//http://www.stephenfry.com/2013/08/07/an-open-letter-to-david-cameron-and-the-ioc/
Excellent read.
An excellent read, but I fear nothing at all will actually be done.
I was about to post this myself. Damn good letter from Fry. Hopefully other prominent people here and in other countries will take up this call. It needs to happen or the issue will most likely be swept under the carpet.
Interesting, but not going to achieve anything.
Though, didn't realize he is Jewish. Interesting to know.
If I didn't ignore the Olympics anyway, this would've been a good reason to boycot it. It really does need to not happen.
But of course, we all know where the money is pointing.
Meh, I love the Olympics either way. I'm certainly not going to boycott them, but I am annoyed that the people in power would not use the Olympics as the political tool it was meant to be.
Yeah, remember 1980, when we boycotted the Olympics because The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. Then, we invaded Afghanistan.
I read a huffblog recently making the same comparison as Mr Fry did. In this regard the more the merrier. This is turning out to become the major human rights issue of this century.
And now for our quick update for what's out and what's in for 2014
Out: godless commies
In: orthodox gaybashing ruskies
Quote from: "Shiranu"Interesting, but not going to achieve anything.
Your apathetic attitude is an inspiration!
At least Mr Fry is doing something.
Quote from: "Jason78"Quote from: "Shiranu"Interesting, but not going to achieve anything.
Your apathetic attitude is an inspiration!
At least Mr Fry is doing something.
The IOC doesn't give a shit what normal people think, what they care about is the $$$.
People like Mr. Fry SHOULD do something because his, and other celebrities, words actually have some weight.
Quote from: "Shiranu"Quote from: "Jason78"Quote from: "Shiranu"Interesting, but not going to achieve anything.
Your apathetic attitude is an inspiration!
At least Mr Fry is doing something.
The IOC doesn't give a shit what normal people think, what they care about is the $$$.
People like Mr. Fry SHOULD do something because his, and other celebrities, words actually have some weight.
Not, probably, with the IOC, but they probably do with the thinking part of the public.
But it's not as if the public can boycott the IOC, or choose to take their business to a different Olympic committee.
Quote from: "Colanth"An excellent read, but I fear nothing at all will actually be done.
Especially as the Russian authorities have said that they won't be enforcing the law during the olympics, so the people who stand to make mega $$$ will likely insist that there is no longer a human rights issue.
QuoteBut it's not as if the public can boycott the IOC, or choose to take their business to a different Olympic committee.
They could collectively just not watch it.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-23639593 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-23639593)
QuoteObama opposes Sochi Russian Winter Olympics boycott
10 August 2013 Last updated at 00:44 BST
US President Barack Obama has said he would not consider it "appropriate" to boycott Russia's Winter Olympics next year.
This comes despite calls by gay rights activists to shun the Sochi games because of a recently passed Russian law banning "homosexual propaganda".
Speaking at a White House news conference, Mr Obama said the absence of gay or lesbian athletes would probably weaken the Russian team.
Cameron has said much the same thing here. The media are only telling a partial story of what is happening in Russia too. What a surprise! :roll:
QuoteSpeaking at a White House news conference, Mr Obama said the absence of gay or lesbian athletes would probably weaken the Russian team.
Because winning a match is more important than human rights' issues, I guess.
Quote from: "SilentFutility"//http://www.stephenfry.com/2013/08/07/an-open-letter-to-david-cameron-and-the-ioc/
Excellent read.
Really well done. Thanks for sharing that.
Quote from: "Youssuf Ramadan"http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-23639593
QuoteObama opposes Sochi Russian Winter Olympics boycott
10 August 2013 Last updated at 00:44 BST
US President Barack Obama has said he would not consider it "appropriate" to boycott Russia's Winter Olympics next year.
This comes despite calls by gay rights activists to shun the Sochi games because of a recently passed Russian law banning "homosexual propaganda".
Speaking at a White House news conference, Mr Obama said the absence of gay or lesbian athletes would probably weaken the Russian team.
Cameron has said much the same thing here. The media are only telling a partial story of what is happening in Russia too. What a surprise! :roll:
I agree with Obama not supporting a gov't boycott because, unlike most other civilized countries, we make our Olympic athletes pay for all their training and facility. Obama has no right to say what they can or cant do.
Rawr rawr, America, America... except we refuse to support the athletes we put all our nationalism on...
Quote from: "Youssuf Ramadan"http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-23639593
QuoteObama opposes Sochi Russian Winter Olympics boycott
10 August 2013 Last updated at 00:44 BST
US President Barack Obama has said he would not consider it "appropriate" to boycott Russia's Winter Olympics next year.
This comes despite calls by gay rights activists to shun the Sochi games because of a recently passed Russian law banning "homosexual propaganda".
Speaking at a White House news conference, Mr Obama said the absence of gay or lesbian athletes would probably weaken the Russian team.
Cameron has said much the same thing here. The media are only telling a partial story of what is happening in Russia too. What a surprise! :roll:
Considering what both Russia and the USSR have done in the past, I doubt that they'd keep a winning athlete out of the Olympics merely because he or she was gay. Since "gayness" can't be seen or tested for, they'd just ignore the problem.
Quote from: "Shiranu"Quote from: "Youssuf Ramadan"http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-23639593
QuoteObama opposes Sochi Russian Winter Olympics boycott
10 August 2013 Last updated at 00:44 BST
US President Barack Obama has said he would not consider it "appropriate" to boycott Russia's Winter Olympics next year.
This comes despite calls by gay rights activists to shun the Sochi games because of a recently passed Russian law banning "homosexual propaganda".
Speaking at a White House news conference, Mr Obama said the absence of gay or lesbian athletes would probably weaken the Russian team.
Cameron has said much the same thing here. The media are only telling a partial story of what is happening in Russia too. What a surprise! :roll:
I agree with Obama not supporting a gov't boycott because, unlike most other civilized countries, we make our Olympic athletes pay for all their training and facility. Obama has no right to say what they can or cant do.
Rawr rawr, America, America... except we refuse to support the athletes we put all our nationalism on...
I don't.
I mean, I feel sorry that the athletes had to spend their time and money for the sport, but I'm more concerned about what kind of message we send if we go there. "Hey guys, as long as it doesn't effect us we don't really care. Carry on with your barbaric laws!" as opposed to how much of an embarrassment it would be if every sane country just walked out of the mess. If the IOC continues to act like it's a non-issue and suggest that they're about "sports, not politics" then they can fuck off - that's the same kind of shit they pulled out of their ass at the Berlin 1936 Olympics.
i have foreboding feeling that it's gonna go just dandy... then i get to read from a certain liberal paper about how gays were killed.
sigh, live next to these fuckers and my distant roots are russian. i'm glad my family had the sense to leave long ago :D
Quote from: "The Skeletal Atheist"I mean, I feel sorry that the athletes had to spend their time and money for the sport, but I'm more concerned about what kind of message we send if we go there. "Hey guys, as long as it doesn't effect us we don't really care. Carry on with your barbaric laws!"
Sadly, for all their insistence that it isn't, this seems to be the general attitude of most political parties in the US and the UK.
The IOC keeps denying it like it will go away, but Russia keeps saying that its anti-gay law WILL be enforced at the Olympics:
http://en.ria.ru/russia/20130812/182723 ... mpics.html (http://en.ria.ru/russia/20130812/182723811/Russia-Confirms-Anti-Gay-Law-Will-Be-Enforced-at-Olympics.html)