by Walter Brasch
For Vladimir Putin, the winter Olympics is
not about sports or international camaraderie. It’s a carefully orchestrated
propaganda opportunity to try to showcase the nation’s athletes and show the
world a Russia that, even with its great culture and arts, may exist only in
the imaginations of those who believe in restoring the country’s previous
grandeur.
Sochi itself is not typical city for a
winter Olympics. It’s a sub-tropical city of about 340,000, located along the
Black Sea. Its selection by Russia was to let the world believe that the
country in winter is not Siberia but a resort, suitable for tourists.
Under Putin’s personal direction, Russia
spent more than 1.8 trillion rubles (the equivalent of about $51 billion U.S.)
to build the Olympic village, with its buildings, stadiums, and infrastructure.
This is a greater cost than all previous winter Olympics combined. It also
includes cost over-runs and various forms of corruption. But, disregard
that—that’s an internal problem. Here are a few of the real problems.
