What Kind of Olympics Will These Be?
UPDATED
It's comments like these from Rep. Nancy Pelosi (and other have expressed similar feelings) that I think are utter crap.
Not for one second do I think she gives one hoot about gymnasts and basketball players. It's about revenue, revenue, revenue. Do you know how much advertising goes on during the Olympics? Come on now. TV ad prices go up during that season, and I don't even want to think about how much Coca-Cola, Nike, Reebok, etc have invested in it.
I just think we need to be consistent. If we are for freedom and democracy in Iraq, we should be for freedom and democracy everywhere. Including people who control a large portion of the world's economy and who also happen to supress, oppress, and abuse it's people.
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The more I hear about China and Tibet, the more I am convinced that we should not be participating in these games. A country that has staked it's best and brightest on Freedom in the middle east, should not be condoning oppression in the Far East.
What's worse, China is aggressively keeping it's people in the dark on the crisis in Tibet. You can't google it, it's not being talked about on their televisions, and protests outside of Greece this week were blacked out from the broadcast.
Leaving many people to wonder what they will do at the Olympic games. Will they force a tape delay? Will we get blacked out sections because they don't want to be broadcast internationally in a negative light?
China has pledged publically (twice according to the article) that they will not. But ... really ... what good is that? When faced with covering their own behinds, will they hold to that promise?
I find it hard to believe that not one athlete will show some sort of support for Tibet. Even under the strict guidelines from the IOC and the Chinese.
Even with all their promises, many are already taking a stand. Steven Speilberg quit his artistic director role earlier in the year because of China's involvement in Darfur.
It's going to be an interesting games.
It's comments like these from Rep. Nancy Pelosi (and other have expressed similar feelings) that I think are utter crap.
She said in a statement that while the Chinese government has failed to live up to its commitments to improve human rights conditions in China and Tibet, "I believe a boycott of the Beijing Olympics would unfairly harm our athletes who have worked so hard to prepare for the competition."
Not for one second do I think she gives one hoot about gymnasts and basketball players. It's about revenue, revenue, revenue. Do you know how much advertising goes on during the Olympics? Come on now. TV ad prices go up during that season, and I don't even want to think about how much Coca-Cola, Nike, Reebok, etc have invested in it.
I just think we need to be consistent. If we are for freedom and democracy in Iraq, we should be for freedom and democracy everywhere. Including people who control a large portion of the world's economy and who also happen to supress, oppress, and abuse it's people.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
The more I hear about China and Tibet, the more I am convinced that we should not be participating in these games. A country that has staked it's best and brightest on Freedom in the middle east, should not be condoning oppression in the Far East.
What's worse, China is aggressively keeping it's people in the dark on the crisis in Tibet. You can't google it, it's not being talked about on their televisions, and protests outside of Greece this week were blacked out from the broadcast.
Leaving many people to wonder what they will do at the Olympic games. Will they force a tape delay? Will we get blacked out sections because they don't want to be broadcast internationally in a negative light?
China has pledged publically (twice according to the article) that they will not. But ... really ... what good is that? When faced with covering their own behinds, will they hold to that promise?
I find it hard to believe that not one athlete will show some sort of support for Tibet. Even under the strict guidelines from the IOC and the Chinese.
Even with all their promises, many are already taking a stand. Steven Speilberg quit his artistic director role earlier in the year because of China's involvement in Darfur.
It's going to be an interesting games.
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