Dissident gymnastics and you

There is one absolute truth: Russia invaded Ukraine, and nothing will ever be the same again.  There is black and white in this world, and Russia's action is black, without justification.  Ukrainians are being killed, in their droves. Russians are dying, in thousands.  All because of the vanity of Russia's President Putin and his siloviki. As ever, the little people - you and me, wherever we live - have little choice, it seems.  

Dissident Gymnastics will discuss this horrible War from the perspective of sport and in particular, gymnastics.  Other 'artistic' sports such as ice skating and rhythmic gymnastics will be brought in.  These are sports that pull on the heartstrings, possess a degree of sentimentality and embrace massive imbalances in power relationships.  Huge distortions of truth and actions of deceit have undermined the rights of athletes for years.  The history of artistic gymnastics over the past seventy years has been bound up in world history and society.  Russia is now banned from all FIG competition until further notice.  I doubt we will see the gymnasts compete at the next Olympics, nor the one after that.  Now is the time to reflect, to look back as well as forward.  

Please comment.  You will need a Google account to be able to do so.  All viewpoints are welcome, and I will be inviting some of you to contribute articles to this blog.  Be direct and polite and take the argument forward.   Know the boundaries.

A Manifesto

Support Ukraine.

Recognise the differences between state, country and people.  

Discuss the distortions of truth as you see them.  No one owns the whole truth and evil can perpetuate itself everywhere.  

Be kind.  Try to move the argument forward.  

Putin and his sivoliki are evil warmongers, killers, and the momentum of their war is going in the wrong direction for everyone.  If there is one way we can all prevent the growth of hatred, it is to fill our own worlds with as much love as possible.

Speak plainly, but try to defuse anger.  Anger makes us blind and deaf; listen and observe and express.  Untangle your thoughts and feelings.  Explain, disagree, debate but don't explode and destroy.

Be friends with those people who most clearly oppose your opinion; who knows what you will learn from each other. 

Context is all.  Where you have knowledge, please share it.  

Comment, add, agree, disagree.