Lindsey Graham: Boycott The Olympics Because Snowden, Putin, Hitler And Stalin (Oh My?)!

from the buckets-of-stupid dept

Thu, Jul 18th 2013 6:44am — Timothy Geigner

Senator Lindsey Graham has made little secret about his feelings on the NSA's more controversial domestic and international spying programs. When asked about the concern over NSA spying, Graham went with the Monty Python method for discourse known as talking about something completely different. He's also on the record as being quite pleased that Verizon is helping make his life the open book none of us want to read. Couple all this with his disinterest in first amendment principles and you're left with a southern-tongued windbag.

"Welcome to Afghanistan, Senator. And might I say that's some mighty idiotic camouflage you're wearing."
Image source: CC BY 2.0

But bluster is a process, not a single undertaking, which is why Senator Graham is back at it, this time making his case for the United States boycotting the upcoming Olympics in Russia.

"I love the Olympics, but I hate what the Russian government is doing throughout the world," Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told NBC News on Tuesday. "If they give asylum to a person who I believe has committed treason against the United States, that's taking it to a new level." Graham even suggested that Putin's actions should raise the specter of the pre-World War II Berlin games hosted by Adolf Hitler's regime.

"If you could go back in time, would you have allowed Adolf Hitler to host the Olympics in Germany? To have the propaganda coup of inviting the world into Nazi Germany and putting on a false front?" Graham said of the Games.

Sort of takes your breath away, doesn't it? Snowden, arguably a whistleblower, could get asylum in Russia and suddenly Putin is on par with murdering millions of people? Whoo boy. Now, to be fair, Graham does say it isn't only the Snowden issue that earns Putin his Hitler status. There's also their support of Iran, the Syrian government, and some supposed threats to Israel. Still, boycotting the Olympics on the grounds that Snowden's potential asylum is the straw that breaks the camel's back is a level of insanity I haven't seen out of Graham before.

"What I'm trying to do is let the Russians know enough is enough. How much more are we going to let them get away with before we make it real to them?" Graham said.

And apparently the best method for making that "real" to Russia is boycotting the olympic games? The only time we've ever boycotted the Olympics was back in 1980, when the United States was mad at the Soviet Union for invading -- you guessed it -- Afghanistan. Yay, synergy! Unfortunately for Graham and any band of merry idiots that would like to join him, Olympic boycotts are not for the government to decide. That's up to the USOC, who has decidedly no interest in any boycott.

In response, U.S. Olympic Committee spokesman Patrick Sandusky tweeted Wednesday, "While we acknowledge the seriousness of the issues at hand, we strongly oppose the notion that a boycott of the Olympic and Paralympic Games is in our country's best interests."

He couldn't be more correct. Why? Well, let's start with American hypocrisy when it comes to offering asylum to whistleblowers and end with the fact that the Olympics barely matter on the world stage. But keep shaking those fists, Senator. Maybe some day someone will think you have something serious to offer.

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Filed Under: ed snowden, hitler, lindsey graham, olympics, putin, russia

46 Comments

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Ninja (profile), 18 Jul 2013 @ 5:09am

Old man yells at the cloud...
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- silverscarcat (profile), 18 Jul 2013 @ 5:46am
  
  Re:
  Stop insulting those old men who yell at clouds.
  
  This is Peter Griffin level stupidity.
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  - Zakida Paul (profile), 18 Jul 2013 @ 7:25am
    
    Re: Re:
    Stop insulting Peter Griffin level stupidity.
    
    This is a whole other level of stupidity yet to be named.
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Jul 2013 @ 6:48am

Lindsey Graham needs to do himself (and us) a favor and retire - ride off into the sunset never to be heard from again.
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- Anonymous Coward, 18 Jul 2013 @ 6:51am
  
  Re:
  Don't you mean into the sun? lets make it the next NASA project.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Kevin H (profile), 18 Jul 2013 @ 4:43pm
    
    Re: Re:
    KickStarter?
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    - Anonymous Coward, 19 Jul 2013 @ 3:32pm
      
      Re: Re: Re:
      yes!
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- Anonymous Coward, 18 Jul 2013 @ 7:21am
  
  Re:
  But he only graduated from Junior Senator a few years ago when Strom Thurmond died! He has to enjoy being a Senior Senator while he still has a few years left!
  
  /sarcasm
  
  South Carolina has some seriously messed up senators, coming from someone who used to live there.
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Voltaire, 18 Jul 2013 @ 6:49am

hmmmm
You would think such a clearly closeted homosexual would be more interested in privacy.
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- Dark Helmet (profile), 18 Jul 2013 @ 6:51am
  
  Re: hmmmm
  "You would think such a clearly closeted homosexual would be more interested in privacy."
  
  Closeted? From his appearance, I always assumed Lindsey Graham was America's first openly gay lesbian Senator. What am I missing here?
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Jul 2013 @ 6:57am

I'm surprised the USOC hasn't sent Senator Graham a cease and desist order for using the word Olympics yet.
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Jul 2013 @ 6:59am

It's funny that he would be accusing other governments of Hitler-level antics.

