http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10...2107461956

Quote:Dmitry Kozak, the deputy prime minister responsible for the Olympic preparations, reflected the view held among many Russian officials that some Western visitors are deliberately trying to sabotage Sochi's big debut out of bias against Russia. "We have surveillance video from the hotels that shows people turn on the shower, direct the nozzle at the wall and then leave the room for the whole day," he said. An aide then pulled a reporter away before Mr. Kozak could be questioned further on surveillance in hotel rooms. "We're doing a tour of the media center," the aide said.

You can't make this stuff up.

Quote:SOCHI, Russia—Rooms without doorknobs, locks or heat, dysfunctional toilets, surprise early-morning fire alarms and a Welcome Wagon of stray dogs: These are the initial images of the 2014 Winter Olympics that foreign journalists have blasted around the world from their officially assigned hotels—and the wave of criticism has rankled Russian officials.

This must have been the flexibility Obama offered Putin after the election. I suspect the US government built Sochi... no way any other country could be as dysfunctional as ours.

Despite the end of their communist rule and ending to the harsh Cold War, Russia never embraced the West like their Baltic and Eastern European satellites did. A smell of (mostly corrupt) authoritarianism lingers in Moscow and there's still some hurt egos from 20 years ago. In many ways, it's still like the Iron Curtain but without so much saber rattling and arms racing.

(02-06-2014 01:15 PM)Motown Bronco Wrote:  Despite the end of their communist rule and ending to the harsh Cold War, Russia never embraced the West like their Baltic and Eastern European satellites did. A smell of (mostly corrupt) authoritarianism lingers in Moscow and there's still some hurt egos from 20 years ago. In many ways, it's still like the Iron Curtain but without so much saber rattling and arms racing.

Add in a huge alcohol problem and a growing heroine epidemic, and I'm not too concerned about competing against Russia economically or militarily.

(02-06-2014 12:59 PM)Hitch Wrote:  http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10...2107461956

Quote:Dmitry Kozak, the deputy prime minister responsible for the Olympic preparations, reflected the view held among many Russian officials that some Western visitors are deliberately trying to sabotage Sochi's big debut out of bias against Russia. "We have surveillance video from the hotels that shows people turn on the shower, direct the nozzle at the wall and then leave the room for the whole day," he said. An aide then pulled a reporter away before Mr. Kozak could be questioned further on surveillance in hotel rooms. "We're doing a tour of the media center," the aide said.

You can't make this stuff up.

LOL, the Russian version of the NSA.

I have to laugh.. cause this entire thing is becoming a disaster for Russia:

Even though it's affecting journalists, who normally I'd just laugh at. IN this case, I can't. They're being non-political about it, so I'll be nice to them and have some sympathy.

My favorite was;

Quote: My hotel has no water. If restored, the front desk says, "do not use on your face because it contains something very dangerous." #Sochi2014

— Stacy St. Clair (@StacyStClair) February 4, 2014

Russia is like Detroit - they spent billions and got nothing out of it and it will take billions more to fix it, and in the end, if you asked them, they'd do it all over again.

Actually this could have dire consequences.

The destabilization of Russia could actually cause eastern europe to fragment into a bunch of little countries with nukes.

Look at what happened when Bush destabilized the middle east.

(02-06-2014 02:12 PM)Fitbud Wrote:  Actually this could have dire consequences.

The destabilization of Russia could actually cause eastern europe to fragment into a bunch of little countries with nukes.

Look at what happened when Bush destabilized the middle east.

Huh?

(02-06-2014 02:12 PM)Fitbud Wrote:  Actually this could have dire consequences.

The destabilization of Russia could actually cause eastern europe to fragment into a bunch of little countries with nukes.

Look at what happened when Bush destabilized the middle east.

I have my doubts. The middle east would have had to be stabilized before Bush if you want to claim that he destabilized it. Is it worse off? Sure, but it was never really great to start with.

I personally am not too interested in the privacy rights of Russians, or people who go to Russia.

Interference is almost always the wrong answer. Besides, Russia has historically performed better when under a tight lid.

(02-06-2014 12:59 PM)Hitch Wrote:  http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10...2107461956

Quote:Dmitry Kozak, the deputy prime minister responsible for the Olympic preparations, reflected the view held among many Russian officials that some Western visitors are deliberately trying to sabotage Sochi's big debut out of bias against Russia. "We have surveillance video from the hotels that shows people turn on the shower, direct the nozzle at the wall and then leave the room for the whole day," he said. An aide then pulled a reporter away before Mr. Kozak could be questioned further on surveillance in hotel rooms. "We're doing a tour of the media center," the aide said.

You can't make this stuff up.

I guess Edward Snowden, hero to Russia, will be right on the 'violation of privacy' case right away.

LOL.

You'd think that while stealing/spending 50 billion bucks on the games, Russia might actually have attempted to actually build a decent Olympic Venue.

These games should have been pulled, due to the obvious violation by Russia of the Olympic Charter, as well as the corruption, the homophobia, the racism, and the despotism of the Russian state.

These games are a fiasco and will be a fiasco. The IOC and Russia will just end up with tons of bad PR from the games.

Sochi = Putinkin Village.

