The world’s No. 1-ranked men’s tennis player, Russian Daniil Medvedev, may be facing an unenviable dilemma if he is going to be allowed to play at Wimbledon this summer. British officials are discussing the possibility of requiring him to denounce Russian President Vladimir Putin in order to be eligible for this year’s tennis tournament.
Breitbart writer John Nolte is calling that requirement a form of “McCarthyism.”
British Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston confirmed that this consideration was discussed Tuesday at the British Parliament. Russia’s tennis teams have already been denied entry in the Davis and Billie Jean King Cup, and now the United Kingdom government wants harsh sanctions on Russian players.
The Telegraph quoted Huddleston saying, “It needs to go beyond that. We need some potential assurance that they are not supporters of Vladimir Putin and we are considering what requirements we may need to try and get some assurances along those lines.”
British officials discussed the possibility of Putin’s denunciation requirement with others nations. Huddleston said, “It would be better if we can decide some broad global consensus on this.” Such a move by Wimbledon would be a first in international sports and would not come without controversy. Russian athletes have condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but none have dared criticize their nation’s president.
Nolte was quick to label what the UK and Wimbledon are considering as “neo-McCarthyism.” He also wrote it’s “obscene” to make Russian athletes choose between playing Wimbledon and putting themselves and their families at risk by angering their dictator..:
“This approach is what’s most indefensible about the Woke Gestapo. Silence cannot be tolerated any longer. Neutrality means you’re the enemy. If you want to be on the right side or correct side of an issue you must declare it openly.
“How is that any different from McCarthyism?
“It’s not.”
Nolte went on to ask why the West should “behave in such a craven and shameful way” unless we want to alienate ourselves from the Russian citizens. This is virtue-signaling that would satisfy “smug elites” while doing nothing to impact Putin. The West could come off as bad guys, bullies and “fascists,” Nolte warned.
Nolte recalls from history that the West didn’t blacklist athletes during the Cold War. Adults still controlled the world, and they understood that we needed Russian people to our side. We would not be better than Joseph Stalin if purity testing were required.
Another point of contention for Nolte is that “these elitist bullies are the same people who suck up to China, despite a human rights record including genocide.” Many of them are doing business with China and would never demand Chinese athletes denounce their leader.
In fact, China’s Zhang Zhizhen competed last year at Wimbledon without facing the same potential requirement that Medvedev may be confronted with.
Nolte says that the United States is not at war against Russia, and wonders why it should be.
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