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Mon 7 Apr, 2008 05:40 am
And kudos also to the government of China... who apparently thought that the Olympics would be a great way to highlight what a decent and modern government they have!
((I love these stories))
Hail, hail! Vive France. Didn't thought I'd be saying that this decade. Damn it anyway, they helped us out early on, threatened us a bit, always had a certain pugnacity that had a way of commuting itself to liberty when necessary...
Anyway, damn right - extinguish that thing! If it ain't going to be about mutual understanding (if they were going to do their thing and keep it out of our way they would have started by kindly not drooling on our energy-crunch oriented technology while enhancing their military and social controls) let it not be about signing off on the crap they pull. Free Taiwan! And Tibet I guess.
Does China really need the authentic Olympic Torch? They can mass produce thousands of knock-offs and have a parade of Olympic Torches, if they wanted. The problem, as I see it, is they don't relate to the world's reaction to their policies.
But they do own so many of the U.S. Treasury Notes, so we must be sensitive to their delusions.
I don't think trying to grab the torch is appropriate, but as long as these demonstrations remain peaceful, I'm all for them.
As much as I opposed the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, I did not support the US boycott of the Moscow Olympics, primarily because of the impact it had on not only the US athletes but those participating from other countries as well.
With the increased professionalism of spotlight Olympic athletes it's a little more difficult to feel sympathy for the athletes who are deprived of their chance for Olympic glory, but we should not lose sight of the fact that while not televised, there are very many events that still involve strictly amateur athletes and whether they show up on a Wheaties box or not the chance to be the best in the world and win an Olympic gold medal is a something very rare and special, and should not be dismissed lightly.
The young American men and women who compete in fencing, judo, archery, canoeing, handball, diving, table tennis etc are at best (worst?) semi-pro and clearly are competing for the love of sport, not to get rich, or as a novelty (a la NBA players).
The people spend at least four years of their lives training to participate in the Olympics, and it's truly a shame for them to be deprived of their opportunity to compete in the ultimate event of their sports, because governments cannot find better ways to address issues which come as no surprise to them. If the US and other Western nations had made it known years ago that they would not participate in an Olympics hosted by any country with the human rights record of a China or Soviet Union, the Olympic Committee may not have granted these countries the games.
The notion that a country like China will clean up it's human rights violations, once awarded the games and in anticipation of the global spotlight has been proven wrong on several occasions. Once they clean up their records, then they should be eligible to host the games, not before.
Now the games have been given to China, and the hopes of it reforming effect which never should have been held have been proven false. Should the athletes who had no say in where the games were to be held be penalized?
Let's also not forget that while professionalism runs rampant among winners of the spotlight events (irrespective of the national origin of the winners), there are thousands of truly amateur athletes participating from all over the globe, who have no real chance of coming away with a medal, but treasure, nevertheless, the ability to compete, on behalf of their countries, in the Olympics. Boycotting the Games impacts their experience as well.
One last important argument for not boycotting the Chinese Games: The Olympics, televised throughout the world (largely via US network feeds) provides the best cover Chinese dissidents have had for making their opposition to the totalitarian regime known to the world. Clearly there is no guarantee the Chinese government will not crack down on these dissidents during or after the games, but I suspect they are still happy for the opportunity.
Yes, protest the dictatorial injustices of the Chinese regime at every turn, but don't support a US boycott.
"A life spent in making mistkes is
not only more HONOURABLE but more USEFUL
than a life spent in doing nothing"--G B Shaw
I am heading down to the rally as we speak, looks like the protestors number in the thousands already.
Richard Gere and Bishop Tutu to speak.
Hope to have some photos and video.
When the Greeks started the Olympics the world was much smaller. Perhaps that should apply to the Olympics also? Baseball fans are still happy when their team wins with only the U.S. and Canada having the potential to be in the World Series. This protesting should just make the Olympic committe realize that only countries that pass a human rights means test can participate in the future.
Like we shouldn't have gone to the 1936 Olympics either.
Foofie wrote:This protesting should just make the Olympic committe realize that only countries that pass a human rights means test can participate in the future.
That would make an awful lot of US athletes very sad indeed.
