Example of the ignorance NYTimes opinion piece comments. These idiots have no clue how things work in Russia. Like absolute morons they think that the same political pressures work in Russia that work in America. And they're clearly not thinking of the catastrophes that would result if Russians ever tried to violently overthrow Putin. Talk about a power vacuum existing in a country with the biggest nuclear arsenal. Morons.
Sandy
Milwaukee36m ago
Mr. Stephens is incorrect. One thing that marathon running/training teaches you is that life’s not fair, a lot can go wrong as you pursue your individual goals, and you deal with it. More broadly, shame serves a purpose. If we are ever to evolve, the civilized world needs to shame the uncivilized and criminal countries of the world, especially when the crime involves rolling tanks across a border, and the indiscriminate targeting and execution of civilian men and women. If a majority of Russians act to depose Putin—rather than 80% of Russians expressing their support for Putin—Putin would be deposed (and God willing be tried for his war crimes). Maybe this loss of qualification will cause these runners to act in a courageous way. If they do, we’ll all be more than willing, more than happy, to shower them with honor at next year’s race. Running Boston is an honor. Was it fair that the Chinese government’s incompetence led to a worldwide pandemic, that killed millions and (on a much more minor scale of unfairness) deprived me of the joy and honor of running my third Boston Marathon in Boston (as opposed to virtually, in Milwaukee) in 2020? Sure. But remember, life’s not fair.