Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine has a blunt message for U.S. athletes: Don’t go to the Sochi Olympic games.
Citing security concerns ahead of the winter games in Russia, King said: “I would not go, and I don’t think I would send my family.”
“It’s just such a rich target,” King said in an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “It would be a stretch, I think, to say I’d send my family.”
King’s comments come amid increased concerns from some U.S. officials that Russia hasn’t done enough to combat the possibility of a terrorist attack.
Let’s say money is no object. Would you go to the Olympics this year? Would you encourage your family to go? How safe are they? Do you expect a terrorist event to take place during the winter Olympics? I think you can bet on it, I am sorry to say.
I’m still trying to figure out why Russia wanted the games in Sochi. It does not have snow. Its next door to Chechnya.
I don’t know why Russia does anything. I wouldn’t go there if I won a free trip in a private jet.
You’ve got to love Putin’s latest PR attempt, telling gays they are welcome in Sochi, but just to “stay away from children”. Somehow I don’t think that message has been warmly received by the civilized world.
The Russians passed a law prohibiting teaching children about the gay lifestyle. Some people here are jealous.
@Lyssa
What does that mean? Does that mean that Russians cannot teach that gay exists?
Winter sports isn’t my thing regardless of where it is held. I like hockey though.
@Moon-howler
Russians can teach that some things don’t exist if they don’t want them to exist. This example is not exactly on point but close. Went to their military medical academy in St. Petersburg several years ago when the military university I worked at was considering a student exchange program since the Russian military medical academy is the oldest in the world. When we started looking into their practice of medicine, we found it was two or three decades behind us and refused to believe that certain things were now possible. Some of the senior faculty came here and when we took them to various department stores, they were convinced that all of it had been set up just for show–that things weren’t REALLY like they were seeing them. Same thing with supermarkets. And these were people with doctoral level education. The proletariat is really out of the loop. Some things are making all that change–the internet and satellite television have done a lot to open the world to them. Another visit in India,there were many well educated naysayers that AIDS existed in India. Lots of uniformed people in the world and their governments want it that way.
Am not so sure Olympics won’t be cancelled. One terrorist act is all it will take. Interesting U.S. is offering tech support. Failure of this Olympics could isolate Russia for a loong time and maybe put an end to Putin.
That’s an interesting postulate, George. You could very well be right.