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IOC Shuns Saudi Arabia’s Proposed Cross-Border, Split-Gender Olympic Bid


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Right, bcuz human rights is what kept China (not to mention 2022) & Russia from hosting. If it made great geopolitical sense to go to Saudi Arabia (or anywhere else in the Arabian Peninsula), then the IOC would be trying everything that they can to go there (instead of shunning bids from the area). But for now, it doesn't. So that's why they're staying far, far away,

Not to mention the climate there is just not conducive for a Summer Olympics in the preferred time window anyway.

they still carry our public executions in saudi arabia, and every now and again they behead people by sword for offenses like witchcraft, so I'd say human rights would actually play a role here

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I mean I don't know what SA was thinking when they released that trial balloon. Apparently, all those kaffiyehs don't protect their heads enough from all that heat. And especially after the Charlie Hebdo tragedy, they (SA) think that all Olympic athletes are going to be oh so holy-and reverent about islam and Mohammed? They got another thing coming to them. They are so out of touch.

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Note that there are both federal and state crimes in Oregon subject to capital punishment.

1. The last execution done was in 1997, and gov kitzhaber has blocked all executions under him.

2. The death penalty is only considered for murder. No one is executed beacuse of medieval beliefs such as practicing "witchcraft' or renouncing islam

3. THEY BEHEAD PEOPLE IN PUBLIC

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Right, bcuz human rights is what kept China (not to mention 2022) & Russia from hosting. If it made great geopolitical sense to go to Saudi Arabia (or anywhere else in the Arabian Peninsula), then the IOC would be trying everything that they can to go there (instead of shunning bids from the area). But for now, it doesn't. So that's why they're staying far, far away,

Not to mention the climate there is just not conducive for a Summer Olympics in the preferred time window anyway.

China - World's largest population, 2nd largest economy in the world.

Russia - Population of close to 150 million, 1 of the 10 largest economics in the world.

Saudi Arabia - Population of under 30 million (but growing quickly), GDP approximately 1/3 of that of Russia and 8% the size of China.

If we're going to bring up human rights issues in the context of China and Russia, it's fair to ask the question of why that didn't stop them from winning but it's a non-starter for Saudi Arabia. Then we realize there's a simple answer to that question. The IOC is a highly political organization. They may be corrupt weasels, but they're not total idiots. And yes, I know your response to Tony was full of sarcasm, so this is to point out these things to everyone, not so much a reply to you.

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It is funny how things change though..Frenchman and Olympic founder fought hard to keep women out of the games all together......

To be fair though, women at the turn of the 20th century weren't into any real "codified" sports. I mean they were just getting involved in golf, tennis, figure skating -- but probably not on the competitive levels of men. So for an organization just starting out, I'm sure it was a struggle to get men's events lined up; let alone the unorganized distaff side of things.

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they still carry our public executions in saudi arabia, and every now and again they behead people by sword for offenses like witchcraft, so I'd say human rights would actually play a role here

Yeah, bcuz what's a few thousand that are executed in China each year (more than all other countries COMBINED). For a mostly Eurocentric organization like the IOC, where the death penalty is seen as "primitive" in all of Western Europe, it speaks volumes in that sense that the Games ever took place in China to begin with.

Let's be realistic here; China (& Russia) got the Games bcuz they're China (& Russia). And Saudi Arabia ain't getting them this side of the 21st century bcuz they're Saudi Arabia, regardless of their public executions or not. Just look at Quaker's outline of the three countries in the last page. That says it all right there.

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Let's look at it like this. Beijing got the 2008 Summer Olympics, because the IOC gave them the benefit of the doubt, giving them that chance of sorting out it's Human Rights and Environment issues. They didn't sort it out. They then bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics, with 6 bidders, no one gave Beijing, Almaty or Lviv a chance. Stockholm and Oslo were seen as favourites, Krakow was the back up plan. Stockholm, Oslo, Krakow and Lviv all leave the bidding race, leaving Beijing VS Almaty. Both with bad Human Rights and Environment issues, but Beijing has delivered before with the Olympics, unlike Almaty. The IOC will choose Beijing over Almaty on experience.

Russia only got the 2014 Winter Olympics because of Putin's behind the scenes works. Saudi Arabia won't stand a chance in hosting, even less of a chance with wanting to separate Sport's in two different Countries.

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Let's look at it like this. Beijing got the 2008 Summer Olympics, because the IOC gave them the benefit of the doubt, giving them that chance of sorting out it's Human Rights and Environment issues. They didn't sort it out.

Nah, that was their go-to line whenever asked about China's human rights - "we can be the catalyst for change". I can't believe they ever really believed that!

They gave the Games to China because they're a huge untappped market with a fifth of humanity and a growing sporting prowess. And who can blame them, every nation and industry on earth is doing the same thing when it comes to China.

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