Location: Obama made me join the NRA for 5 years !
Posts: 2,181
why are we in the Olympics this year ?
China has some of the worst human rights in the world - why are we not boycotting the Olympics in protest of how they do things ?
I read today they're banning 1/2 the auto's on their streets to help clear the air - their smog is terrible - but more to a point their govt does whatever it wants, when it wants and we're supporting that by participating.
Even GW a few weeks back said China would be offended if he didn't attend ceremonies? Hell LET them be offended !
We as a country are in bed WAY too much with those bastards IMO
Location: On an Island in the west coast of New England
Posts: 13,133
RE: why are we in the Olympics this year ?
Quote:
ORIGINAL: Big Duane
Even GW a few weeks back said China would be offended if he didn't attend ceremonies? Hell LET them be offended !
We as a country are in bed WAY too much with those bastards IMO
That tells it all Duane. They practically own us now and tommorow it will be worse. Almost everything we buy has a made in china sticker. It isn't even a question of cheap prices anymore...it is simply supply. I don't care where you shop the merch is mostly from China orTiwan.
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Too busy with fishing to spend much time here.
We are in the Olympics to promote athletic excellence, to celebrate athletic excellence. A great number of athletes look forward to the Olympics as the creme de la creme of sporting contests, and not all professionalized. Many think that it is wrong to politicize the games and boycott because of some pissing contest between a first country and a second country. I can see a lot of truth in that position.
If you want to belly ache about this, you ought to belly ache about the decision to permit Beijing to host the games in the first place. THAT is where the mistake was made.
Finally, some food for thought. I don't disagree with your view of China or the prudence of getting in bed with them economically. Without going into details, I'm liable to have a yet more disparaging view of that than you. I know that China is viewing this as a major PR event that they consider vindicates them as a prestigious powerful country on par with other powerful countries. I'm wondering whether, on balance, these games are going to play out to show China in a favorable light . . . or perhaps a highly unfavorable light? Lots of possibilities lie therein. Just as an example, what if there is some unpleasantness involving nationalistic bias in judging some events (diving, gymnastics, etc.) and what if China supresses journalistic coverage of this nationalistic bias? What if there is some controversy about inadequate facilities for athletes and China supresses journalistic coverage of these inadequacies? Lots of potential for a colision between China's propensity to control information and the west's free press. I'm not saying it will, but this could turn out to give China a black eye.
Apart from the curling team, i'm not seeing too many folks that i would consider to be true amateurs, although no doubt there are some.
Funny, but i have read some stuff that indicated that in ancient Greece the Olympics were so corrupt that folks could literally buy victory in a given event by bribing judges or other officials. So, i guess that there could be far worse things than having the Olympics in china.
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"Shoot him again....his soul is still dancing"
China has some of the worst human rights in the world - why are we not boycotting the Olympics in protest of how they do things ?
I read today they're banning 1/2 the auto's on their streets to help clear the air - their smog is terrible - but more to a point their govt does whatever it wants, when it wants and we're supporting that by participating.
Even GW a few weeks back said China would be offended if he didn't attend ceremonies? Hell LET them be offended !
We as a country are in bed WAY too much with those bastards IMO
Because the olympics is not about politics, social agendas, or human rights. Its about putting differences aside to compete and show no matter what, we the human race can get along.
Lanse couche couche: It seems to me gymnastics is not professionalized. Granted, over time some of these athletes become well known, but I'm not sure I consider that to be professionalized. One of the Hamm brothers has appeared on an Oriental obstacle course television show -- no doubt invited due to his gymnastics renown and probably financially compensated -- but I don't see this to be comparable to the salaries paid to and/or endorsement revenues received by our foremost basketball players such as Kobe Bryant and/or Lebron James. Additionally, many, many gymnasts do not get that kind of selective attention. I would say the same for swimming, archery, decathalon, shot put, pole vault, javelin throw, kayaking, diving, etc.
Just one more note, not directed to Lance but to all, the people who are most hurt by an Olympic boycott are the athletes of the boycotting nation. These athletes train with astonishing passion and committment, making financial, educational, and sometimes personal relationship sacrifices to compete in the Olympics for no other expected benefit than the chance to compete. I know a young man who is seriously preparing for competing in the 2012 Olympics in archery. He went to the San Diego camp and studies with the South Korean coach of the US Archery Olympic team in mid-June, after his high school graduation. He is trying to make arrangements with a Texas University to take courses remotely to enable him to remain in San Diego to train more continuously with the US Archery Olympic team. I'm sure this involves substantial family financial committments and certainly sacrifices by this young man who won't have the benefit of hanging out with his high school buds at college. And if all goes well? He will compete in 2012 and win some sort of medal and go on to live a life of obscurity. Have you ever heard of an Olympic archery athlete getting lucre from this activity?
We are in the Olympics because many in our country are profiting off of it. That is all there really is to it. I surely won't waste any of my time watching any of it. It seems the only thing they televised during primetime four years ago was beach volleyball. Who ever decided that this sport should be any Olympic sport needs to get their head examined. I have pretty much lost interest in all competitive sports anyway. Modern day athletes put more effort into doping themselves up and then finding ways to escape detection than they do in the sport they compete in. I have very little interest in watching any of them compete under such circumstances.
The biggest loss would be to the athletes and that is something I'm not in favor of.
US athletes train their entire lives for this 1 event in many cases, for some this will be their only shot, and taking that away because of political reasons I am not for.
Our gov't should put pressure on china by other means.
Speak to former athletes from the games that we boycotted in the 80's was it?
Also the spirit of the olympics is to stop fighting and compete using physical competition. Personally the best message we could send china would be by having the US dominate. China is expected to be a major contender for total medals, host countries often times win this title, personally I hope to see the US take this honor, and at least finish ahead of them.
Would love to see a US hurdler beat that chinese hurdler who has been dominating of late....
why are we in the Olympics this year ?
