Time to kick muddah-f*cking Russia out once & for all?

[baron-pierreIV]

33 minutes ago, FYI said:

"full me once, shame on you. Full me twice, shame on me". 

Slight correction: Fool me once , , , Fool me 2x.  

[stryker]

Of course the IOC had yet to call for a total ban on Russian athletes competing towing the line with standard "ban the flag." But there is a way to force the IOC'S hand on this and we are seeing the beginnings of it with the likes of national football teams refusing the play qualifiers against Russia and Denmark and Norway calling for outright bans on Russian athletes competing in any competition.

Start by closing airspace to any Russian aircraft (the EU has just done this), block any new visas for Russian athletes, and cancel existing ones (the UK just cancelled visas for Belarusian athletes after they expressed support for the war).

By making it impossible for these athletes to travel, a ban is in essence in effect. That would force the IOC to do one of two things, accept the travel bans which you think they'd wisely do or shred any last bit of decency they have by criticizing countries for playing politics with athletes 

Think about it. Paris keeps their airspace closed to Russia through 2024 and denies visas to any Russian athlete.

[stryker]

On 2/26/2022 at 9:13 AM, Faster said:

 The UAE is weird. 

This is a business decision by the UAE. They have lots of business contracts with the Emiratis. Same does for the other Gulf states. I lived in Abu Dhabi for four years and there is a huge Russian expat population there with an even larger one in Dubai.

[Rob2012]

 

Edited February 27, 2022 by Rob.

[Faster]

This is starting to get scary. I fear for the Baltic States, Finland and Sweden now. 

@StefanMUCI fear Germany, Poland and Romania are going to be the first ones in if this escalates and that has what has changed Germany's position. Germany has already picked a side. They are going to be responsible for that choice regardless of how much or how little support they give Ukraine. 

Turkey has fallen into line (probably fearing what Russia having more control of the Black Sea could mean to them). A decade of cozying up to Putin undone in a matter of hours.

I am just totally amazed by the speed at which Europe has closed ranks. Austria, Finland, Sweden and Ireland have all but in name abandoned neutrality. 

[Rob2012]

Gianni Bach

 

[AustralianFan]

1 hour ago, stryker said:

Of course the IOC had yet to call for a total ban on Russian athletes competing towing the line with standard "ban the flag." But there is a way to force the IOC'S hand on this and we are seeing the beginnings of it with the likes of national football teams refusing the play qualifiers against Russia and Denmark and Norway calling for outright bans on Russian athletes competing in any competition.

The IOC have actually done more than ‘ban the flag and anthems’ and have called for International Sporting Federations to also strip both Russia and Belarus of all sporting events.

The response by many of the International Sporting Federations has been swift.

Still unfolding but several have now stripped Russia of their planned sporting events while many of the Sport Federations who have no events in Russia have issued statements of support.

This is recorded in the thread:

 Response of the IOC and International Sport Federations to Russia/Belarus invasion of Ukraine

 

[Rob2012]

3 minutes ago, AustralianFan said:

The IOC have actually done more than ‘ban the flag and anthems’ and have called for International Sporting Federations to also strip both Russia and Belarus of all sporting events

More or less the same response as after the Sochi doping scandal. We needed something stronger (in both cases, and certainly in this one).

[Sir Rols]

Actually, as part of it’s WADA ban, wasn’t Russia already banned from hosting major events as well? 

[StefanMUC]

There probably weren't any significant sporting events planned in Belarus anymore anyway after last year's outrage over the Ice Hockey WC (which eventually was taken away).

As for Russia - in theory they shouldn't have had those anyway because wasn't it part of the "doping ban" that they should not get to host any events/not allowed to bid for them?

That's how courageous the IOC really was in its decision.

 

[Nacre]

41 minutes ago, Faster said:

Turkey has fallen into line (probably fearing what Russia having more control of the Black Sea could mean to them). A decade of cozying up to Putin undone in a matter of hours.

I am just totally amazed by the speed at which Europe has closed ranks. Austria, Finland, Sweden and Ireland have all but in name abandoned neutrality. 

