{"id":686,"date":"2014-04-25T14:38:24","date_gmt":"2014-04-25T14:38:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/freemasonrywatch.org\/blog\/?p=686"},"modified":"2014-04-25T14:38:24","modified_gmt":"2014-04-25T14:38:24","slug":"rubbishing-russia-the-sochi-olympic-games-are-over-and-many-in-the-west-are-gnashing-their-teeth-because-they-werent-an-utter-failure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/freemasonrywatch.org\/blog\/2014\/04\/25\/rubbishing-russia-the-sochi-olympic-games-are-over-and-many-in-the-west-are-gnashing-their-teeth-because-they-werent-an-utter-failure\/","title":{"rendered":"Rubbishing Russia: The Sochi Olympic Games are over and many in ‘the west’ are gnashing their teeth because they weren\u2019t an utter failure"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thenews.com.pk<\/a><\/p>\n

Rubbishing Russia<\/p>\n

Monday, March 03, 2014
\nFrom Print Edition<\/p>\n

Brian Cloughley<\/p>\n

\"StephenThe Sochi Olympic Games are over and many in the west are gnashing their teeth because they weren\u2019t an utter failure. How very annoying \u2013 how absolutely infuriating \u2013 for all the anti-Russian pundits in the US and Britain that there wasn\u2019t a major disaster, a really juicy foul up, a majestically spectacular catastrophe that would have shown to their lip-smacking enjoyment that Russia is a terrible place run by a bungling dictator.<\/p>\n

It is, in fact, a country that is trying to do better and whose political leader is pragmatic, dedicated and decisive. Eat your hearts out, Britain and America.<\/p>\n

Many western media headlines and commentaries were disgracefully insulting about the Sochi Games, despite televised scenes indicating their outstanding success. I have to admit I find all this Olympics stuff mega-boring, but the world at large enjoyed the sight of athletes skating, skiing, sliding and slithering at enormous speeds, and who am I to disagree with such pleasure? But I do disagree with ultra-nationalistic disparagement of another country\u2019s efforts and achievements.<\/p>\n

Seventy years ago George Orwell wrote that \u201csport is an unfailing cause of ill-will\u201d and as with so many of his statements he\u2019s been proved absolutely correct. He observed that \u201cinternational sporting contests lead to orgies of hatred\u201d, and the recent icy jamboree at Sochi has been no exception. Orwell could barely believe that nations could \u201cwork themselves into furies over these absurd contests, and seriously believe \u2013 at any rate for short periods \u2013 that running, jumping and kicking a ball are tests of national virtue.\u201d But, alas they do, in spades and grades. And the media are right behind them. The newspapers and TV stations don\u2019t run or jump: they drum and pump. The beat the drums of national pride and pump the emotions of the impressionable masses.<\/p>\n

Western nations\u2019 attitudes to the vexing fact that Russia won most medals were intriguing. For example it was reported that \u201cRussia’s athletes topped the Sochi medals table with a record 13 golds and 33 total, though even this was marred with allegations of cheating and unfair judging.\u201d They just had to inject that note of nastiness \u2013 \u2018they won, but they didn\u2019t really deserve to\u2019 was the refrain.<\/p>\n

And print reporting of the closing ceremonies was woefully tiny and dismissive, although television stations had no option but to present the marvellous spectacle without critical comment \u2013 because there was nothing to criticise. A typical British newspaper report wrote it off as an \u201copulent show of ballet, circus performances and classical music.\u201d But of course it was much more than that: it was magnificent and staggeringly outstanding, as anyone who saw it would have to agree.<\/p>\n

Even Fox News had to concede that there were no problems, but the Washington Post chose to carry the headline, \u201cCostly, Political, Successful\u201d, over a shamefully downbeat report. One comment was that \u201cRussia\u2019s leader had reason to be pleased as the Olympics dubbed the \u201cPutin Games\u201d ended.\u201d Just who was it who titled the Games \u201cthe Putin Games\u201d?<\/p>\n

This was the crux of the entire anti-Sochi campaign by the west, led by the US and Britain. They couldn\u2019t bear the thought that Putin\u2019s Russia can actually organise something. And the Post came clean about one underlying reason for rubbishing Russia when it reported that \u201cSochi competed for attention with violence in Ukraine, Russia\u2019s neighbour and considered a vital sphere of influence by the Kremlin.\u201d<\/p>\n

The vicious inter-factional conflict in Ukraine was a very handy cudgel with which to beat the dreaded Russians, and it was flailed with relentless fervour. Were we to believe what has been, and continues to be, written in commentaries in the western media we would be convinced that the entire Ukrainian shambles is Russia\u2019s fault.<\/p>\n

There is no longer mention \u2013 not a whisper \u2013 about the dark meddling of the United States, whose Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland not only insulted the European Union in a telephone call to the US ambassador in Ukraine, which was intercepted and publicised by Russia, but made it clear that the US was dabbling with gusto and arrogance in the internal affairs of a country concerning which it has no direct national interests of any sort.<\/p>\n

America\u2019s concern is that Ukraine has a border with Russia, and Washington regards any country bordering Russia as a prime target to be encouraged to renounce ties with its geographical neighbour and move to military alliance with the US-dominated North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, which ceased to be relevant after the Soviet Union collapsed and is desperately seeking another role.<\/p>\n

Alas, the Cold War didn\u2019t die with the end of communism in Russia. Of course the new Russia hoped that it had expired, and prepared to expand ties with the west, but when it did so \u2013 with potential economic success and with much benefit to countries of the European Union and in the wider world \u2013 its efforts were considered by Washington as threatening US influence. Moscow\u2019s desire to establish a customs union with its neighbours, the former states of the Soviet Union, in order to maintain economic stability and expand cooperation was similarly regarded. What is important to America is establishment of military bases surrounding Russia.<\/p>\n

The democratically elected leader of Ukraine was toppled by a bloody revolution which was endorsed by the US and the EU. There is no doubt that Yanukovych was a corrupt man, but elsewhere in the world there are many such horrible elected leaders who need not fear western support for their opponents. They, however, are not associated with Russia, a country that the west wishes to place under economic and political stress.<\/p>\n

The new interim government of Ukraine has been selected by the \u2018Maidan Council\u2019, consisting of the protest groups and militants who overthrew Ukraine\u2019s elected president and are without exception anti-Russian. Little wonder, as the Washington Post recorded with relish, that \u201cSochi competed for attention with violence in Ukraine.\u201d But let\u2019s see what the headlines are when the unwelcome success of Sochi is buried by the west, and Ukraine staggers into chaos.<\/p>\n

The writer is a South Asian affairs analyst. Website: www.beecluff.com<\/p>\n

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