But then again, it's America and our number one export is hypocrisy.
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Jul 2013 @ 7:01am

Someone needs to sit the senator down and explain Godwin's Law and related sayings and usages to him.
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- Lurker Keith, 18 Jul 2013 @ 8:54am
  
  I'm curious...
  If Godwin's Law is evoked AS the news story, does it still apply to the comments?
  
  On a related note, Pro-NSA supports have lost the debate on spying (not that they were going to win to begin w/), since it was their side that evoke Godwin's Law; we need to find a way to enforce this loss.
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Jul 2013 @ 7:09am

i cant see how Snowden's status is in question. he is not 'arguably a whistle blower' he is a whistle blower, and bloody well done to him! if these thick fucking senators concentrated as much time and effort into doing their job as they do trying to piss up Obama's back and telling him it's raining, by slagging Snowden off and by condoning what the NSA and others have been doing/are still doing to the citizens of the whole world, not just America, then maybe, just maybe the USA and other countries would be in better positions than they are right now!
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- Anonymous Coward, 18 Jul 2013 @ 7:33am
  
  Re:
  Everyone would be significantly better off, including them, but I don't see those in power actually doing their jobs anytime soon. The US has become a nation ruled by greed and apathy.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Coward, 18 Jul 2013 @ 7:17am

If you could go back in time, would you have allowed Adolf Hitler to host the Olympics in Germany?

I was under the impression Jesse Owens did a marvelous job showing Hitler's ideology up in 1936.
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- Richard (profile), 18 Jul 2013 @ 2:24pm
  
  Re:
  I was under the impression Jesse Owens did a marvelous job showing Hitler's ideology up in 1936.
  
  An impression which was sadly false.
  
  In fact Hitler did not treat Owens any worse than any other non-German athlete.
  
  Owens said "Hitler had a certain time to come to the stadium and a certain time to leave." "It happened he had to leave before the victory ceremony after the 100 meters. But before he left I was on my way to a broadcast and passed near his box. He waved at me and I waved back. I think it was bad taste to criticize the 'man of the hour' in another country."[13]"
  
  The people who mistreated him were Americans.
  
  He never received any acknowledgement from FDR and he had to ride the freight elevator to get to the reception for Olympic athletes at the Waldorf Astoria after the games.
  
  In Germany he was allowed to stay in the same hotels as white athletes - not so in the US at the time...
  see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_Owens
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ahow628 (profile), 18 Jul 2013 @ 7:20am

Could have all been avoided...
We could have avoided this whole situation if his parents had given him a regular name instead of a girl's name.
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Squirrel Brains (profile), 18 Jul 2013 @ 7:31am

Someone should leak Lindsey Graham's cell phone metadata. I'd be interested in what is in there. In fact, if he has nothing to hide, he should work to get it released himself. Going farther, by not releasing his metadata, we know that Lindsey Graham has something he wants to hide. What is he up to? Is Lindsey Graham a terrorist?
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Transmitte (profile), 18 Jul 2013 @ 7:44am

STFU Lindsey, you arrogant pissbag.
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Jul 2013 @ 7:44am

People forget that the US that is deeply involved in world affairs didn't really start until World War II. Up until that point we were rather obsessively isolationist. After the peak of globalism in the 80s and 90s it looks like the pendulum is swinging the other way. I would not be surprised if the government decided that involving itself in the UN is not worth its time anymore and kicks them out of New York.
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- Dark Helmet (profile), 18 Jul 2013 @ 8:01am
  
  Re:
  "People forget that the US that is deeply involved in world affairs didn't really start until World War II. Up until that point we were rather obsessively isolationist."
  
  That is categorically untrue, particularly with regard to the founding fathers, who were mostly vehement expansionists and had no problem going to war over trade/global affairs in other nations....
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  - Anonymous Coward, 18 Jul 2013 @ 8:30am
    
    Re: Re:
    Then explain what happened to the League of Nations? Or why we needed the Lend-Lease Act?
    
    The Monroe Doctrine meant that to the exclusion of all else, the US only meddled in the affairs of its southern neighbors up until World War II.
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    - Dark Helmet (profile), 18 Jul 2013 @ 8:44am
      
      Re: Re: Re:
      "The Monroe Doctrine meant that to the exclusion of all else, the US only meddled in the affairs of its southern neighbors up until World War II."
      
      Are you familiar with how the Louisiana Purchase actually happened? How we played the British and French off one another in order to make that deal and double the size of our country in a day?
      
      Have you never heard of the Barbary War, when Jefferson sent our Navy to lay siege to Tripoli over what was a combination of trade issues and Islamic piracy?
      
      Are you not familiar with the founding fathers' plans to expand into Canada by use of military force?
      
      Do you not understand that Jefferson in particular was a vehement expansionist who believed that the United States should be actively spreading democracy and the enlightenment across the globe as much as possible?
      
      Our operations in the 1800s against Greek pirate ships?
      
      Our expansion expeditions into Fiji and Samoa?
      
      The annexation of Texas?
      
      The bombarding of San Juan?
      
      Our meddling in the Second Opium War?
      
      Our involvement in the Anglo-Egyptian War?
      
      Our Navy's involvement in the Chilean Civil War of 1891?
      
