The Olympic Torch Thread
nzshadow
5,518 Posts
(CNN) -- The Olympic torch relay was disrupted Monday by protesters in Paris demonstrating against the Chinese government, causing authorities to twice extinguish the flame and put the torch on a bus, according to The Associated Press.
plus 37 arrested in London.What is your take on this?Mine: Fuck the Olympics. 3000 police in Paris guarding the torch?serious bullshit. And when is a major athlete gonna have the balls to boycott?lets discuss.
plus 37 arrested in London.What is your take on this?Mine: Fuck the Olympics. 3000 police in Paris guarding the torch?serious bullshit. And when is a major athlete gonna have the balls to boycott?lets discuss.
Comments
I think a boycott of the opening ceremony would be most appropriate.
Hopefully the torch gets an icey reception wherever it goes.
most athletes have their eyes on the lucrative sponsership deals then making a statement.
you guys sound fat.
ironically how many times has that image been used in advertising though?
I think it's ridiculous to expect athletes to boycott the games really. These people have been training for years day in, day out to be at their peak for the Olympics in Beijing. To throw away years of their lives in a boycott that, in the scheme of things, will achieve very little is quite absurd. Especially when most athletes in a lot of sports aren't mega stars by any stretch and have short careers where they can't afford to boycott something when it will have no impact.
I think the athletes should by all means do their best to speak out before, during and after the Olympics, but their protest shouldn't mean they have to waste their talent.
where my cycling dudes at?
If you want to boycott something, boycott Chinese made goods.
The whole, using the Olympics as a subtle way to put pressure on China, is just furking
They should never have been given the games in the first place.
The problems in Tibet have been going on for years, and the intonational community does fuckall about it, because they're scared of upsetting China. The politicians thought they could use the Olympics as a sly way of pressuring China, without actually having to do anything, but it hasn't worked. Now the athletes are meant to take a stand, gtfo.
b/w
"u wana buy dvd?"
I agree with this. I was reading an interview with local shot put hero Joachim B. Olsen where he was basically saying the same thing and pointing out the hipocrisy of demanding that athletes boycott the Olympic Games while their country's government and corporations are constantly dealing with China on every level under the radar. Doesn't compute.
So because some athlete trains for the Olympics, we are expected to turn a blind eye to the situation in Tibet?
Forgive me for holding the basic human rights of Tibetan citizens higher than the rights of athletes to win medals.
Yes, we as a society should have spoken louder when China was awarded the games, shame on us for not doing so. But now, closer to the games, China are stepping up their occupation in Tibet and the IOC have begun the marketing so the general public are more aware.
The IOC are a pack of corrupt old boys who whore their brand to the highest bidder every 8 years. fuck them.
The Olympics are held up as a symbol of unity, the torch as a uniting emblem bla bla bla yet it needs to be guarded by 3000 police in Paris due to people seeing through their money driven scam? what a laugh.
Oh, and it was a Nazi idea as well: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/14/sports...2af29b8&ei=5070
yes it is fucked that it is now the athletes that are 'expected' to boycott, but in all honesty, does our governments non-action negate their responsibility?
EDIT: Parisian rollerblade cops are
Out of curiosity what have you done for Tibet?
What is the average Joe doing to help human rights in China? Talking about it by the water cooler at work. "What a disgrace, those poor Tibetans!". While the politician he voted for last year is negiotating deals with the Beijing chamber of commerce, his bank of choice is consolidating its latest Chinese investments, and his shirt is made in China. Does not compute
This was not a jab at you, NZ. I'm just a little frustrated with the hipocrisy of people I speak with in general. They need to look at their own actions first before coming with the comfy athlete boycott talk IMO.
BUT people throwing water on a person who's holding the torch is bullshit.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/04/07/state/n104011D53.DTL&tsp=1
We used to go to protests and hand out flyers etc. I met several of the leading Lamas, and many people who were/are campaigning for change in Tibet. But nothing has improved for Tibetans over the years of peaceful protest, so I completely understand why they are using this to get some worldwide attention.
I say line the streets with protestors and pile in front of every Chinese embasy, but do not assault the person carrying the torch.
I think it is more due to the raised profile of both China, China in Tibet and the Olympic games that has raised awareness in the general population.
Unfortunately, the athletes that have trained hard will suffer as they are representatives of their countries on a world stage seen by millions of people all aware of the 'Tibet situation'.
And those carrying the torch are contributing to a symbolism that is entirely inappropriate in this instance.
I just hate the hypocrisy of the IOC.
I feel for the athletes, i have friends who train hard, i know what this means to them, but, like i said before: basic human rights before anything else.
What have i done to help Tibet?
Donated, leafleted, boycotted... the usual crap that privileged white 'first world' citizens do to try and shake off some of the guilt.
People really hate the Olympics, and I can totally understand why.
Yer, we did that 10 years ago. Others have been doing it for a lot longer.
You can't really teach the Tibetans about peaceful protest, they've been doing it for 50+ years.
I kind of agree with you, but I understand why people want to protest in this way.
i do think the torch protests are a good look. it tarnishes the olympic sheen without throwing the athletes under the bus.
re: tommie smith and john carlos in mexico city: pray tell what ads their image has been used in. waximilien seems to think alot. i've only seen that image used in an italian communist party poster. that seems to be a decent use of the their image.
King James the Activist?
Why take the long way to his first billion?
his sentiments exactly. he should wait till he gets Jordan-big and then start agitating for change. you know, like Jordan. wait...
Several of the big sports wear manufacturers have recently given up trying to stop bootleg goods being made there, cause it was just hopeless.
I think it will take a little more than a few 'established sports superstars' to change things.
Agreed. Plus, America is addicted to cheap consumer goods moreso than making tougher moral choices. (Disclaimer: I can't claim universally to be the latter.)
Not just America, but most of the world.
China has us by the balls.
Only India can save us now.