Putin 'Solves' Gay Activism Dilemma at Olympics by Banning All Demonstrations in Sochi

Well, this should put an end to questions about how Russia will be enforcing its anti-gay "propaganda" law that essentially criminalizes publicly discussing gay issues during the Olympics. Vladimir Putin is banning all forms of public assemblies or protests in Sochi, period, around the time of the games. The Associated Press explains:

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree banning demonstrations and rallies for two and a half months in Sochi around the 2014 Winter Olympics.

The Rossiyskaya Gazeta, the official government newspaper, published the presidential decree Friday, listing an array of measures tightening security in the Olympic host city, including the ban on public assemblies. All "gatherings, rallies, demonstrations, marches and pickets" that are not part of the Olympics or the Paralympics will be prohibited in Sochi from Jan. 7 to March 21, the decree said.

The Winter Olympics is taking place in the Black Sea resort from Feb. 7-23 and the Paralympics are being held March 7-16.

Let's hope nobody in Sochi was planning for a large family reunion gathering during February.

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Comments

[William of Purple]

Drug testing is anti-Gay

[anon]

violation of the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) code.

What the fuck? I never signed up for that shit.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Equality comes in many forms.

[Episiarch]

Putin understands how to stand above special interests and just deny basic freedoms to everyone, not just homos. He's a proper dictator, standing with the likes of Augustus or Franco.

[anon]

Yeah, he's not on Obama's level yet though. It's more of an art form to be a secret dictator, subverting your country and government's will.

[BardMetal]

Well at least everyone is being treated equally.

[Pro Libertate]

Really, I was just thinking that when people read histories of our era, they'll focus on reading about him and Russia, not so much about America's decline, which they'll just collapse into one event, rather than the things that led up to it. He's just too entertaining.

[jesse.in.mb]

He's THE MOST INTERESTING DICTATOR IN THE WORLD

No seriously, click the link, it's Putin fellatastic.

[anon]

That meal at 10 Downing Street must've been delicious. I'd love to eat his food just once! I wonder what type of meal Kim Jong-Il served him.

This is jezzy-level retard going on here.

[Kaptious Kristen]

I think the whole site is satire, yes?

[anon]

If you were going thru the effort to create a piece of satire to be enjoyed by people everywhere, don't you think you'd do it a little ... better?

No way. I'm betting this is a True Believer's work.

[Robert]

I suspect it to be the work of the hosts of "Thunk Tank" (Bronwyn and whoever) on WFMU.

For someone else's take, see Vladimir Putin Action Comics.

[Loki]

I'd love to eat his food just once!

I don't think it's Putin's food this guy wants to eat... unless he's using "food" as a euphamism for "cock". NTTAWWT

[Goldwin Smith]

Is he an LRC, Anti-War.com contributor or a Reason poster?

[jesse.in.mb]

I dunno, I don't think anyone here has copped to living in WeHo.

Cesar Jones lives in West Hollywood and loves reading interesting news about Vladimir Putin.

I'm desperately hoping this site was done "ironically." He looks like a hipster, so it's certainly possible.

[Libertymike]

Even if it is not done ironically, it sure doesn't even come close to the Lincoln fellating, which is for real, in this here land of tyranny.

[Neoliberal Kochtopus]

LINCOLN LINCOLN LINCOLN LINCOLN LINCOLN

[Neoliberal Kochtopus]

Thomas Woods would totally beat all you guys up!

[Libertymike]

He's been training I hear.

[CE]

Can't I be all 3?

[Duke]

"He also shares my affinity for the long pole."

No doubt.

[Hyperion]

Putins a total asshole and a tyrant.

But somehow, I still know that I would enjoy it if he punched Obama in the mouth.

Why? Because right now, Obama is much bigger threat to my liberty that Putin can even dream about being.

It's pretty fucked up when you have US citizens seeking asylum in Russia, to escape from the tyranny here.

There was a time when I never thought I would see times like this.

[Goldwin Smith]

Uh Irony!

http://reason.com/archives/201.....-the-right

[Libertymike]

Just as Ronnie "I was an FBI snitch" Reagan was a much bigger threat to your liberty than Yuri Andropov.

