Anyone else nervous about the Olympics coming up? I heard that even the big-time morning news people aren't going. At least for NBC, they're just sending a few of the lower level reporters over. The Russians seem not enthusiastic on getting help, but there seems to be a lot of threats floating around, especially for the people who are outside of Olympic Village. Thoughts?
At first, I wasn't. But realizing that there might be a very small chance of something happening to the athletes like when the Munich Massacre happened, I am getting really worried. I'm not saying that it's going to happen. I just want everyone to be safe and to do their best for the Olympics.
I don't think it'd happen inside the Olympic Village (where some of the events/all the athletes are housed/major non-sport Olympic events happen, like pin trading). What I heard the biggest concern is OUTSIDE the village where to be blunt: There's not enough security around to protect the people going to watch the games and/or in the town. It's a scary thought it could happen, and there's been a lot of problems going on right now down there. I know there's a lot of athletes who love the Olympics and this is their lifelong dream and so much planning goes into it, but this time I kinda hope with all the recent events it would've been cancelled or delayed. Or that Russia would've asked for help with security. They have boats, planes, and all this other stuff to carry athletes out if anything happens, but it still worries me.
While Putin has claimed they would be one of the most grandiose shows put on, all of the controversy surrounding the treatment of homosexuality (among other factors) is off-putting, I am slightly concerned about economic implications, and most importantly the very threats that this thread seem to be mentioning. The Olympics typically do have a huge amount of security, and I doubt that a repeat of Munich would occur especially with the government's understanding of heightened tensions and potentials for calamity around the region, but it would be the best to stay safe. I do typically enjoy both summer and winter Olympic events but to be honest I simply feel this particular one a tad bit unsettling. There will no doubt be some sort of bolstered security around the entire city, both from the very fact that there were threats towards the venues and these events typically have bolstered security in the first place, and considering how Putin is using this as a way to show the power of a new Russia, I hardly feel he would want to be embarrassed by insurgents ruining the events. In some way or form, many Olympics in the past have been controversial (look at Beijing, for example), and at the very least the government would have sense on their head to know they must protect the venues and the city hosting them in line with the threats, especially in terms of self-interest. Now, this leads to the problem of making sure that other places in the country are safe enough. It would not be dandy if there were attacks in Dagestan while folks were in the middle of ice hockey games. The administration needs to be on their toes to know well enough that hosting the Olympics can leave them vulnerable in both concentration of assets and future economic implications (which can either make it harder to deal with insurgency or simply incite it more). Understanding this, and understanding it well, might help reduce the atmosphere of nervousness a bit. Perhaps this very instance could help Putin show the international community that his nation can deal with insurgent threats effectively and efficiently. Let us hope that all individuals are safe when the events begin.
You don't mess with Putin. The Sochi Winter Olympics are to be his moment of glory, his chance of being able to present a spotless event after all the controversies his regime has endured. My guess is that he's not going to leave anything to chance.
