Gays, Putin, and Skiing! Olympics Megathread: THE POLITICS

[Liriena]

I just found out Sochi only has 300,000 people. Why did they get the Olympics?

The IOC took pity on them?

[Gallup]

I just found out Sochi only has 300,000 people. Why did they get the Olympics?

The IOC took pity on them?

Nah, bribe money. It must be.

[Liriena]

The IOC took pity on them?

Nah, bribe money. It must be.

That would explain an awful lot.

[Gallup]

Nah, bribe money. It must be.

That would explain an awful lot.

It happens almost every year. Same thing with the World Cup. Qatar? Really?

[Shofercia]

I just found out Sochi only has 300,000 people. Why did they get the Olympics?

The IOC took pity on them?

While I understand that you're both trying to be edgy, to those who know anything about the Olympics, you're also hilariously wrong. Unlike the Summer Olympics, which are held in places like London, LA and Moscow, the Winter Olympics call places like St. Moritz, population 5,147, their home. Other cities include Chamonix, 9,514, Lake Placid, 2,521, Oslo, 626,313, Cortina, 6,150, Truckee, (Squaw Valley,) 16,180, Innsbruck, 121,329, Grenoble, 156,659, Sarajevo, 515,012, Albertville, 18,480, Lillehammer, 26,639, etc.

Sure there are also the Winter Olympics in larger cities, but those are the exception, not the rule. The reason for this is that Winter Olympics require those thingies called mountains, and an amazing tourism infrastructure, and amazing mountainous tourist cities tend to be small. Compared with reality, Sochi has a perfectly normal population size for the Winter Olympics.

[Gallup]

The IOC took pity on them?

While I understand that you're both trying to be edgy, to those who know anything about the Olympics, you're also hilariously wrong. Unlike the Summer Olympics, which are held in places like London, LA and Moscow, the Winter Olympics call places like St. Moritz, population 5,147, their home. Other cities include Chamonix, 9,514, Lake Placid, 2,521, Oslo, 626,313, Cortina, 6,150, Truckee, (Squaw Valley,) 16,180, Innsbruck, 121,329, Grenoble, 156,659, Sarajevo, 515,012, Albertville, 18,480, Lillehammer, 26,639, etc.

Sure there are also the Winter Olympics in larger cities, but those are the exception, not the rule. The reason for this is that Winter Olympics require those thingies called mountains, and an amazing tourism infrastructure, and amazing mountainous tourist cities tend to be small. Compared with reality, Sochi has a perfectly normal population size for the Winter Olympics.

Lake Placid only have 2000 people? Fuck.

[Shamhnan Insir]

Hope this doesn't count as "gravedig" but I couldn't think of where else it should go.
http://www.scotsman.com/news/odd/scots-brewer-brewdog-launches-anti-putin-beer-1-3293497

Yes, Brewdog (a brewery company from Aberdeenshire, famed for its potent ales) has unveiled its latest 8.4% creation.
'Hello My Name is Vladimir' is now retailing and a case has actually been sent to Putin himself for approval.
Whoever said that beer can't solve problems?

[Gallup]

Hope this doesn't count as "gravedig" but I couldn't think of where else it should go.
http://www.scotsman.com/news/odd/scots-brewer-brewdog-launches-anti-putin-beer-1-3293497

Yes, Brewdog (a brewery company from Aberdeenshire, famed for its potent ales) has unveiled its latest 8.4% creation.
'Hello My Name is Vladimir' is now retailing and a case has actually been sent to Putin himself for approval.
Whoever said that beer can't solve problems?

Pretty stupid name.

[Gallup]

I found this graph to be interesting:

[Ainin]

I found this graph to be interesting:

(Image)

Is that spending or revenue?

[Shofercia]

I found this graph to be interesting:

(Image)

Is that spending or revenue?

