Russia-Ukraine War: Effects on Gymn World

[MaryClare]

The President of Russia official Twitter account follows just 22 accounts. One of them is Arnie.

 

[JDB]

I’m gonna leave this here. I think he’s right about those midlevel sports bureaucrats.

 

[rlayt]

Only you know the possibilities MC. We don’t have friends and contacts there so we can’t discern the best actions to take. But being passive won’t get anything done.

 

[rlayt]

Have you looked at what others are doing? People are writing anti ward messages on rubles before they spend. People are going to protests. A few people still have outside social media they use to spread info. Some go to protests. I’m sure there are ways.

 

[rlayt]

When we don’t like a political outcome we organize. We draw up petitions. We make phone calls. We write letters. What if you wrote letters to people about standing up and find a way to send anonymously?

 

[JDB]

I don’t think we Americans are qualified to give advice in this regard. We haven’t had a successful antiwar movement in the past 70 years. And in the past 20 years presidents have spent entire terms on war footing.

 

[rlayt]

You have to build a movement. Sitting and saying things won’t work is a sure way to ensure that nothing will change. It’s defeatist.

Do you look at a high level gymnastics skill and say gee I can never do that then quit? Do you look at a college catalog and say I’ll never be able to finish all that?

One action at a time, one simple piece at a time.

 

[makam]

I mean…7 grams of metal applied correctly would probably end the war…

But, I’m not really saying what y’all should do because Americans have recently sucked (and continue to suck) at ousting our compromised, seditious, traitorous politicians and political “owners” so we really aren’t in a place to offer advice. If that Mike Pillow guy was bankrupt (or in jail) at this point, I’d have more faith in this country but us telling Russians what to do is the myopic leading the blind. Frankly, Russians have a much better and more recent history of tossing out governments they don’t like. Doesn’t always seem to lead to better ones, but maybe if you guys try again, you’ll find something better than what you have (and better than the capitalist faux republic the US has. Nominally a republic, laws actually made by those wealthy enough to promote them to their own benefit.)

 

[MaryClare]

I am certainly not being passive. I am always forwarding information about what is really going on. This has the same penalty, if caught, as attending the protest. Which is why as I previously explained, I keep my UK devices that I use a VPN with, separate from my Russia ones and I don’t take them out of the house incase I am stopped.

 

[Rich]

This makes me agree with the ban on russian athletes. it makes me sick

 

[kimbee]

Disgusting. I am glad they are banned.

 

[JaJa]

I am certainly not being passive. I am always forwarding information about what is really going on. This has the same penalty, if caught, as attending the protest. Which is why as I previously explained, I keep my UK devices that I use a VPN with, separate from my Russia ones and I don’t take them out of the house incase I am stopped.

Listen MC, anyone who understands the situation in Russia understands the position you are in. Americans by and large just do not. We have free and fair elections here , we do not like the President, we go to the polls without fear and “throw the bum out.” Russia, on the other hand, is an authoritarian regime where Putin controls the electoral process and excludes any possibility of meaningful opposition.

We can also openly protest to our hearts delight, write seething OpEds in opposition to the federal, state or local governments, organize opposition with utter impunity. What we do openly and without fear can get you locked up in punitive psychiatric incarceration in Russia.

People really just do not have a clue.

 

[irichluck21]

The WAG gymnasts are minors at least and may have been forced to wear the Z on their coats.

They are still young and might not understand the full ramifications.

 

[MaryClare]

Yes. I’m not sure how aware everyone is, but national team gymnasts are employees of the state. The receive a salary from the government and that comes with obligations.

Gymnastics in Russia, both artistic and rhythmic also have a much closer political and financial link to pro Putin people than other sports due to Fetisov and Usmanov.

 

[JaJa]

Yes. I’m not sure how aware everyone is, but national team gymnasts are employees of the state. The receive a salary from the government and that comes with obligations.

Right. But that is even more of a reason to ban the Russian teams from competition.

 

[MaryClare]

Thank you Jaja. I think a lot of the criticism and in some cases, hate being directed towards Russians is because whilst most are aware that it’s not a very democratic place, they don’t actually understand what that means. So if you “aren’t seeing much opposition to Putin”, it’s because the consequences are potentially very severe. Even if you don’t end up arrested, you can be sacked for it even if you aren’t employed by the state. One colleague you disagrees with you, sees your social media post where you’ve shared something about Ukraine that shows what’s really happening, shows it to the boss and suddenly you’re a liability.

 

[Rich]

Averina sisters (on the left) participating in Putin’s propaganda show, with Z on their chest. They are 23 years old.
“If anybody doesn’t understand why banning Russian athletes is so important, you should show them this. It’s not to punish them for being from the same country as a warmonger, it’s because their country uses those athletes’ success as a propaganda tool.”

 

[MaryClare]

Sure. But it’s also possible that the Averina sisters decided to participate as “informed” adults, whilst Urazova and Listunova are teenagers, on the state payroll, who have little choice or influenced by the adults around them

Being used as propaganda isn’t a sufficient reason for banning though. What exactly do you think the Soviet Union used it’s star athletes for?!

 

[Rich]

I understand this is why they are banned now, but the real reason they should be banned is because they have a long history of doping little children and adults who break when they get too old to compete. Other regimes use their athletes as propaganda too, but no one is suggesting we ban them.

 

[tempest]

while it does make me sick to my stomach to see things like this… what choice to they really have? I’m sure there would be some sort of consequence if they refused(if they wanted to… who knows like someone said earlier if they even know what is really going on)