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Move the 2014 Winter Olympics Away from Sochi, Russia |
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As the Georgia/Russia Crisis continues, the West is finding itself impotent to do anything meaningful to stop the conflict. It is obvious that the West will not intervene militarily and with oil as the major source of its wealth, economic sanctions against Russia would not work. But there is a way to respond to this conflict that is low cost and will hit Russia in a way that will harm their prestige — take the 2014 Winter Olympics away from Russia and award them to another city. We are still six years away from those games so it should not be too hard for another city to prepare, especially if they are moved to a city that has hosted the Olympics in the past, such as Salt Lake City or Nagano, Japan.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is not known as an agency willing to take a strong stand on anything to do with politics or morality, but there is an argument to be made that could give them cover — the security of the athletes and the spectators of the Games. You can see from the map below that Sochi is right near the border of the Abkhazia region of Georgia, one of the areas in which Russian troops have been sent in and where there has been fighting between the two countries.
If there were any brave members of the IOC, or thoughtful leaders of the industrialized countries, they could already be raising this possibility. And if they want to protect themselves from the politics of it, they could simply explain that they are worried about the security of the Games. And there is no sign that the region will get less stable in the years to come. Sochi, for example, was once actually part of Abkhazia, until Stalin reassigned it to Russia, and could conceivably be wrapped into the crisis of nationalities that is taking place between Russia and Georgia.
I woudl hope that the IOC has learned from its China experience that despite any promises made by a host country, there is no guarantee that conflict and oppression will cease well before an Olympic Games. If they really did care about the impact that their games have, they would seriously consider changing the fate of the Sochi Games.
Sochi, Russia is on the border of Abkhazia, Georgia and near all the regions of the current conflict
Another Ian criticized this idea here.
I was against boycotting the Olympics. Moving it away wouldn’t bother me. Fits the level of the crime, imo. Though my outrage level against Russia for this particular event really isn’t all that high to begin with. Still, makes more sense to me than, oh, kicking them out of the G8, or refusing to let them talk with NATO (thus making wars more likely, not less.)
I do doubt there’d actually be much danger. Another war won’t break out during the Olympics and the Russians will have the place locked down hard, I’m sure. But then, no one is supposed to believe the cover story anyway, that would defeat the point
I agree that kicking Russia out of the G8 — and frankly putting a missile defense system in Eastern Europe, are overreactions and in the end may exacerbate the divide betwene Russia and the West. But there is no reason why the IC must keep the Games in Sochi. You say that there wouldn’t be much danger per se, though that is speculation, but we have no idea what the region will be like six years from now.
And if we consider all of the actions the Chinese authorities have taken in suppressing dissenters and others (see Ruth Calvo’s post on this site for example), and the record of the current powers in Russia when it comes to stifling dissenters, moving the Games as soon as possible seems reasonable. I certainly wish the IC had not awarded the Games to beijing considering the consequences.
Sorry didn’t mean to misrepresent your position. I guess my quick skimming of both pieces missed the distinction between boycotting and moving the Olympics.
Has an Olympics ever been moved before?
No, please dont write such articles. Olympics is supposed to be universal and it involves all nations on the face of earth, regardless of any political system or any conflicts.
All nations are invited to Olympics, regardless of political turmoil they may have, so why should the host be subjected to some political measurement?
If you guys keep promoting this idea, trust me, this will create much rift and enmity from wide segment of Russian people, not to mention other nationalities who are uncomfortable with this politization of Olympics, and not to mention, dont you become too confident yourselves too, London is hosting in 2012, the UK may be committing some “sins” that render it vulnerable as well. So stop toying with this idea.
If you want to punish anyone, it should be Georgia, they were the ones who timed it just at Olympics Opening.
But no, just leave Olympics aside ok?
So where was your mouth when NATO was ignoring Serbian territorial integrity? Where was your mouth when they were bombing Serbia? Where was your mouth when they illegally, against their own signed and agreed to UN Resolution 1244, recognized Kosovo?
Hypocrites, any of you who complain when Russia tries to prevent murder and genocide and you support Georgia invading S. Ossetia which wants to be independent and going in purposely to kill everyone.
Georgia started this whole rotten stink, just take a hard look at its supporters these are the same guys who went to war with a whole pack of lies. Hypocrites!!!
LEAVE THE OLYMPICS ALONE.
Putin’s dream won’t come true…russia will not be powerful anymore, because people are fucking cheap…and putin got them by the balls…freedomless nation that alway has to have someone to tell them how to live…what a animal-like people…
Well ur FUCKING STUPID. In any Western nation they say, 60% win in elections is a landslide, what about 80%? Furthermore, your not Russian, so what can you say about Putin? If you lived there or knew people who did, you wouldn’t believe the positive change he brought about. Just think before you make racist comments. What also worries me is that everyone blames Russia for atrocities, and yes some have occured, but there is a double standard, just look at the US. Who armed the afghanistan militants the US? Who invaded Iraq, for WMD’s aka oil? the US, who failed take serious action against the true Saudi origins of the terrorists of 9/11 the US? Who has the secret prisons? the US, and also what about Abu Graib. So one must be careful in too quickly criticising the Russians. In fact if we consider boycotting Sochi, why not boycott any future American games, both winter and summer, because of the above mentioned points. Though, my belief still remains like many have outlined, the games should not be influenced by ploitics.
I have another issue, and there is a lot of Russian hositlility because of the Georgian incident. I am not surprised as all the western media reports is what happened to the Georgians? Did they report what happened to the Ossetians, answer is no. Well let me tell you, it was utter genocide. 9 or 8 towns were just completely flattened, and many people were on purposely sniper fired upon and killed. Russia also remained, as they are continuously blowing up NATO supplied weapons dumps of the Goergian army, and providing policing security, were Georgian authorities left?
i think u play or u r not into the theme. usa bombed innocent ppl in south ossetia, (cuz usa was a sponsor of that war 4 georgia). and just usa with georgia have started this conflict. and russia helped to ppl who live in ossetia, russians rescued those ppl from genocide, cuz the genocide of ossetians was a plan of usa. and after that all u want to harm the prestige of russia? i hate u if u do and god would be agree with me