Roxxxanne wrote:I am heading down to the rally as we speak, looks like the protestors number in the thousands already.
Richard Gere and Bishop Tutu to speak.
Hope to have some photos and video.
Can't wait for video of bodhisatva Gere!!
JTT wrote:Foofie wrote:This protesting should just make the Olympic committe realize that only countries that pass a human rights means test can participate in the future.
That would make an awful lot of US athletes very sad indeed.
Why? Our athletes are supposed to be competing for the benefit of the U.S. If the U.S. decided this competition is not for the U.S., then the athletes still have an entire world to show their abilities. The gold medals and such are for the honor of the country.
Foofie wrote:JTT wrote:Foofie wrote:This protesting should just make the Olympic committe realize that only countries that pass a human rights means test can participate in the future.
That would make an awful lot of US athletes very sad indeed.
Why? Our athletes are supposed to be competing for the benefit of the U.S. If the U.S. decided this competition is not for the U.S., then the athletes still have an entire world to show their abilities. The gold medals and such are for the honor of the country.
Bunk.
That's the sort of trip one might expect to have heard from The Third Reich, the Soviet Union, and The PRC.
The gold medals are for the individual atheletes and America shines in their reflected glory.
Of all the countries in the world, America is perhaps the least likely to spout this nonsense that the State trumps the individual. At least I hope so.
Finn dAbuzz wrote:Foofie wrote:JTT wrote:Foofie wrote:This protesting should just make the Olympic committe realize that only countries that pass a human rights means test can participate in the future.
That would make an awful lot of US athletes very sad indeed.
Why? Our athletes are supposed to be competing for the benefit of the U.S. If the U.S. decided this competition is not for the U.S., then the athletes still have an entire world to show their abilities. The gold medals and such are for the honor of the country.
Bunk.
That's the sort of trip one might expect to have heard from The Third Reich, the Soviet Union, and The PRC.
The gold medals are for the individual atheletes and America shines in their reflected glory.
Of all the countries in the world, America is perhaps the least likely to spout this nonsense that the State trumps the individual. At least I hope so.
Nor does the individual "trump the State." The U.S. athletes are athleticizing for the U.S., and if the U.S. chooses to not attend, then the athletes do their athleticizing elsewhere. It's not about the athletes, it's about countries choosing to be part of this ancient Greek display of athleticizing. We no more have to be part of the Olympics than we have to be part of any other gathering of nations.
And, if athletes are upset that they spent years developing their skills and then can't compete in this event, then that's the way the Olympics and cookies crumble.
By the way, if Cuba was allowed to participate in the World Series, that competition could have had a different outcome on some years. Or, if our teams could have freely signed Cuban ballplayers, those teams may have performed differently. So, politics does affect athletic competitions.
To put it succinctly, I would prefer we send a message to China, by withdrawing from the Olympics, rather than have our athletes compete in a competition with nations that violate human rights. You know in school the better students are in classes with other better students. So, I see no reason why our athletes from our country should compete with athletes from countries that violate human rights. As a democracy, perhaps we should have "standards" for the competitions we, as a nation, attend.
Finn dAbuzz wrote:Roxxxanne wrote:I am heading down to the rally as we speak, looks like the protestors number in the thousands already.
Richard Gere and Bishop Tutu to speak.
Hope to have some photos and video.
Can't wait for video of bodhisatva Gere!!
Are you trying to make fun of Gere's Buddhist beliefs? You would do well to take up the practices of Buddhists. Perhaps, then you might be able to free yourself of the intense bitterness that compels you to obsessively seek pleasure in the misfortune of others. As well as your intense clinging to the pursuit of material things which only causes dukkha. (suffering loosely translated)
BTW I got some GREAT video of Gere, haven't had time to post it. He is oh so hot for a man his age. No wonder Finn seethes with resentment over him.
Athletes at the Olympics represent a specific nation. If that nation chooses to boycott the Olympics then the athletes just don't get to show their abilities at the Olympics for that nation. But, can't athletes be part of another nation's team? Must each nation only have athletes that are citizens of its respective country?
Sport should not be a political WMD.( super commercial diversion)
Reglion should keep aloof from moral WMD.( An Appeal to the immigrants)
And those who uphold decency should air their views.
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