It's spending. Sochi spent $51 billion on the Olympics. Since this is the most, Russophobes usually tout this number as "hurr durr Rusha iz corruptz, lolzorz!" What they don't realize is that Sochi's infrastructure had to be rebuilt from the ground up: http://darussophile.com/2014/01/shreddi ... -good-way/

For instance, it'd be pointless comparing Sochi to Vancouver, since Vancouver had most of the infrastructure in place. Likewise, Russia could've held the Olympics in Leningrad/St. Petersburg, and the cost would be reduced in half, perhaps to even a third or fourth of that sum. But the Games should be in Sochi, for several reasons:

1. Provides jobs for a region that's only been stable for a couple of years
2. Develops sports infrastructure in that region, i.e. Krasnodar Krai has no hockey team, whereas Sakha Republic does.
3. Provides a Russian ski resort, so that wealthy Russians stop spending money abroad
4. Promotes quite a bit of cultural interaction between Russians and Caucasians, thus providing Russia with Unity

And so on...

On the actual Olympics, only $7 billion was spent, out of which only $3 billion was spent by the Government.

The first and foremost attack revolved around the supposed corruption surrounding the Sochi Olympics. In 2010, the Russian magazine Esquire estimated that 48km of roads around Sochi consumed a cool $8 billion of taxpayer money, a sum that implied the asphalt might as well have been made of elite beluga caviar. Julia Ioffe cheerily transmitted these sophomoric calculations to the Anglosphere. The only problem with these actuarial wisecracks? Said road also included a railway, 50 bridges, and 27km worth of tunnels over mountainous terrain… which presumably made it something more than just a road. What was intended as a metaphor for Sochi corruption turned out to be, ironically, a metaphor for unfounded attacks against it...The lion’s share of the $50 billion investment in Sochi – some 80% of it or so – consists of infrastructure projects to make Sochi into a world-class ski resort that will provide employment in the restive North Caucasus, kickstart the development of a Russian snowsports culture, and draw at least some of the more patriotic elites away from Courcheval.

Courcheval is a Russian symbol of elites wasting too much money abroad, and it's also a World class ski resort.

Consequent criticisms become increasingly deranged and unhinged from reality, much like the murderous HAL supercomputer fading away into childish gibberishness after it gets turned off. Thousands of people got evicted, their land stolen from them… except that the average compensation per person was $100,000. Sochi is apparently built on the bones of Circassians… well, if it’s a graveyard, I wonder what that makes the North American continent - a death world? The assertion that Sochi is an ”unsuitable subtropical resort” with no snow… an assessment that would surely surprise the denizens of California’s Bay Area, who go skiing in Tahoe up until late April, and where average February temperatures are significantly higher than around Sochi. If anything, conditions are looking downright steezy. The metaphorical rock-bottom was attained by the BBC’s Steve Rosenberg, who made a photograph of a pair of side-by-side toilets that were then splashed around the media – up to and including The New York Times - as evidence of the graft and imbecility that characterized the Sochi preparations. The only problem being that the photograph was taken in the middle of a renovation. But, hey, we wouldn’t want to deny the Brits their toilet humor, now would we…

[Gallup]

Is that spending or revenue?

It's spending. Sochi spent $51 billion on the Olympics. Since this is the most, Russophobes usually tout this number as "hurr durr Rusha iz corruptz, lolzorz!" What they don't realize is that Sochi's infrastructure had to be rebuilt from the ground up: http://darussophile.com/2014/01/shreddi ... -good-way/

For instance, it'd be pointless comparing Sochi to Vancouver, since Vancouver had most of the infrastructure in place. Likewise, Russia could've held the Olympics in Leningrad/St. Petersburg, and the cost would be reduced in half, perhaps to even a third or fourth of that sum. But the Games should be in Sochi, for several reasons:

1. Provides jobs for a region that's only been stable for a couple of years
2. Develops sports infrastructure in that region, i.e. Krasnodar Krai has no hockey team, whereas Sakha Republic does.
3. Provides a Russian ski resort, so that wealthy Russians stop spending money abroad
4. Promotes quite a bit of cultural interaction between Russians and Caucasians, thus providing Russia with Unity

And so on...

On the actual Olympics, only $7 billion was spent, out of which only $3 billion was spent by the Government.

