“From Russia, with love?”
The finger of accusation has landed hard and uncompromisingly at the entirety of Russia with the eyes of the world on the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics and
the gay propaganda and blasphemy laws that have recently been passed there. And whilst there is no denying the utterly horrendous situation that has been created, as C4 documentary
Hunted showed us so powerfully, it is hard not feel that there’s an element of self-absolution at work that sticks a little in the craw.
Maybe it’s Cold War attitudes lingering on, a wilful ignorance or simply the beginnings of a new culture of Twitter-based light-touch activism – but there’s no easy way to accuse others so blithely when our own house is in such disarray. That said, there’s no simple answer that’s for sure and the impulse to support those who are being oppressed is one that is both admirable and one to be nurtured.