The separation of sports and politics no longer exists. In truth it never existed, but now even the pretense of apolitical international sporting bodies has been obliterated by Putin’s war. Sports and politics have always been inescapably intertwined. Especially on the global
From the first Tsars of the sixteenth century to the notoriously repressive Soviet regime to the contemporary mafia state of Vladimir Putin, Russia has long been a bastion of autocracy in Eastern Europe. Even the 1990s-era democratization attempt under Boris Yeltsin’s rule
The opinions expressed in this article are solely the author’s and do not reflect the views of The Phoenix Editorial Board. On January 17, 2021, Moscow authorities swiftly arrested Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny for “parole violation” upon his return to Russia,
“Art and activism — I think it’s been therapeutic for me. I’m depressed because of all the horrible political things I have experienced. Art helps me — once I was thinking I just want to cut my wings — I don’t want
Ever since the escalation of the Ukraine crisis in 2014, I have been repeatedly asked at Swarthmore what, as a Russian-American, I think of Vladimir Putin. Usually Americans view him negatively, and rightfully so: he’s a ruthless and uncompromising head of state.
Editor’s note: This article was initially published in The Daily Gazette, Swarthmore’s online, daily newspaper founded in Fall 1996. As of Fall 2018, the DG has merged with The Phoenix. See the about page to read more about the DG. http://warnewsradio.org/2014/09/04/weekly-newscast-september-5-2014/ This
Let’s face it: the Sochi Olympics were never going to be anything but amazing. That isn’t because of the level of competition. It’s not because of the record beating scores or the new team figure skating event. They were going to be