Not just Europe, but even other authoritarian states like Kazakhstan have refused to help Putin. He is totally alone.

I really hope that the West gives him a viable route out of this mess. A cornered and desperate tyrant with a button allowing him to nuke the world is a lot different than a cornered tyrant in a bunker with a pistol.

[FYI]

6 minutes ago, Nacre said:

Not just Europe, but even other authoritarian states like Kazakhstan have refused to help Putin. He is totally alone.

Oh, really? That's interesting. Considering Kazakhstan asked for Moscow's help (& received) to help quench their riots at the beginning of the year.

9 minutes ago, Nacre said:

I really hope that the West gives him a viable route out of this mess.

Packing up & taking their their toys back home should be a start. There's no need to be continuing with this at this point when it's clear now, that virtually everyone is against this. The Ukrainians are also putting up more of a front, which he probably didn't anticipate, either.

[Sir Rols]

2 minutes ago, FYI said:

Packing up & taking their their toys back home should be a start.

Pretty much this.

At the very least, an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine if these “peace talk” Russia are proposing in Belarus are to be anything but a blackmail farce.

[AustralianFan]

1 minute ago, AustralianFan said:

The IOC have actually done more than ‘ban the flag and anthems’ and have called for International Sporting Federations to also strip both Russia and Belarus of all sporting events.

The response by many of the International Sporting Federations has been swift.

Still unfolding but several have now stripped Russia of their planned sporting events while many of the Sport Federations who have no events in Russia have issued statements of support.

This is recorded in the thread:

 Response of the IOC and International Sport Federations to Russia/Belarus invasion of Ukraine

 

International Federations events cancelled or moved out of Russia:

• 2022 European Curling Championships moved from Russia
• FIS have pulled World Cup Skiing events from Russia
• FINA Artistic Swimming Championships and Diving World Seriespulled from Kazan
• IIHF moving the 2023 world and world juniors from Russia
• IJF Kazan Grand Slam Judo cancelled in Russia
• World Squash Federation cancelled World Junior Championships in Russia
• International Luge Federation pulled World Champs on natural track pulled
• International Gymnastics Federation pulled FIG World Cup and World Challenge Cup from Russia
• International Biathlon Union bans Russia and Belarus from World Cup and remaining IBU Cup events
• International Volleyball Federation pulled from Russia rounds of Volleyball Nations League (VNL) 
• International  Federation of Sport Climbing has suspended their event in Moscow

 

Statements of support for Ukraine (no events in Russia):

• UCI (cycling)
• Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee calls for ban on athletes from Russia and Belarus
• World Rowing
• World Athletics
• International Ice Hockey Federation
• International Skating Union
• International Surfing Association
• International Table Tennis Federation
• International Tennis Federation
• World Archery Federation
• World Rugby
• World Triathlon

 

Separate sport related actions / cancellations:

• SportAccord in May in Russia cancelled
• Man United cancelled Aeroflot sponsorship
• Formula 1 in Sochi cancelled
• 2022 Champions League Final moved from St Petersburg to France
• Chess Olympiad and FIDE Congress pulled from Russia
• Czech Republic, Sweden and Poland have all refused to play World Cup qualifiers in Russia / Poland refusing to play Russia 
• UEFA has ruled Russia cannot host matches in its competitions.

These are growing lists by the hour, by the day

 

[Guilga]

36 minutes ago, Sir Rols said:

Actually, as part of it’s WADA ban, wasn’t Russia already banned from hosting major events as well? 

Precisely this. Didn´t stop Russia getting Beach Soccer WC last year in home, though.

[AustralianFan]

Add to the above pulled / banned / cancellation list:

• FINA has cancelled the World Junior Swimming Championships in August
• Update: FIFA has banned Russia from hosting all international matches

[Nacre]

16 minutes ago, FYI said:

Packing up & taking their their toys back home should be a start. There's no need to be continuing with this at this point when it's clear now, that virtually everyone is against this. The Ukrainians are also putting up more of a front, which he probably didn't anticipate, either.

