Paris Mayor Says Russian, Belarusian Athletes 'Not Welcome' At Olympics
Paris Mayor Says Russian, Belarusian Athletes 'Not Welcome' At Olympics
Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo said on Saturday Russian and Belarusian athletes "were not welcome" at the Olympics being staged in the French capital this year.
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But Russians are still able to compete under neutral flag, same as last year.
This lets them feel like victims but also take credit for any medals Russian athletes win. I honestly don't understand why the Olympics insist on having Russians competing when they cheated systematically even before they started murdering Ukrainians.
The competition between USA, Russia, and China is what gets people to tune in, really. With anyone of those countries not participating, viewership tanks, is my guess.
There's also the whole thing about eschewing politics. Traditionally wars were paused for the Olympics, but I'm pretty sure that's irrelevant today, especially when the US led a boycott of the Moscow Olympics in 1980 and then Russia boycotted the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984. It's really about viewership.
Oh and the IOC is notoriously corrupt. If Russia pays to participate, the IOC will find every which way to let them, no matter how badly they cheat and genocide, same with the US and China.
Is it?
I'm in the UK, and I don't think the British (or any other European country) particularly gives a fuck about how any of those countries do. Ask most people in the UK who America's best gymnast was and most couldn't tell you.
What people want to see is the best, which to do so needs involvement from the largest countries (the three named). If any of these countries is banned from these sports, chances are that any funding for them is killed pretty quickly, and suddenly those great athletes aren't world-beaters any more.
Like I said, it's about viewership, and the UK brings very little of that compared to the US, Russia, and China.
If you really cared to see the best, you'd know who Simone Biles is. Everyone tunes in to see their guys win.
If we want to exclude athletes from international competition just because the ruling class in the country they happen to have been born in undertakes military action, that's fine. We just have to be consistent about it. I'd like to see athletes from the US, Isreal, UK, France, Canada, and many other countries treated the same way the west is currently treating Russian and Belorussian athletes.
Holy shit dude... even Israel is defending itself (although without caring for civilians), not attacking. Are you seriously comparing Russia to Israel or even countries more or less allied with Israel? How delusional are you?
Besides that: all pollings show that the average Russian is pro-war. Its not 'the ruling class'.
Israel is attacking, it isn't the children Israel slaughters wholesale that are dangerous.
Hamas attacked Israel, Israel is defending itself against it, by invading Palestine. I don't think that they are doing the right thing there and Netanjahu needs to be stopped, but initially they actually had a casus belli, which is a lot more reasonable than what Russia had.
Hamas attacked on oct 7th because Israel has been commiting genocide against Palestinians for decades prior.
Israel has no casus belli.
They can but they are not welcome... Regardless their opinion or what.
You can come but we spit on you.
I would like see France coherent in its geopolitical positions regarding this kind of speech... But...
We have a story as country..
I'm okay with individuals from offending countries competing, as long as they denounce the state by separating from its governing body, and choose to train outside of their confines.
Let an Israeli or Russian compete, but only if they move away from their country and disassociate, opting to relocate and represent another country where possible - and we'll see the best possible outcome of banning war-hungry nations.
So which countries be allowed? Presumably not the USA. Or the UK, France, etc.
The countries forced to fly under the Olympic flag? Last time I checked, the IOC hadn't forced this...
So what's your answer?
Russian and Belarus, obviously. They're the ones that were banned by the IOC.
What answer were you expecting? If you want to ban any country that's been in a war, you'd basically be watching San Marino compete against Lichtenstein...
Yes. that's the point. I'm asking how you're excusing your double standard.