just how we view and interact with them..

But that is not the main reason anymore, it is the bases we have there and their strategic positioning in the region. Oil is so yesterday..

Ed, I'm not arguing against any of your points. I agree with you. It's just that they are using the loophole of a corporation to get around the human rights issue. Besides, I'm pretty sure that the UCI won't do anything about it, as there is money involved. The UCI has never shown itself to be coin operated <pink>.

I think that there is a discussion that should be had at he UCI level.

Would it be accepted if North Korea had a similar setup? //

Well since NK is at the bottom of our shit list of countries we do business with, and have had sanctions in place forever, and SA is one of, if not our top ally in the world, not really a fair question, no? And i'n not arguing there is any difference in how each country comports itself, just how we view and interact with them..

Given the past, I think that's optimistic!

at the same time at least they allow females to race at their race and overall the triahlon has an positive impact on bahrain.

the question is simply how bad the bad in us is;

It is complicated, but I think the question is "how good is the good in us?"

I have little doubt that there the Bahraini royalty has done bad things, nor that that the participation in endurance sports has some propaganda intent - though I think it's more just having fun playing at "billionaire international playboy" like Jim Ratcliffe of Ineos.

But I also have little doubt that exposing the culture to western culture through endurance sports is good, intended or not.

So the question is are we so weak that the negative aspects of their culture win? Or will the positive aspects of our culture win?

I don't like reading accounts of IM race directors bending/breaking rules to accommodate royalty. That's the bad parts of Bahraini elite culture making inroads into our governing bodies. While western culture is certainly not immune to the corrupting influence of money, that sort of in-your-face prostrating before "royalty" is hard to take.

On the other hand there are Bahraini children and women taking up running and cycling.

I'm an optimist, but I still think we win this battle.

the prince of bahrain, and bahrain's intersection with cycling and triathlon in general, is complicated, and to me quite interesting. like lance armstrong, like frank meza, and ultimately like the best among us, really good people are almost never fully good. the question is simply how bad the bad in us is; do we have enough power to inflict our badness on others; is our bad behavior uncovered; and do we have the ballast and presence to self-correct or do our faults include the inability to fix our character flaws and change our behaviors?

there's lots of moving parts to this. it's laughable that bahrain endurance 13 is a coincidence, and does not refer to the bahrain 13. so it would be nice if our intelligence is not insulted by the prince. but it also insults my intelligence to hold bahrain to a different torture standard than my own country. i've got problems with this prince and it's not just about that; it's about his goddam moto circus inside of our races. but i also applaud him for aggressively pushing a women's rights agenda on a culture that very badly needs that agenda pushed. complicated guy.

It is complicated, but I think the question is "how good is the good in us?"

I have little doubt that there the Bahraini royalty has done bad things, nor that that the participation in endurance sports has some propaganda intent - though I think it's more just having fun playing at "billionaire international playboy" like Jim Ratcliffe of Ineos.

But I also have little doubt that exposing the culture to western culture through endurance sports is good, intended or not.

So the question is are we so weak that the negative aspects of their culture win? Or will the positive aspects of our culture win?

I don't like reading accounts of IM race directors bending/breaking rules to accommodate royalty. That's the bad parts of Bahraini elite culture making inroads into our governing bodies. While western culture is certainly not immune to the corrupting influence of money, that sort of in-your-face prostrating before "royalty" is hard to take.

On the other hand there are Bahraini children and women taking up running and cycling.

good post .
but i guess the question is more what could UCI and Itu do to to make prevent sportwashing as much as possible?


I'm an optimist, but I still think we win this battle.

This article just triple confirms the prince a a legitimate POS.

But you support Frump I bet..... you did contribute and you just won’t stop. Let it go... the man is dead from all of these crazy folks thinking he deserved all the bullying. Depression is very serious and he was forced into it by all the attention and bullying. Why do you think you are the one that needs to keep piling on? Get a fucking life dude!!