[Goldwin Smith]

FDR was a greater to your liberty than Hitler.

[Libertymike]

"greater" what? I assume you meant to use the word threat. If that was your intention, I agree.

[Libertymike]

Goldwin, don't tell me that you are one of those brainwashed americans who regurgitate the pathetic propaganda that if it were not for D-day, we'd all be speaking german, today.

[Goldwin Smith]

No I don't believe that. I was just pointing out that "FDR was a greater threat to your liberty than Hitler" is the logical conclusion to the line of argument that "Obama is much bigger threat to my liberty that Putin can even dream about being."

Funny I don't see too many people make that argument.

[Goldwin Smith]

I mean the former argument.

[BardMetal]

I think that is somewhat debatable.

Actually it's a lot debatable. There is no way to know with any certainty what the world would look like now in 2013 if the Nazis would have won in 1945.

[Goldwin Smith]

I think that is somewhat debatable.

Actually it's a lot debatable. There is no way to know with any certainty what the world would look like now in 2013 if the Nazis would have won in 1945.

You do have a point. Hitler was crazy enough to think going to war against the US, UK and USSR at the same time was a good idea so who knows what he would have done if he had conquered Europe.

[Libertymike]

If the Nazis could not cross the channel and make the brits cry uncle in 1940-41, when the german war machine was at the peak of its power and control, upon what basis can you argue that, but for D-day, some three-four years later, we would be speaking german today?

[Goldwin Smith]

Oh yes I meant "greater threat" since the squirrels ate my original post.

I don't see too many libertarians make that point. Gee I wonder why?

[Libertymike]

Well, I am all eyes.

[Goldwin Smith]

Well saying that "FDR was a greater threat to your liberty than Hitler" is hard to make without sounding like a Hitler apologist.

Not to mention opposing WWII is a bit difficult to do.

Also this would alienate their "anti-war" leftist friends who are full of shit.

I mean how many people who attack US aggression attacked US "isolationism" during the 1920s and 1930s? And why was it wrong for Churchill and Eden to oust Mossadegh but not to oust Reza Pahlavi?

[anon]

Well saying that "FDR was a greater threat to your liberty than Hitler" is hard to make without sounding like a Hitler apologist.

I've argued against FDR and WW2, but it isn't a very popular argument. People get too easily distracted by nazis.

[BardMetal]

They also get distracted by Japanese when they blow up a bunch of ships in a sneak attack.

[Goldwin Smith]

By bit difficult I mean that attacking the Good War is not very mainstream and you will be allying yourself with some very unlibertarian people.

[Duke]

"Well saying that "FDR was a greater threat to your liberty than Hitler" is hard to make without sounding like a Hitler apologist."

Or...maybe everyone doesn't subscribe to a simplistic and false white/black paradigm of how they view the world. Such as, If you don't like Roosevelt, then you must like Hitler. If you hate Roosevelt, you must love Hitler. If you're not a Democrat, then you're a Republican...

[Libertymike]

Americans tend to subscribe to such false black / white paradigms.

[Libertymike]

True dat. But you will also be allying yourself with some very unlibertarian people if you regurgitate "greatest generation" and "WWII was the good war" and on and on and...........

[DJF]

I thought that politics was banned at all Olympics?

[Goldwin Smith]

Didn't stop Black September.

[Goldwin Smith]

When will Postrel write an article titled "Why are Libertarians Praising Putin"?

[Libertymike]

Libertarian light Cathy Young has already done so.

[albo]

I'm sure a protest-free zone at Sochi will be as effective as a gun-free zone in the US.

[albo]

I'm sure a protest-free zone at Sochi will be as effective as a gun-free zone in the US.

[albo]

I'm sure a protest-free zone at Sochi will be as effective as a gun-free zone in the US.

[Libertymike]

Your once, twice, three times a poster.....

[Nazdrakke]

It's 3 o' clock somewhere.

[Robert]

Like Pittsburgh for the G-8?

[Robert]

Or was that the WTO?

[James Anderson Merritt]

In Putin's Russia, speech is free of YOU! rim shot

[Audrey the Liberal]

I bet John wishes that the USA was more like Russia in this respect.