear that he is not acting as a voice for all LGBT people. He is merely expressing his opinion as he is entitled to.

Reply 63

2ndClass

Does anyone actually watch the Winter Olympics?

Reply 64

mellie220

No. Didn't do anything in 1980, won't do anything now. I don't see how boycotting an event results in anything unless it cuts off a large economic sum, which boycotting Winter Olympics is not.

I'm quite angry with Stephen Fry, he doesn't recognise the many other people oppressed for their political views... where's the boycott for everyone? Also likening it to 1936 was cheap really, you can't apply Godwin's Law to situtaition in Russia. Many other countries have FAR more oppressive laws, Russia needs it's own internal revolution and a more open attitude which is something they will hopefully get with time, is Stephen Fry forgetting what Britain used to be like not so long ago, and how deeply influenced current Russian opinion is by the Communist era?

I think it's a bit of good old Cold War mongering going on tbh, because anything Russia does which is wrong is highlighted to us... most people aren't clued to what happens in China.. where was Fry's boycott for that, I thought he was intelligent enough to read what's happening in other countries towards LGBT groups outside of the news.

Reply 65

anarchism101

Original post by Drewski

But when that regime reflects the will of the people, what then?

How do we know it's not the other way around - that the people are reflecting the will of the regime? Russia remains a very authoritarian and controlled society. Putin and his supporters control just about every aspect of Russian life. Not to the extent of the old Soviet government, but still far more than anything we'd expect in the West.

Reply 66

Apocrypha

Original post by InnerTemple

Fry has already made clear that he is not acting as a voice for all LGBT people. He is merely expressing his opinion as he is entitled to.

I understand but the whole media coverage on the situation makes it seem so.

Many can express their opinion, but few get it expressed in all the newspapers and national news.

Reply 67

Apocrypha

Original post by 2ndClass

Does anyone actually watch the Winter Olympics?

Hmm, the only people I know are Canadians.. xD Its the only olympics they do well at! Haha

Reply 68

TheBrightShadow

too much money is to be lost from sponsors and companies by boycotting, more so than ever before. all the big companies have direct voices to country leaders, that may be corrupt but thats how the 'developed' world works. if it was a random event then im pretty sure people wouldnt mind boycotting the event.

Reply 69

Bulbasaur

Original post by yaboy

So why is there not an option for Yes - Putin is doing the right thing...

Because that's a retarded view that shouldn't be held by anyone :rolleyes:

Reply 70

shadowdweller

Volunteer Section Leader

Original post by yaboy

So why is there not an option for Yes - Putin is doing the right thing...

Gee, I wonder why not... :rolleyes:

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Reply 71

Arkasia

Yes, after the whole debacle with Snowden, the best thing a western country can do right now is piss Russia off even more.

Reply 72

yaboy

Original post by Bulbasaur

Because that's a retarded view that shouldn't be held by anyone :rolleyes:

No what is retarded is assuming that no one holds those views

Reply 73

shadowdweller

Volunteer Section Leader

Original post by yaboy

No what is retarded is assuming that no one holds those views

In fairness, they said no-one should hold those views, not that no-one does

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Reply 74

InnerTemple

Original post by mellie220

I'm quite angry with Stephen Fry, he doesn't recognise the many other people oppressed for their political views... where's the boycott for everyone? Also likening it to 1936 was cheap really, you can't apply Godwin's Law to situtaition in Russia. Many other countries have FAR more oppressive laws, Russia needs it's own internal revolution and a more open attitude which is something they will hopefully get with time, is Stephen Fry forgetting what Britain used to be like not so long ago, and how deeply influenced current Russian opinion is by the Communist era?

Do you not think that Fry has a point in that, while Putin is no Hitler, the Hitler we know now was not seen as such until after the war broke out?

Hitler had quite a fan club - even in Britain. Despite the man doing some questionable things (land grabs for example), we just let it slide. Despite the fact that there were concerns as to what Hitler may do way before 1939, we just turned a blind eye.

To compare Putin to Hitler as we know him is, perhaps, a step too far. But to compare Putin, the man on a path to despotism with Hitler at the start of his career is a fair point. Both are men who are doing bad things who are getting approval (whether direct or indirect) from other states who have the potential to cause a lot of harm.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 75

Bulbasaur

Original post by Melthusa

So my options are:

Supporting Vladmir Putin, a person who has demonised and victimised his own people, pushing them into poverty
or
Supporting David Cameron, a person who has demonised and victimised his own people, pushing them into poverty

Well that's just great.

I wouldn't really say that's fair to say about David Cameron. Wouldn't be much different under a Labour government. I'm no fan of Cameron either. Besides, to compare poverty in Russia to the UK is ludicrous.

Reply 76

TimmonaPortella

Original post by MatureStudent36

Not especially when there's still an aawful lot of tensions between east and west. I'd much rather the gay community in Russia deal with this themselves.

Sigh.

People living under brutal dictatorships should 'deal with it themselves'. Russia's gay community should 'deal with it themselves'.

Comments like these are ridiculous. If you mean 'we should leave them to their suffering and oppression' it would be more honest of you to say it.

I am pro boycott.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 77

Welsh_insomniac

Original post by TimmonaPortella

So if we start boycotting this, then where will the Olympics ever be held at? Will it only be restricted to 10 countries within Western Europe and the Anglosphere? You'll be cutting out over 90% of countries for potentially hosting the Olympics.

Reply 78

MatureStudent36

Original post by TimmonaPortella

Firstly, Russia is not a dictatorship. Secondly, Russia does have a tendency to tell other nations that tell them what to do to **** off. Thirdly, and this is the most important point, people need to free themselves first, not rely on others to dictate.

I don't agree with Russia's anto gay laws, but I'm not russian. If this is such a big deal why aren't we seeing stonewall and Steven fry taking their battle to Nigeria or every Muslim nation?

Reply 79

anarchism101

Somewhere on another site I saw a pretty good idea which I think would be a lot better than a boycott: give one of the British LGBT athletes a rainbow flag to carry in the opening ceremony.