Vladimir Putin and the 2014 Olympics. Why the former will fail even if the latter succeeds.

We are weeks away from the opening ceremonies of the 2014 Sochi Olympics and there are faint echoes of what took place in 1980.  Instead of nations boycotting the games due of the Soviet invasion into Afghanistan, Western leaders have become far too busy to join Russian President Vladimir Putin for the opening ceremonies.

The Sochi games were supposed to solidify Vladimir Putin’s reputation as a leader of a resurgent Russia, but instead they highlight the downsides of leader who long overstayed his welcome on the political stage.

Behind the athleticism of each Olympiad, there is a political component to these games.  International participation from global leaders—not unlike what took place in Beijing in 2008—would serve to burnish the credentials of Vladimir Putin.  This time they are staying home.

Instead of moving westward, Russia has slouched backwards into a modern version of its feudal past. Perhaps in response to the new Russian legislation that targets the LGBT community, the American delegation will consist of skater Brian Boitano, tennis champion Billie Jean King and hockey player Caitlin Cahow, all members of the LGBT community.  President Obama and Vice President Biden will have other plans.

In a bill overwhelmingly passed by the Russian Duma and signed into law by Vladimir Putin, members of the LGBT community will face increased harassment. Public events and dissemination of information on the LGBT community will result in fines–or worse.  Had these laws been enacted prior to the selection of Sochi, the outcry alone would have sent the Olympiad to South Korea, the second place finisher for the 2014 games.

Further, the release of three members of Pussy Riot and former Yukos CEO Mikhail Khodorkovsky this week rings equally hollow.  Each trial was a sham of its own.  It is a case of Putin martinizing his dirty laundry before the world press and 85 nations show up at his doorstep. In the case of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, while no Boy Scout himself, Russian prosecutors were ready to charge him with further crimes once the current prison sentences ended.  When the members of Pussy Riot were released, they labeled Putin’s act as a PR stunt, perhaps expecting that they would be rounded up again once the Olympic flame has been extinguished.

Why Nelson Mandela Succeeded

As we look at the outpouring of grief with Nelson Mandela’s passing, many have paused to reflect upon an uncommon man who lived an uncommon life.

The question is this: why was he successful as the President of South Africa when many of his peers who led other regional countries were utter failures? Furthermore, what can all political leaders learn from Mandela’s example?

We all know the basic facts of Nelson Mandela’s life.  He grew up in South Africa and was trained as an attorney.  With Oliver Tambo, Walter Sisulu, and others, they formed the African National Congress (ANC), which became the focal point for resistance against the apartheid regime of South Africa.  Jailed in 1962, he spent nearly three decades in a variety of brutal South African prisons until his release in 1990.  He served one five year term as president and spent the rest of his life as a global ambassador.

What made Mandela different?