Olympics and Dictatorships

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What are your thoughts on countries that are dictatorships participating in the Olympics ? Should they be included or excluded ?

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The Olympics in its purest form is supposed to be a place that all nations and peoples are welcome among their fiercest enemies.

Even in Ancient Greece, the ultimate enemies of Athens and Sparta competed together in a spirit of peaceful competition.

Involving politics and personal animosities in the Games violates their ultimate purpose.

Just my 2 cents (pre tax)

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Fedral wrote:

The Olympics in its purest form is supposed to be a place that all nations and peoples are welcome among their fiercest enemies.

Even in Ancient Greece, the ultimate enemies of Athens and Sparta competed together in a spirit of peaceful competition.

Involving politics and personal animosities in the Games violates their ultimate purpose.

Just my 2 cents (pre tax)

Since when were Athens and Sparta "ultimate enemies?"

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hobitbob wrote:

Since when were Athens and Sparta "ultimate enemies?"

Since when did he say they were? Try rereading the sentence again. It says "the ultimate enemies OF Athens and Sparta".

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Yes, I read it implying that Athens and Sparta were "ultimate enemies."

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Why would they be excluded?

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hobitbob wrote:

Since when were Athens and Sparta "ultimate enemies?"

Since at least 457 B.C.

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Not really. They often collaborated.

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Cereal, what reasons would ther ebe for excluding them?

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Not saying I agree with these reasons but two of my thoughts are:

1) governments who commits human rights violations against their people might be a reason to exclude them from participation

2) safety of the athlete returning home to a dictatorship after losing

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Did anyone see the 60 minutes piece on the Olympics in Greece?

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Thanks. I'm sure there are more good reasons, but I couldn't think of any myself.

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husker wrote:

Did anyone see the 60 minutes piece on the Olympics in Greece?

Yup.

I wanna go!!!!!!!
USAREUR did a ticket lottery in 1992, that I didn't win, but I went to Barcelona and partied anyway. Hmmm.......Spanish Girls.... Very Happy

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Actually, apartheid South Africa was excluded for quite a while. So was Rhodesia, before it became Zimbabwe.

The key to the question is who has the right to exclude. Who draws the line between a dictatorship and a non-dictatorship.
So far it is the IOC. And these businessmen are mostly interested in making money.

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I'm more against them being able to host the games than participate. China will host it in 2008, and that games looms as even more of a drug soaked joke than it's already become.

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The IOC is an international non-governmental non-profit organisation and the creator of the Olympic Movement. The IOC exists to serve as an umbrella organisation of the Olympic Movement. It owns all rights to the Olympic symbols, flag, motto, anthem and Olympic Games.

It's members are to be found HERE.

Actually, I couldn't find any reason, why a country with a NOC could be excluded from the games - this didn't happen ever before, since there are no such rules.

And I only just noticed that this is posted in 'Politics' Shocked

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According to the IOC chart, the Olympic movement opposes any political abuse of athletes.
My take is that most athletes are used at some time as propaganda by governments.

South Africa was excluded from 1960 to 1988.
Rhodesia was excluded from 1960 to 1980.
In 1920, Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Hungary and Turkey were barred from competition because of their role in World War I.
In the post-World War II Games of 1948, staged in London, Germany and Japan were both excluded.

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Hmm - on the other hand, Olympic games are competitions of individual athletes, not of nations.

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Walter Hinteler wrote:

Hmm - on the other hand, Olympic games are competitions of individual athletes, not of nations.

De Coubertin is dead.
The Games today ressemble much more those of Ancient Greece than the famous Frenchman's rich boys' utopia.

And usually, the organizing commitee hands to the media the official-unofficial medal count by countries.

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