It appears that someone has found a push point in the Russian/Georgian conflict. Someone has a new website up petitioning the International Olympic Committee to revoke awarding the 2014 Winter Olympics to Sochi, Russia. Representatives Allyson Schwartz and Bill Shuster of PA have sponsored a bipartisan resolution asking the IOC to find a new venue for the 2014 Games.This is the first real pressure point I've seen (not too many people calling for Russia to be removed from the G-8 yet, though that would be a strong step as well) that has a chance to succeed. When you consider the national pride and success that Beijing has seen as a result of their Olympic experience (certainly not without downside, but overall a very positive impact for China so far...), removing the chance for the Russians to have a similar experience when they thought they would have such a moment would be a strong deterrent from a domestic political standpoint.
Until that kind of serious and strong isolative pressure is brought, we will continue to see video of Russian "peacekeepers" rolling tanks over police cars while "withdrawing" during a "ceasefire". The Bad Old Days are back.
1 comment:
Josh, I heard Rick Warren say that the Georgian President had called to thank him for asking the candidates about the situation there. He was asking for prayers for his nation. Somehow the Rusky Olympic logo looks like dripping blood. Here we go again.
from sturdywoman
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