The first and foremost attack revolved around the supposed corruption surrounding the Sochi Olympics. In 2010, the Russian magazine Esquire estimated that 48km of roads around Sochi consumed a cool $8 billion of taxpayer money, a sum that implied the asphalt might as well have been made of elite beluga caviar. Julia Ioffe cheerily transmitted these sophomoric calculations to the Anglosphere. The only problem with these actuarial wisecracks? Said road also included a railway, 50 bridges, and 27km worth of tunnels over mountainous terrain… which presumably made it something more than just a road. What was intended as a metaphor for Sochi corruption turned out to be, ironically, a metaphor for unfounded attacks against it...The lion’s share of the $50 billion investment in Sochi – some 80% of it or so – consists of infrastructure projects to make Sochi into a world-class ski resort that will provide employment in the restive North Caucasus, kickstart the development of a Russian snowsports culture, and draw at least some of the more patriotic elites away from Courcheval.

Courcheval is a Russian symbol of elites wasting too much money abroad, and it's also a World class ski resort.

Consequent criticisms become increasingly deranged and unhinged from reality, much like the murderous HAL supercomputer fading away into childish gibberishness after it gets turned off. Thousands of people got evicted, their land stolen from them… except that the average compensation per person was $100,000. Sochi is apparently built on the bones of Circassians… well, if it’s a graveyard, I wonder what that makes the North American continent - a death world? The assertion that Sochi is an ”unsuitable subtropical resort” with no snow… an assessment that would surely surprise the denizens of California’s Bay Area, who go skiing in Tahoe up until late April, and where average February temperatures are significantly higher than around Sochi. If anything, conditions are looking downright steezy. The metaphorical rock-bottom was attained by the BBC’s Steve Rosenberg, who made a photograph of a pair of side-by-side toilets that were then splashed around the media – up to and including The New York Times - as evidence of the graft and imbecility that characterized the Sochi preparations. The only problem being that the photograph was taken in the middle of a renovation. But, hey, we wouldn’t want to deny the Brits their toilet humor, now would we…

I learned something new today. I thought it was just corruption.

[Shofercia]

It's spending. Sochi spent $51 billion on the Olympics. Since this is the most, Russophobes usually tout this number as "hurr durr Rusha iz corruptz, lolzorz!" What they don't realize is that Sochi's infrastructure had to be rebuilt from the ground up: http://darussophile.com/2014/01/shreddi ... -good-way/

For instance, it'd be pointless comparing Sochi to Vancouver, since Vancouver had most of the infrastructure in place. Likewise, Russia could've held the Olympics in Leningrad/St. Petersburg, and the cost would be reduced in half, perhaps to even a third or fourth of that sum. But the Games should be in Sochi, for several reasons:

1. Provides jobs for a region that's only been stable for a couple of years
2. Develops sports infrastructure in that region, i.e. Krasnodar Krai has no hockey team, whereas Sakha Republic does.
3. Provides a Russian ski resort, so that wealthy Russians stop spending money abroad
4. Promotes quite a bit of cultural interaction between Russians and Caucasians, thus providing Russia with Unity

And so on...

On the actual Olympics, only $7 billion was spent, out of which only $3 billion was spent by the Government.



Courcheval is a Russian symbol of elites wasting too much money abroad, and it's also a World class ski resort.

I learned something new today. I thought it was just corruption.

Corruption's still a big part of it, costing at least a couple of billions, but it's definitely not the majority.

Thank you for being open minded

[Gallup]

I learned something new today. I thought it was just corruption.

Corruption's still a big part of it, costing at least a couple of billions, but it's definitely not the majority.

Thank you for being open minded

D'aww, let me return that.

[Srboslavija]

Putin strikes again.

Oh Putin, is there anything you don't control?!?

Russia's female athletes in soft porn shoot ahead of Sochi Olympics
http://www.news.com.au/sport/russias-female-athletes-in-soft-porn-shoot-ahead-of-sochi-olympics/story-fnl6khi7-1226818561852

*Warning, lots of delicious pictures

[Meowfoundland]

I learned something new today. I thought it was just corruption.

