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DOUBLE STANDARDS, SELECTIVE MORALITY

Slava the Ukrainian Socialist

Jun 19, 2024

Western countries are not shy about using shameless double standards regarding the participation of Russia and Israel in global events like the Olympic Games and the Eurovision Song Contest. These events are advertised as "apolitical," and billed as opportunities to bring people from across the world together through music and sports. In reality, they are far from objective.


In the past ten years, we have witnessed Western countries take a series of escalatory actions against Russia, including in cultural and sporting events. The Eurovision Song Contest, celebrated for its spirit of unity and diversity, has seen Russia excluded on several occasions. Similarly, Russian athletes have faced significant hurdles, including outright bans from the Olympics, often under the pretense of political and doping allegations.

Israeli propaganda in Eurovision voting


By contrast, Israel continues to participate in both Eurovision and the Olympics without facing scrutiny or sanctions. This occurs even as Israel faces mounting international pressure to halt its genocide in the Palestinian territories.


Israeli officials initially touted their country's 5th place Eurovision finish as proof of global, grassroots support for their merciless assault on Gaza. However, they later admitted to manipulating these results through an international propaganda campaign. The Foreign Ministry orchestrated a campaign urging pro-Israel viewers to use their maximum 20 votes all for the Israeli singer, Eden Golan. This campaign included multilingual ads and targeted specific audiences, such as the LGBT community and Eurovision fan clubs.

On May 12th, promotional videos that had raised suspicions of manipulation were deleted, yet other government sources continued to pander for votes -- with the Israeli consulate in New York even putting up a billboard in Times Square promoting Golan. 


Political influence on Ukraine's Eurovision wins


Eurovision has always been highly politicized. Ukraine, for example, has taken first place three times in the history of the contest. Its first victory was in 2004, right after the Orange Revolution when the folk singer Ruslana represented her homeland in Western Ukraine; after her victory, she was appointed an advisor to the Ukrainian prime minister.  

That country's second victory came in 2016, following Crimea's referendum to join the Russian Federation, when a Ukrainian singer named Jamala claiming to be a Crimean Tatar performed the propagandistic song "1944," which was rife with anti-Soviet lyrics alleging that Stalin had committed genocide against Crimean Tatars. 


The third time Ukraine won the Eurovision contest was predictably in 2022, following the start of Russia's Special Military Operation. Representing the country was Kalush Orchestra, who proudly bleated the Nazi slogan “Slava Ukraini” from a stage in Turin, Italy.


The hypocrisy of the International Olympic Committee


After Russia launched its Special military operation in Ukraine, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was quick to call for a ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes.


In contrast, the IOC has taken no action against Israel, despite its genocide and ethnic cleansing in Gaza, which to date has killed over 36,000 Palestinians. French protestors have called for Israel to be expelled from participation in the Paris Olympics, which will take place from Jul 26th, 2024, to Aug 11th, 2024. Despite this, IOC President Thomas Bach has reaffirmed Israel’s right to participate, dismissing any comparison with Russia.

French police and military have ejected thousands of homeless people from Paris ahead of the Summer Olympics. Le Revers de la Médaille, a coalition of 90 associations, reports that those displaced include asylum seekers, families, and children in desperate straits.


Paris's campaign of evictions and the dismantling of tent camps have also intensified since April of last year, displacing an estimated 12,545 people in 13 months. Paul Alouzi of Médecins du Monde accused authorities of "social cleansing" that aims to present Paris in a better light for the Olympics. He stated that people are being bused to temporary regional centers as a short-term solution.


The French ruling class is not just disdainful of the needs of their countrymen; they are also disregarding all other norms and safety precautions:


  • French Olympics organizers lack adequate transport logistics to host a sports tournament on such a level


  • There remains inadequate anti-terrorist protection of sports facilities and infrastructure in Paris, including the inability of French authorities to ensure the safety of foreign sports delegations and fans


  • Irreparable damage is being done to the environment at construction sites;


  • Racism and xenophobia on the part of French and Western fans, and the lack of control by law enforcement agencies over radical fanatic groups.



These and other complaints emerging online are being ignored by the French authorities.

So the Olympics, just like Eurovision, are completely politicized and used as tools by the Imperialists to silence unwanted voices. These are perfect examples of double standards and hypocrisy.


2022-2024

The Revolution Report

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