This assignment is worth 100 points. It is due Tuesday, February 11 – end of the day.
The 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia provide some of the most compelling political events ever on an Olympic stage. The threat of terrorism is wholly valid. Breakaway Islamic republics have resisted the Russian government for decades; threats to disrupt the games are real. Recently, the Putin government came out aggressively against homosexuality. Many of the Olympic athletes support homosexual rights; some are openly gay themselves. This will provide a platform for protest. Russia has challenged the West in Syria with its full throated support of Bashar al-Assad. President Vladimir Putin himself is a polarizing figure. Through aggressive executive order and slashing of personal freedoms he has in many ways taken the Russian state back to the days of the Soviet Union.
And then there’s Pussy Riot…