(02-06-2014 02:43 PM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  

(02-06-2014 12:59 PM)Hitch Wrote:  http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10...2107461956

Quote:Dmitry Kozak, the deputy prime minister responsible for the Olympic preparations, reflected the view held among many Russian officials that some Western visitors are deliberately trying to sabotage Sochi's big debut out of bias against Russia. "We have surveillance video from the hotels that shows people turn on the shower, direct the nozzle at the wall and then leave the room for the whole day," he said. An aide then pulled a reporter away before Mr. Kozak could be questioned further on surveillance in hotel rooms. "We're doing a tour of the media center," the aide said.

You can't make this stuff up.

I guess Edward Snowden, hero to Russia, will be right on the 'violation of privacy' case right away.

LOL.

You'd think that while stealing/spending 50 billion bucks on the games, Russia might actually have attempted to actually build a decent Olympic Venue.

These games should have been pulled, due to the obvious violation by Russia of the Olympic Charter, as well as the corruption, the homophobia, the racism, and the despotism of the Russian state.

These games are a fiasco and will be a fiasco. The IOC and Russia will just end up with tons of bad PR from the games.

Sochi = Putinkin Village.

Don't worry, Tom. NBC is televising the games and Bob Costas has already said he plans to discuss Russia's social issues. What Russia's social issues have to do with athletic competition is beyond me, but discuss them he will. He's going to humiliate Russia and embarrass NBC/USA.

"The treasure of virtue" has poisoned our future and this is a great example of it.

(02-06-2014 02:47 PM)smn1256 Wrote:  

(02-06-2014 02:43 PM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  

(02-06-2014 12:59 PM)Hitch Wrote:  http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10...2107461956

Quote:Dmitry Kozak, the deputy prime minister responsible for the Olympic preparations, reflected the view held among many Russian officials that some Western visitors are deliberately trying to sabotage Sochi's big debut out of bias against Russia. "We have surveillance video from the hotels that shows people turn on the shower, direct the nozzle at the wall and then leave the room for the whole day," he said. An aide then pulled a reporter away before Mr. Kozak could be questioned further on surveillance in hotel rooms. "We're doing a tour of the media center," the aide said.

You can't make this stuff up.

I guess Edward Snowden, hero to Russia, will be right on the 'violation of privacy' case right away.

LOL.

You'd think that while stealing/spending 50 billion bucks on the games, Russia might actually have attempted to actually build a decent Olympic Venue.

These games should have been pulled, due to the obvious violation by Russia of the Olympic Charter, as well as the corruption, the homophobia, the racism, and the despotism of the Russian state.

These games are a fiasco and will be a fiasco. The IOC and Russia will just end up with tons of bad PR from the games.

Sochi = Putinkin Village.

Don't worry, Tom. NBC is televising the games and Bob Costas has already said he plans to discuss Russia's social issues. What Russia's social issues have to do with athletic competition is beyond me, but discuss them he will. He's going to humiliate Russia and embarrass NBC/USA.

These issues are relevant. The Olympians didn't ask to go be a 'guest' (subject) of Russia and its hideous laws. They earned the right to compete in the Olympics. They shouldn't have to hide who they are, or give up their rights of speech, petition, protest, press, association, expression, or due process to compete.

The IOC licensed this friggin' fiasco. Its time they learned that there is a cost to ignoring human rights and corruption when awarding hosting rights. Besides they're all a bunch of America haters anyway.

But Tom, it's an athletic even, not a political one. All the side issues shouldn't really come into play. Turning it into a political even detracts from the athletes. But you're right about Russia getting the games, there is no way they should have been awarded them for a variety of reasons.

The whole point of the Olympic games in general is to be non political.

(02-06-2014 02:25 PM)Hitch Wrote:  

(02-06-2014 02:12 PM)Fitbud Wrote:  Actually this could have dire consequences.

The destabilization of Russia could actually cause eastern europe to fragment into a bunch of little countries with nukes.

Look at what happened when Bush destabilized the middle east.

I have my doubts. The middle east would have had to be stabilized before Bush if you want to claim that he destabilized it. Is it worse off? Sure, but it was never really great to start with.

George W Bush started us on the road to destabilization of the middle east. Barack Obama is continuing this idiotic policy. The end result is unknown, but staying out of the middle east entirely would have been the best option for America.

The dictators of the middle east were and are bad guys. But, the nations do not have a history of democracy. Democracy was an afterthought and excuse for going into the middle east for oil and to destabize Israel’s enemies.

Turns out, we opened a can of worms in Egypt, when the Morsi Muslim government decided to change the constitution, to scrap the secular stability of Egypt.

The most stable governments in the world are democratic and secular governments. The second most stable governments are dictatorial but secular governments. The least stable governments, as history shows, are the religious fanatical governments that led to crusades, inquisitions and the like. In the Arab world those types of governments are dangerous in our time. The more that Iran and Israel can become secular in outlook the more stable they will be.

http://beforeitsnews.com/obama/2013/08/o...54808.html

Iran is pretty stable...

The Middle East has been highly unstable long before Bush or Obama. That's a silly thing to try to pin on either of them.

(02-06-2014 03:11 PM)Fitbud Wrote:  

(02-06-2014 02:25 PM)Hitch Wrote:  

(02-06-2014 02:12 PM)Fitbud Wrote:  Actually this could have dire consequences.

The destabilization of Russia could actually cause eastern europe to fragment into a bunch of little countries with nukes.

Look at what happened when Bush destabilized the middle east.

I have my doubts. The middle east would have had to be stabilized before Bush if you want to claim that he destabilized it. Is it worse off? Sure, but it was never really great to start with.

George W Bush started us on the road to destabilization of the middle east.

lol, it's like the Shah never even happened.