Beijing Olympics

Re: Beijing Olympics

feeds@yuku.com (GodaiMH) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 11:19:39 GMT

I think the Olympics have become too politicized. But probably, when I say, "have become", it is likely that the Olympics were politicized from the get go. I don't know about prior to 1936, but the 1936 Olympics in Berlin certainly was politicized. (I guess that's the first time the torch was relayed. It was meant as a publicity stunt to support the "pure" pagan heart of what was the Third Reich.) There have been problems since then. It seems one doesn't...

Re: Beijing Olympics

feeds@yuku.com (art248) — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 03:29:14 GMT

Well since it is already awarded to China, no use making a fuss of it now regardless of the situation now does it? And I agree with Alindawyl that boycotting it won't do much good anyway, there's gotta be a better solution. besides we will be doing a great deal of injustice to the athletes who have been training hard for the event. Besides it seems to be politics anyway, so solve it with politics...

Re: Beijing Olympics

feeds@yuku.com (herbkir) — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 12:37:51 GMT

Those with the axe to grind on Tibet don't care about what happens to the Olympic athletes. The protesters in Tibet that started all this saw the Olympics simply as an opportunity to gain visibility, nothing more. The only thing they wanted was publicity for their position. They wanted to get their cause on TV in hopes the world would recoil in horror and shun China. Of course, the Chinese powers-that-be were stupid in their response to the Tibet protests. They should have realized...

Re: Beijing Olympics

feeds@yuku.com (andyjay) — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 21:25:03 GMT

Actually, South Africa was banned by the IOC from 1964 to 1992, by which time apartheid had been abolished. A bunch of African and Caribbean nations boycotted Montreal in 1976 because New Zealand's rugby team had played in South Africa, and New Zealand was playing in the Olympics that year. Now that's taking things a bit too far; like arresting Paul for taking Peter's money while the guy who robbed Peter is already in jail.

Now I don't think there should be an...

Re: Beijing Olympics

feeds@yuku.com (Alindawyl) — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 09:48:29 GMT

A few prior olympic boycotts:

1976 - Most African nations boycott because South Africa is included
1980 - Many nations boycott because the Soviet Union (that year's host country) invaded Afghanistan the year before
1984 - The Soviet Union boycotts as retaliation for 1980 because the games are held in the United States

Other than giving those with an axe to grind a forum to air their complaints, those boycotts did absolutely nothing. The policy or attitude...

Re: Beijing Olympics

feeds@yuku.com (tierum) — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 08:36:45 GMT

IMVHO Beijing should never have been awarded the Olympics to begin with. They came out with empty promises and, well, words are cheap. It reminds me of used car dealers which promise this and that, but the car ends up being the junker it appears to be. Did the Olympics committee honestly believe that China was going to change their act? As in the examples you gave, andyjay, the countries didn't change the way they did things just because the Olympics where held there. Sure, they put up a...

Beijing Olympics

feeds@yuku.com (andyjay) — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 08:09:27 GMT

So...what does everyone think of the Olympics being held in Beijing this year? Back when they were awarded, the Chinese authorities said they'd clean up their act on human rights, and literally clean up Beijing's air. Yet the Tibet crackdown seems to disprove that, and I haven't heard the best news about air quality. These Games are probably not going to have a whole lot of viewers, considering the large recent protests along the torch relay (in San Francisco, some people somehow...