Trouble in Paradise: protesters attempt to hijack Olympic Flame

[Denur]

Denur: Tibet was Autonomous for centuries. when the communists took over china, they grabbed it.

I know, but these things have happend time and again through the ages. The thing is, is that the aggressor gets used to the new territory very quickly and really considers it his (theirs), while the victom does not.

 

[Sureboss]

Question... The venue for the Olympics is picked at random are the not? Regardless of that, why are people associating politics with the Olympics anyway? '

Especially this one it just seems like a really big excuse to protest and get on tv. At least the protest here in SF did anyway.

No, countries have to 'win the right' to host the Olympics. They'll put forward a bid, this will include things like facilities already existing, or to be built.

Sport and politics will always be mixed, like it or not. Rightly so too, South Africa were kicked out of cricket during the Apartheid. Or should they have been allowed in? (Just one example, there are others).

 

[wfooshee]

To illustrate the awareness of facts that many of these protestors possess, I place the following image, received moments ago in an email from my brother:

(If you missed the point, i.e. you share the non-awareness, then highlight the following text: look up Jesse Owens.)

 

[superberkut]

I remember Jesse Owens! Perhaps the Olympics is associated with politics because many such barriers that also deal with social issues have been destroyed and created in the events, including Jesse Owens and that awful slaughter of the Israelite team in 1972.

 

[Omnis]

To illustrate the awareness of facts that many of these protestors possess, I place the following image, received moments ago in an email from my brother:

(If you missed the point, i.e. you share the non-awareness, then highlight the following text: look up Jesse Owens.)

LOL! Wow, that's the United States of Amnesia in action for ya.

About this whole Olympics protest thing... I'm just concerned with recent events in SF where I read that Chinese police were brought in to police Americans. It's one thing to march along the flame as a convoy to protect it, but to restrict and police demonstrating Americans is outrageous. I can't believe the local government allowed that if it really happened.

Anyway, people shouldn't be trying hijack the flame for stopping the olympics. Just protest and don't participate. Gandhi style; dig?

 

[Sureboss]

I like the irony of that post, not only is Germany at the back, but 1st and 2nd are 'inferior'.

It's a very good point raised in relation to that photo, wfooshee. Some people really should know history.

 

[Omnis]

I like the irony of that post, not only is Germany at the back, but 1st and 2nd are 'inferior'.

It's a very good point raised in relation to that photo, wfooshee. Some people really should know history.

Is that Eisenhower in the background?

Also, from what I've read, Lutz (3rd place) was a good guy, even though he was under a Nazi state.

 

[YSSMAN]

I guess I'm less concerned about the protests over the flame-run than the talk about who's going and who's not to the opening ceremonies. As I recall PM Gordon Brown isn't going, and I think President Sarkozy was considering (leaning towards no?) it as well. Bush hasn't decided, and while I do appreciate him giving lip service to the issue and advocating for the Dali Lama to have talks with the Chinese, not showing up (seemingly?) would make a bigger statement.

China has a long way to go, but until the younger people collectively act to make their world better, there isn't much we can do here in the west to foster their democratization.

 

[TheCracker]

Question... The venue for the Olympics is picked at random are the not? Regardless of that, why are people associating politics with the Olympics anyway? '

Especially this one it just seems like a really big excuse to protest and get on tv. At least the protest here in SF did anyway.

The Olympic Torch was invented for the 1936 Berlin Olympics and was, to quote from Wiki, "part of the Nazi propaganda machine’s attempt to add myth and mystique to Adolf Hitler’s regime. Hitler saw the link with the ancient Games as the perfect way to illustrate his belief that classical Greece was an Aryan forerunner of the modern German Reich"

Politics has always been a huge part of the modern Olympics, you can't separate the two. Yes the protesters did want to cause disruption and get on TV, that was the whole point, to bring awareness to a wider audience.

Like it or not, the Olympics has never been and never will be just about the sport.

 

[Thiele]

This sucks, China is trying to ban Australians from bringing our own food there. China is really going too far this time.