I found this website a few days ago, but I'm not sure about its accuracy. It's very interesting though.

[Shofercia]

I learned something new today. I thought it was just corruption.

I found this website a few days ago, but I'm not sure about its accuracy. It's very interesting though.

It's not accurate, well it might be 1/3:

The billionaire is building an alpine skiing resort Roza Khutor, an Olympic university, and a hotel. 82.6% of the total $3.1 bn budget is contributed by the state owned Vnesheconombank (privately held banks rarely fund over 66% of any project in order to limit their exposure). The project turned out to be quite expensive — and will be of no interest to either Mr. Potanin or the state after the Olympics. In an interview to the business newspaper Vedomosti in the fall of 2013, Mr. Potanin claims that the expenses for Roza Khutor will not be covered, as the project exceeds the Sochi’s market capacity. “In its current state, all it can generate is losses”, — Mr. Potanin admitted.

Italicized part is complete bullshit, since I remember an article, in Russian, about Putin saying that Roza Khutor will be rented by the state to train youthful Olympians. It's also looking like an Elite Ski Resort. Deripaska's also B/S. Bilabov's might have something to it, not sure about that one. Considering that they're both living abroad, they probably stole. On the other hand, Potanin and Deripaska are part of Putin's elite, so it's doubtful that they'd steal from themselves.

[Shofercia]

Putin strikes again.

Oh Putin, is there anything you don't control?!?

Russia's female athletes in soft porn shoot ahead of Sochi Olympics
http://www.news.com.au/sport/russias-female-athletes-in-soft-porn-shoot-ahead-of-sochi-olympics/story-fnl6khi7-1226818561852

*Warning, lots of delicious pictures

I'm suddenly interested in Curling

[Australian rePublic]

Interesting fact: The Winter Olympics have never been hosted in the Southern Hemisphere

[Australian rePublic]

Putin strikes again.

Oh Putin, is there anything you don't control?!?

Russia's female athletes in soft porn shoot ahead of Sochi Olympics
http://www.news.com.au/sport/russias-female-athletes-in-soft-porn-shoot-ahead-of-sochi-olympics/story-fnl6khi7-1226818561852

*Warning, lots of delicious pictures

What concern is to him...
Or the nation of Russia for that sake?
Who really cares what they do in the privacy, or the public, of their own bedroom, so long as it is with consenting adults...
In fact, if I were Russian, I would be very proud. Our chicks are both hot enough to be professional and athletic enough to be professional. Ah the Russians, is there anything they can't do?

[Destiny Island]

I just found out Sochi only has 300,000 people. Why did they get the Olympics?

Another interesting fact, Sochi is also one of the warmest places in Russia, and was chosen because it was Putin's favorite vacation spot.

[Gallup]

I just found out Sochi only has 300,000 people. Why did they get the Olympics?

Another interesting fact, Sochi is also one of the warmest places in Russia, and was chosen because it was Putin's favorite vacation spot.

Really? That sounds like a rumor...

[Gallup]

The Wall Street Journal is predicting Norway will beat the US in total metals. Thoughts?

[Blekksprutia]

Please… no place where there's "two man luge" is anti-gay

[Zapato]

Another interesting fact, Sochi is also one of the warmest places in Russia, and was chosen because it was Putin's favorite vacation spot.

Really? That sounds like a rumor...

Take it from the shirtless man on a horse's mouth:

“It is particularly nice for me to see what is happening here as I chose this place personally,” Putin said immodestly as the documentary showed him skiing down the slopes at the Olympic alpine centre of Krasnaya Polyana.

“In 2001 or 2002 I came in in my little UAZ (Russian jeep) and we went around here, came out at this river and I said, ‘let’s begin here,’” said Putin, wearing a jacket adorned with his name “V.V. Putin.”

Putin on Sochi: ‘I chose this place personally’

And yes, it's true that "Sochi is actually one of the warmest cities in Russia, a summer resort of beaches and palm trees on the Black Sea. Last February, the mercury hit 63° there."
http://www.cntraveler.com/daily-traveler/2014/02/sochi-winter-olympics-maphead