      Our meddling in Cuba that led to the Spanish American War?
      
      The Philipine American War?
      
      Our occupation of Haiti?
      
      Every single one of those happened before WWII, and we're a pretty young friggin' nation. That's as isolationist as a wasp is friendly....
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      - Joe Dirt, 18 Jul 2013 @ 9:47am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re:
        Thank you DH. I was going to post something similar. In fact, we only became moderately isolationist post WWI.
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Jul 2013 @ 7:46am

They have something big on this guy
Seriously, why would anyone shill for those people?
I'm sure they have Gay stuff on him, but sheesh! It must be Kiddie porn. Everyone knows he is Gay!
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Ron (profile), 18 Jul 2013 @ 7:47am

Relese their Meta Data
If the senators think this info is not harmful then the companies that are helping them should release all the meta data of those senators to the public. If the can have our data then we the people should have their data.
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Capitalist Lion Tamer (profile), 18 Jul 2013 @ 7:50am

What I find most noxious about his statement is that he thinks the world should revolve around HIS subjective opinion:

"If they give asylum to a person who I believe has committed treason against the United States, that's taking it to a new level."

The US, including its Olympic competitors, should defer to Lindsey's personal beliefs. Got it.
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Jul 2013 @ 8:12am

How can any country boycott the olympics now? There are too many people who appreciate the olympics...and will buy tickets. Those that can't get the time, or funding, will watch on TV. maybe even buy merchandise. and follow events.

I don't understand how he plans to erect enough filters to keep the tweets, FB updates, news updates, newspapers, etc - from keeping us from talking about the olympics.

Because unless the Olympics are actually canceled - we are killing the dreams of the children. Is he not thinking of the children?
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- technomage (profile), 18 Jul 2013 @ 8:37am
  
  Re:
  That's one of the problems...He usually thinks of the children a little too much.
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Jul 2013 @ 8:29am

I applaud Lindsey Graham's proposal.

I mean with all of the other things at our disposal to express our displeasure (military, economic), why not hit them where it REALLY hurts?

Boycott the Olympics - that'll show 'em!

/sarcasm
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gorehound (profile), 18 Jul 2013 @ 8:35am

Senator Lindsey Graham take a Retirement along with the rest of your Bigoted Anti-LGBT, Anti-Women, and Religious Extremist Freako Republican Baggers.
I for one am sick of their hate rhetoric and how they use Far Right Religion with no respect for our different spiritual/religious beliefs.
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FuzzyDuck, 18 Jul 2013 @ 8:58am

Wrong question senator
"What I'm trying to do is let the Russians know enough is enough. How much more are we going to let them get away with before we make it real to them?" Graham said.

Erm... the question is more how much is the world going to let the USA get away? Will the moment come when other nations say enough is enough?

(I am not holding my breath, but the US is pushing it to the limits.)
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Jul 2013 @ 9:20am

His metaphor is backwards
America boycotts the fascists for harbouring a traitor?
More like fascists boycotting for harbouring a whistleblower.
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Mason Wheeler (profile), 18 Jul 2013 @ 10:01am

Does anyone even care about the Olympics enough for it to matter anymore? They lost all legitimacy a few years back, when they went and took something that was supposed to be a celebration of the dignity of mankind, and let China host it. They didn't even have the excuse that they did with Nazi Germany of not really knowing what was going on inside the country...
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Jul 2013 @ 10:40am

In USA telling the truth is considered treason.

Where is the logic?
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- Anonymous Coward, 18 Jul 2013 @ 1:34pm
  
  Re:
  Where in that is there freedom?
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EditorAtSmall, 18 Jul 2013 @ 10:51am

Grammar
Maybe some day someone will think you have something serious to offer.

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John Fenderson (profile), 18 Jul 2013 @ 11:19am

Strange bedfellows?
I'm with Graham in encouraging the boycotting of the Olympics, but for very different reasons. We should boycott the Olympics because the Olympics organization is a despicable organization that encourages and requires the host nations to abuse their citizens.
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Jul 2013 @ 11:19am

> "I love the Olympics, but I hate what the Russian government is doing throughout the world," Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told NBC News on Tuesday.

The feeling is mutual, Senator. As a Russian, I hate what *your* government is doing, so we are even.
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ECA (profile), 18 Jul 2013 @ 11:48am

????
cAN anyone suggest to this idiot to learn abit about the history of WWII??
And that the CORPS in the USA were BACKING Germany?
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Louis Godena, 18 Jul 2013 @ 11:56am

Graham has the added emotional burden of being a gay man who is still in the closet. That probably explains part of the pathology that is inherent in his personality. Twice-born anythings are generally pretty screwed up, but when it is someone in political life, the damage they can do is truly appalling.
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Anonymous, 18 Jul 2013 @ 2:59pm

I notice the US didn't boycott the Olympics when they were held in Red China. More Amerikkkan hypocrisy at its finest.
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Jul 2013 @ 5:31pm

Seriously Lindsey Graham makes me want to move to South Carolina just so I can vote for the other guy.
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Feedback (profile), 19 Jul 2013 @ 1:26pm

So, what can I boycott because of Lindsey Graham?
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