Ad Hoc Commentary – the American ring failed during Sochi 2014
The media is making brouhaha over the now infamous ‘failed’ ring at the 2014 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony at Sochi.
The Olympic symbol was designed by Pierre de Coubertin: “… [the five interlaced rings] represents the five continents of the world, united by Olympism…”.
Prior to 1951, the official handbook states: “… the colors of the Olympic Rings attributed to the respective five continents are as follows: Blue for Europe, yellow for Asia, black for Africa, green for Australia and red for America…”.
Interestingly, the ring that failed was the red ring representing the American continent. Yours truly finds it interesting that the Russians fail on such a simple device. Ensuring an 18-sided star is transformed into a circle of light seems almost too trivial for Russia. This is after all the nation of highly advanced stealth nuclear submarines.
The superstitious would likely conclude that it is a bad omen for the American continent. Just as they would conclude that peace dove attacked by black crow is a bad omen for world peace.
In any case, now is neither the time to worry about world peace or the isolation of America. Now is the time to enjoy the most expensive Olympics in history. And the time to buy some S&P500 components for the squeeze higher. We will entertain the worry about the isolation of America and a world devoid of peace later in the year.
Good luck in the markets.
Could it be on purpose ?
Will anyone get dismissed?
Will American respond in kind?
Could only tell after Sochi 2014.
If Konstantin Ernst, the creative director, lives to see another day just as Gorbachev lives till today, then it is probable that it was done on purpose.
In that case, it was probably a veiled attack on America for getting involved in Ukraine – the leaked diplomatic telephone conversation, the allegation that America was funding regime change, etc.
Yes, as the nytimes recently said, we can only tell Russia next moves after Putin takes off the hockey gloves:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/11/world/europe/awaiting-russias-next-move-in-ukraine.html