China Olympics - no place for politics

There is no point going on about the politics in china and human rights during the actual coverage of the Olympics. During the opening ceremony you had half arsed so called political comment from SPORTS commentators who had no idea what they were talking about, and instead of commentating on the ceremony itself, WHICH IS WHAT THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN COMMENTATING ON, they went on an on about human rights abuses in China and a load of misguided remarks some of which bordered on racist.

Answer this, would you ask David Beckham for his opinion on the Middle East and how to effect positive change? No you wouldn’t (unless you were nuts) so why would you want to hear the political opinion of retired sport people turned sports commentators?

One of the commentators even complained that Algeria had not boycotted the Chinese games! And the Sudanese flag bearer for the US was so obviously a cynical ploy on behalf of the US. How about some dead Iraqis children paraded in front of the US and UK teams?

And the British propaganda machine grinds on, that same night on Newsnight, some reporter when asked what he thought of the opening ceremony said it was like "the Nazis ..." WTF? That is the kind of unhelpful and inaccurate remark that is simply about stirring hateful feelings towards the Chinese. Then today on BBC radio 4 they read out an email from a woman who said that the "Chinese are animals ... and are not fit to live in normal society" WTF? I cannot believe the kind of racist and offensive remarks that are being broadcast on national British TV and radio in regard to the Chinese.

The Olympics is NOT about politics. If you want to discuss China and human rights don’t do it DURING a SPORTS event coverage.

The US and the UK government are a bunch of hypocrites and they have more than enough human rights abuses that they have committed to be worrying about before going on about other countries.




[edit on 9-8-2008 by UFOpsychiczebra]

Well, one thing I see is a kind of odd behaviour, it seems to be fine to bring politics into the olympics when it's talking about Jesse Owens, but for some reason it seems off limits when it's China, I don't really understand that. Politics is in everything.

The opening ceremonies were incredible...I don't have enough superlatives to do them justice. China has clearly gone all out for these Olympics and it would certainly be unfair to say that they haven't been, so far, spectacular.

It's true that Hitler could also stage a great show, but that commentator's remarks are an example of "reductio ad Hitlerum." The fact that Hitler did something doesn't make it, ipso facto, evil.

It's clear that China is seeking recognition from the rest of the world. Let them do so in this peaceful way.

There is a time and place for criticism of China, but the Olympics is not either one.

P.S. They play "The Star Spangled Banner" beautifully.

[edit on 9-8-2008 by Sestias]

Why not? Why cannot the world remak on the agregious human rights violations the ChiCom government makes all of the time.

The IOC itself is a political animal for sale to the highest bribe.

By all means reward china for the brutal crackdown in Tibet, the large numbers of people forced out to make the Olympic venues etc.

I agree with the OP on this. There is a time and place for political discussion, the olympic isnt one of them

I think everyone should wait til the end of the olympics before we continue carrying out about Chinas obvious human rights issues. We all know about it, so now lets focus on the athletes competing for their country

Congratulations to China on their beautiful opening ceremony

Originally posted by FredT
Why not?

Well, for a start ...

There is a time and place for everything and a SPORTS event is not a free for all shouting match for the politically minded.

It is unfair to the sportspeople who have trained for YEARS of their lives to have THEIR event spoiled for them.

It is unfair to the Chinese people themselves. It is their event. Surely your problem is with their government, not the people? So, why do you think the Chinese people don't deserve to enjoy THEIR Olympics?

You, and others have the rest of the time to say what you like. But not DURING the Olympics.

The IOC itself is a political animal for sale to the highest bribe.

Qualify that serious accusation.

By all means reward china for the brutal crackdown in Tibet, the large numbers of people forced out to make the Olympic venues etc.

Who is this 'entity' you refer to as 'China'? Are you referring to the Chinese government or the Chinese people? And I again ask you why you think the Chinese people don’t deserve to enjoy their Olympics?

Are you going to be just as vocal about the next Olympics? I think not.

For example many people in the UK are far from happy with what has happened due to the 2012 London Olympics. People's houses were demolished and people forced out of their homes to make way for the building of Olympic venues. Local people forced out of using their local pools and facilities on the promise of alternatives being provided when in fact those alternatives have not materialised by the dates promised. All the financial mismanagement that has gone on so far with the London Olympics.

And when the London Olympics happens will there be protests about Iraq, rendition, the evolving UK police state? Of course there won't. And there shouldn’t be - as it is a SPORTS event.

And as a footnote to this. Why do you think spoiling the Olympics for the Chinese, and offending the Chinese government, will improve the human rights situation in China? Don’t you think it is more likely to isolate China if their Olympics are spoiled by outside western influences? And that would only make it worse for human rights in China. It is naïve and childish to think that waving a banner about Tibet and buying a ‘free Tibet’ t-shirt is going to do anything to improve human rights in China. All that does is make those who do that feel smug about themselves. The world is more complex than you think.

Originally posted by OzWeatherman

Congratulations to China on their beautiful opening ceremony

Totally agree. It was amazing.

You should have told that to Bush before he left.
Bush mixes sports and politics at Olympics

President Bush pressed his Olympic hosts Sunday to permit greater political and religious freedom, warning Chinese leaders they can expect to hear similar blunt talk from his successor.

In an Olympic medley of sports and politics, Bush also cheered from the stands as U.S. athletes launched their hunt for gold, while behind the scenes he and aides appealed to Russia to halt what the White House called "dangerous and disproportionate" attacks on Georgia, a staunch U.S. ally.

"It just goes to show that God is universal," Bush said. "No state, man or woman should fear the influence of loving religion."

Speaking in Bangkok on the eve of the Olympics and again at Friday's dedication of a U.S. embassy here, Bush insisted China can only reach its full potential by allowing free speech and other freedoms.

Those words and his church visit, which followed a 2005 visit to another official Beijing church, were carefully calibrated to prod the Chinese while deflecting attacks from human rights groups who say Bush's Olympic sojourn lends legitimacy to a repressive communist government.

Looks like there is a reason Bush was the first U.S. President to attend the Olympic Games on foreign soil.

Bush first U.S. President to attend Olympic Games on foreign soil

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush is so emphatic about going to the Olympics in China that one might think flying halfway around the globe to attend is simply what presidents do.

Never before now has a U.S. president attended an Olympic Games on foreign soil. And Bush isn't just dropping by. He is managing his time to soak in as much as he can.

The way the president sees it, this grand world affair begins and ends with sports, not politics. In a long line of presidents who have been sports buffs, there may be no bigger one than Bush, who has set up unfettered blocks of time in Beijing to watch athletes compete.

I guess THIS Olympics is a place for politics after all, at least in W's mind....
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