The problem is that Putin's basis of pseudo-legitimacy was that he restored order and strength to Russia after the economic and military collapse of the post-Soviet state in the 1990's. Now 1) the ruble will be turned into toilet paper on Monday, and 2) Russia is being humiliated on the battlefield. He may not survive this literally, much less politically.

Putin could care less about not being able to host sporting championships. The game he has to play now is avoiding a palace coup.

[SkiFreak]

Looks like the Antonov An-225 was destroyed. It was here in Calgary about 5 years ago picking up O&G equipment. It was here a few times in the past. This is the former Buran space shuttle carrier. 

Insider: World's largest cargo aircraft was destroyed during a Russian attack on an airfield, Ukrainian minister says

[Faster]

20 years is a long time, and is there really a viable pragmatic alternative in Russia right now. The entire country seems to be controlled by a select few within the Kremlin.

[Sir Rols]

36 minutes ago, Nacre said:

The problem is that Putin's basis of pseudo-legitimacy was that he restored order and strength to Russia after the economic and military collapse of the post-Soviet state in the 1990's. Now 1) the ruble will be turned into toilet paper on Monday, and 2) Russia is being humiliated on the battlefield. He may not survive this literally, much less politically.

Putin could care less about not being able to host sporting championships. The game he has to play now is avoiding a palace coup.

That’s the way I read it too. The Ukraine is not going to be pacified - if anything Putin’s ensured it’s going to be a festering quagmire for a long time. Meanwhile he’s ensured Russia is isolated, a pariah and it’s economy is going to be in decline. Any further adventures are going to put it straight into conflict with a reinvigorated and determined NATO and the real risk of MAD. The best he can hope for long term is to become a client state of Xi’s, a new Kim.

The main caveat, though, is that the world maintains its diligence. We’re already seeing the west start to adjust its structures to a “new norm” of managing without Russian trade. The risk is if we start to backslide after the immediate heat dies down. It’s vital that we keep it isolated long term. And sport plays as much a part in that as economic sanctions - a la the anti-Apartheid playbook. 

[baron-pierreIV]

Haven't heard yet from Misses Universe, World, International, Earth and SupraNational!  (The postponed Miss World is scheduled to reconvene in San Juan, PR, next month.  

Edited February 27, 2022 by baron-pierreIV

[Faster]

26 minutes ago, Sir Rols said:

That’s the way I read it too. The Ukraine is not going to be pacified - if anything Putin’s ensured it’s going to be a festering quagmire for a long time. Meanwhile he’s ensured Russia is isolated, a pariah and it’s economy is going to be in decline. Any further adventures are going to put it straight into conflict with a reinvigorated and determined NATO and the real risk of MAD. The best he can hope for long term is to become a client state of Xi’s, a new Kim.

The main caveat, though, is that the world maintains its diligence. We’re already seeing the west start to adjust its structures to a “new norm” of managing without Russian trade. The risk is if we start to backslide after the immediate heat dies down. It’s vital that we keep it isolated long term. And sport plays as much a part in that as economic sanctions - a la the anti-Apartheid playbook. 

Maybe Xi can be the savior here. Because I don't think China wants to lose their economic markets to the destruction of Western Europe and North America because Putin launches nuclear weapons. 

How the **** has Ukraine wanting a European liberal democratic future devolved into threats of nuclear weapons use? Like WTAF. 

[Sir Rols]

3 minutes ago, Faster said:

Maybe Xi can be the savior here. Because I don't think China wants to lose their economic markets to the destruction of Western Europe and North America because Putin launches nuclear weapons. 

Who knows? I’d like to think he has at least noticed and been given something to chew over to see just how determined and united the “declining, divided” western democracies can be when provoked.

And the silver lining of Covid may well be that the west has started to diversify their supply chains and sources in things like semiconductors.

[Rob2012]

 

[baron-pierreIV]

Also, Russia and China have long wanted to dethrone the US$ as the world's major trading currency -- with I believe, the Chinese yen.  But they cannot undo over a century of the global economy trading in US$ and in Euros -- no matter how big their combined populations are: 1.55 billion peeps.  All the more now, will the West ensure that those 2 yokels cannot weaken or undo the West's free market m.o.