Russia barred from 2018 Winter Olympics

[Cattledog]

Source: NYT

LAUSANNE, Switzerland — Russia’s Olympic team has been barred from the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea. The country’s government officials are forbidden to attend, its flag will not be displayed at the opening ceremony and its anthem will not sound. Any athletes from Russia who receive special dispensation to compete will do so as individuals wearing a neutral uniform, and the official record books will forever show that Russia won zero medals.

That was the punishment issued Tuesday to the proud sports juggernaut that has long used the Olympics as a show of global force but was exposed for systematic doping in previously unfathomable ways. The International Olympic Committee, after completing its own prolonged investigations that reiterated what had been known for more than a year, handed Russia penalties for doping so severe they were without precedent in Olympics history.

The ruling cemented that the nation was guilty of executing an extensive state-backed doping program. The scheme was rivaled perhaps only by the notorious program conducted by East Germany throughout the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s.

Now the sports world will wait to see how Russia responds. Some Russian officials have threatened to boycott if the I.O.C. delivered such a severe punishment.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/05/sports/olympics/ioc-russia-winter-olympics.html?action=Click&contentCollection=BreakingNews&contentID=66179104&pgtype=Homepage

[underpants]

1. Flat out cheating

[Duppers]

19. When & wherever it can.

Just like IQ45.

[Initech]

2. Fuck Russia.

They should be barred from other reasons - mainly their egregious human rights violations, and election meddling in other countries, but seriously - fuck that country.

[Fred Sanders]

5. Not Russia. Putin and friends in control are the problem. Much like Trump and friends in USA.

[byronius]

7. I absolutely agree with that assessment.

They went from autocracy to gangsterocracy in a flat minute. When they needed our help to establish a stable democracy Reagan's crew was too busy grave-dancing to lend a hand.

And now Reagan's political descendants are hand in hand with their former enemies helping to overthrow the United States.

[not fooled]

14. And didn't the U.S.

actually facilitate the rise of the oligarchy, by sending over a contingent of Haaavard profs and assorted other "free marketeers" who said it was a good idea to privatize everything formerly owned by the state?

Fat lot of good that did for the Russian people.

[byronius]

17. I did not know that.

However, as a long student of Russian history -- they've never generally been democracy-minded. The old joke from post WWI -- two Russian soldiers talking about the possibility of establishing a republic. "A democratic republic, yes," one says. "But what we need at the head of it is a strong Czar!"

Post WWI Germany is a great example of that. Iraq as well.

And now, unbelievably, considering all the words and deeds that have gone before us -- a substantial minority of Americans are apparently longing for a strong Czar at the 'head of it'.

[not fooled]

18. Here's a good history

[link:http://www.nytimes.com/books/first/c/cohen-crusade.html|]

CHAPTER ONE

Failed Crusade
America and the Tragedy of Post-Communist Russia
By STEPHEN F. COHEN
W. W. Norton & Company

Read the Review

America's Russia-watchers, with only a few exceptions, committed malpractice throughout the 1990s. The results have undermined our values and jeopardized our nation's security.

When the Soviet Union ended in 1991, four American professions laid claim to special expertise on post-Communist Russia: government policymakers, economic and financial advisers, journalists, and scholars. Mainstays of what was known as the "Washington Consensus," Russia specialists in all those occupations professed to know the cure for what ailed their subject, gave regular assurances about the ongoing treatment, and, while noting occasional relapses, predicted a full recovery. In reality, their prescriptions, reports, and prognoses were fundamentally and predictably wrong.

A full inventory of the failures of U.S. policymakers, particularly during the years of the Clinton administration, belongs to the final section of this book. We need to recall here, however, that their grand policy was nothing less than missionary—a virtual crusade to transform post-Communist Russia into some facsimile of the American democratic and capitalist system. Moreover, it was not only an official project; it captivated investors, journalists, and scholars as well.

[byronius]

20. Interesting take. Best intentions, but the problems were deeper than anyone knew.

Goes back a long, long way. One might cite the 1.5 million casualties Russia suffered in the first year of WWI as a beginning. Their war losses in the 20th Century were staggering compared to any other nation. We've never faced anything like it, the equivalent of several generations lost.

I must question Cohen's May 2017 statement -- "In May 2017 Cohen attacked the American left, stating that "assault On President Trump from "Fourth Branch Of Government" is designed to undermine the U.S.-Russia alliance against terrorism."

That's a bit problematic, don't you think? I know he contributes to the Nation, but -- WTF?

[rurallib]

3. Putin's probably calling Donnie right now

"get us in the Olympics or the pee tape goes viral!"

[fleur-de-lisa]

4. Russia cheats at EVERYTHING!

[jberryhill]

6. So they won't be around for Trump and Kim to amp it up during the games

This may turn out to be convenient for the Russians.

[still_one]

8. Not quite. They will be able to compete wearing neutral uniforms

[RobinA]

9. While I Do

find the cheating in Sochi to be disgusting, I have to feel sorry for the athletes. Russia is significant in my spirt, figure skating, and most of their athletes who are likely to be at the Olympics weren’t at Sochi, so they are being denied something they’ve worked their lives for based on the actions of others. I get the ban, though. It was such a systemic problem.

[obamanut2012]

11. I don't -- they are cheaters

[RobinA]

23. I'm Talking About

the athletes who weren't involved in Sochi and therefore didn't cheat there. In skating they were probably too young four years ago. Anybody cheating should never be allowed to return.

[Angleae]

26. The athletes themselves can still go.

They can't wear russian uniforms and if they win a medal the olympic anthem is played instead of the russian national anthem.

[DangerousUrNot]

10. Where is the evidence?

I don’t see any evidence, just a big nothing burger. Let them compete.

[bluestarone]

12. awesome

GREAT NEWS

[DinahMoeHum]

13. At this point, the IOC has more balls in dealing with Russia. . .

. . .than our so-called POTUS. Never thought I'd see that day.

[FailureToCommunicate]

15. Good point.

[aeromanKC]

16. "Some Russian officials have threatened to boycott if the I.O.C. delivered such a severe punishment"

Um,......... too late.

[Calista241]

21. Fuck Russia, but i feel bad for their athletes that are clean.

The boycott of the Olympics in Las Angeles and Moscow was still a travesty IMO. The only people that were hurt were the athletes.

[DesertRat]

22. Banned for doping

[Baclava]

24. Russia banned from Winter Olympics but 'clean' athletes can compete

"The IOC has issued proportional sanctions for this systemic manipulation while protecting the clean athletes. This should draw a line under this damaging episode and serve as a catalyst for a more effective anti-doping system led by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

The "clean" Russian athletes must meet strict guidelines to make it to South Korea and will compete under the name "Olympic Athlete from Russia" (OAR). They will wear a uniform with that name on it and the Olympic anthem will be played at any medal ceremonies for Russian athletes.

http://edition.cnn.com/2017/12/05/sport/russia-ioc-ruling-intl/index.html

[briv1016]

25. Any chance of getting them barred from the 2018 election?