It became official this week; the International Olympic Committee says Russia will not be welcome at the upcoming Winter Games. This ostensibly due to what the IOC says was a widespread, and official, policy of performance enhancing drugs using, or doping.
But, is that all there is to this story?
The Russian government denies any such policy, saying the IOC is being used as an extension of Western efforts to isolate them, and to embarrass President Putin in the run-up to elections.
But is there still more going on here?
John Helmer is a long-time, Moscow-based journalist, author, and essayist whose website, Dances with Bears is the only news bureau “independent of single national or commercial ties.” He’s also a former political science professor who has served as an advisor to governments on three continents and regularly lectures on Russian topics. Helmer’s book titles include: ‘Uncovering Russia,’ ‘Urbanman: The Psychology of Urban Survival,’ ‘Bringing the War Home: The American Soldier in Vietnam and After,’ and ‘Drugs and Minority Oppression’ among others.
John Helmer in the first half.
And; the clock is ticking on efforts in the United States to stop again the once-defeated attempt to kill Net Neutrality, the principle deeming Internet service providers treat all data equally. Next week, the Federal Communications Commission is scheduled to vote whether or not to end the rules protecting that neutrality.
Despite broad-based opposition to the move from public interest advocacy groups, and some of the Internet’s most prominent corporate players, FCC chairman, Ajit Pai is standing pat on his declaration the rules are not necessary to protect users from what critics charge are the monopolistic tendencies of Big Data broadband providers.
Cory Doctorow is a science fiction author, activist, journalist, blogger, co-editor of BoingBoing.net, and former European director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation. While still working with EFF, he’s also a MIT Media Lab Research Affiliate, and Visiting Professor of Computer Science at Open University. The Canadian-born Doctorow co-founded the UK Open Rights Group, and currently resides in the United States.
Some of his book titles include: ‘Walkaway’, a novel for adults, the graphic novel, ‘In Real Life’, and ‘Information Doesn’t Want to be Free’, a book about earning a living in the Internet age. His Young Adult novels, ‘Little Brother’ and it’s sequel ‘Homeland’ were New York Times Bestsellers, and join ‘Pirate Cinema’, ‘Rapture of the Nerds’, and ‘Makers’.
Cory Doctorow and once again into the breach for Net Neutrality in the second half.
And; Victoria-based activist and CFUV Radio broadcaster at-large, Janine Bandcroft will join us at the bottom of the hour with the Left Coast Events bulletin of good things to do in and around our town in the coming week. But first, John Helmer and stone cold political Olympic games.
Chris Cook hosts Gorilla Radio, airing live every Thursday between 11-Noon Pacific Time. In Victoria at 101.9FM, and on the internet at: http://cfuv.uvic.ca. He also serves as a contributing editor to the web news site, http://www.pacificfreepress.com. Check out the GR blog at: http://gorillaradioblog.blogspot.ca/