My attitude has been mostly:

Atlanta - Sweet! They're in the next state over!
Nagano - In Japan, that's kind of cool
Sydney - yeah whatever...
Salt Lake City - really not caring.
Athens - Back to Greece? huh, *watches the opening ceremonies*
Turin - Didn't care whatsoever
Beijing - FUCK YEAH THIS IS ENTERTAINMENT!

Face it, unless at least someone is boycotting them, are we really going to remember them?

2/24/2008 3:10:03 PM

or bombing them

but yeah, you make a good point

2/24/2008 3:13:47 PM

I'll also be interested in



Between Beijing and that, let's face it, it's just the same old players over and over.

2/24/2008 3:17:06 PM

Remembering a particular Olympics doesn't necessarily mean that they're any good.

Though I suppose that the 1980 Moscow Olympics are probably more comparable to the dilemma with the current 2008 Olympics than the 1936 Berlin Olympics or 1972 Munich Olympics.

2/24/2008 3:17:50 PM

^ 1980, veeery much so I think.

True, remembering them doesn't say anything about in what way, but still, the Olympics have the power to change the world. But not when they're in London.

Moscow Looked the part a little better than Germany



[Edited on February 24, 2008 at 3:21 PM. Reason : ]

2/24/2008 3:19:21 PM

I don't know why, but I've never really cared much about the Olympics.

2/24/2008 6:45:13 PM

I've always thought that the Winter Olympics were pretty dope

2/24/2008 7:07:39 PM

I wonder if the Olympics help bump up DVD rentals.

2/24/2008 7:11:21 PM

Quote :

"or bombing them but yeah, you make a good point"

Oh, Atlanta, lol. I kept thinking "what Olympic host country was getting bombed". But you weren't talking about from the air...


^ pirated DVD rentals from China?

2/24/2008 9:40:20 PM

Quote :

"I've always thought that the Winter Olympics were pretty dope"

opposite.

Winter olympics is usually dull, while I can watch almost anything in the summer olympics.

I watched at least 2 hours of olympics every year after I got back from classes in 04.

2/24/2008 9:50:34 PM

the trouble with the olympics is the media coverage. They usually show too much of one of the sports and you dont get to see much of the crazy variety.

For instance: When they show track and field its mostly running. Id rather see some running, some discus, some high jump, etc.

2/24/2008 11:26:39 PM

CURLING FTMFW

2/25/2008 12:38:56 AM

I like watching snowboarding and the fancy ski jumping.

2/25/2008 12:42:43 AM

honestly, i'm going to be very pissed if china gets a free pass to act like they normally do...specially with all the media coverage.....if i were an american competitor there i'd be like yeah why dont you value your money right and use lead paint etc etc etc etc etc

2/25/2008 2:23:25 AM

Quote :

"if i were an american competitor there i'd be like yeah why dont you value your money right and use lead paint etc etc etc etc etc"

And then they and the rest of the world would join hands and laugh at you.

[Edited on February 25, 2008 at 3:07 AM. Reason : v yes, dnl, I'm being sarcastic/cynical... kind of. More about what you would be asking...]

2/25/2008 2:56:56 AM

except not really

[Edited on February 25, 2008 at 3:05 AM. Reason : unless you are being sarcastic or cynical or something]

2/25/2008 3:05:04 AM

Quote :

"the trouble with the olympics is the media coverage. They usually show too much of one of the sports and you dont get to see much of the crazy variety."

Coverage varies nation to nation. Most nations, which are only good at a handful of events, tend to broadcast those aggressively. When I was in Korea during the 2004 Olympics, I saw a ton of judo, rifle shooting, archery (ROK Women's Archery, FTW!) and tae kwon do with very little coverage of gymnastics and track and field.

I think what annoys me about American coverage is the nonstop, filler pieces talking about the personal lives of all the different athletes. A little coverage is one thing, but it gets pretty annoying pretty quick.

2/25/2008 12:41:21 PM

Pyongyang 2018!!!

2/25/2008 12:50:14 PM

Baghdad? 2022?

2/25/2008 4:29:35 PM

Darfur summer Olympic bid?

2/26/2008 11:46:00 PM

Quote :

" I think what annoys me about American coverage is the nonstop, filler pieces talking about the personal lives of all the different athletes. A little coverage is one thing, but it gets pretty annoying pretty quick."

2/26/2008 11:48:05 PM

that guy with the ski mask always gives me nightmares...

2/27/2008 12:37:20 AM

Al Qaeda in China?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=f7jZKTYm_Ds

3/14/2008 6:06:51 AM

I've been largely against watching these Olympics for some time now, and I have a feeling I'll be among growing company. Often, the Olympics have, with exceptions, been bestowed upon countries for symbolic reasons to show the sort of progress they have undergone. For example, both Munich and Tokyo gained the Olympics following WWII as a part of showing off the progress they made in recovering from their disastrous pre-war societies. Nations like Mexico and Australia have demonstrated the progress that they have made since their days as tribal, and then colonial, societies. Atlanta demonstrated that the American South was now a place welcoming to all, 3 decades after the end of de jure segregation (we could argue about de facto segregation, but that's another topic for another thread). So what about China? Well, Bejing wanted to show off to the world their recent dizzying industrial and societal progress. I think the question is, what has that progress been built on? It's been built on a repressive political system which has gotten only more repressive as it has attempted to clean up. Thanks to modern technology, we've been able to pull back the screen and see what has happened, from Tibet to Bejing to Sudan.

To me, allowing China to show off this nation built on oppression and investment the in oil-rich genocidal regime in Sudan would be no better than awarding the Olympics to a Germany built on the concept of ubermensch or a Soviet Union enacting war against the Afghans.

It's going to take a grassroots movement to create the awareness that needs to be created around these games. Who knows whether the athletes themselves are aware of these issues (or care, for that matter). Our government is unfortunately too closely tied to China thanks to our ball and chain of foreign dependence on them to hold our currency. Such is life.

[Edited on March 20, 2008 at 2:12 PM. Reason : .]

3/20/2008 2:11:40 PM

3/20/2008 3:42:27 PM

tsb?

3/20/2008 3:43:50 PM

^^i like pictures like that

3/20/2008 3:52:27 PM

Quote :

"I've been largely against watching these Olympics for some time now, and I have a feeling I'll be among growing company. Often, the Olympics have, with exceptions, been bestowed upon countries for symbolic reasons to show the sort of progress they have undergone. For example, both Munich and Tokyo gained the Olympics following WWII as a part of showing off the progress they made in recovering from their disastrous pre-war societies. Nations like Mexico and Australia have demonstrated the progress that they have made since their days as tribal, and then colonial, societies. Atlanta demonstrated that the American South was now a place welcoming to all, 3 decades after the end of de jure segregation (we could argue about de facto segregation, but that's another topic for another thread). So what about China? Well, Bejing wanted to show off to the world their recent dizzying industrial and societal progress. I think the question is, what has that progress been built on? It's been built on a repressive political system which has gotten only more repressive as it has attempted to clean up. Thanks to modern technology, we've been able to pull back the screen and see what has happened, from Tibet to Bejing to Sudan. To me, allowing China to show off this nation built on oppression and investment the in oil-rich genocidal regime in Sudan would be no better than awarding the Olympics to a Germany built on the concept of ubermensch or a Soviet Union enacting war against the Afghans. It's going to take a grassroots movement to create the awareness that needs to be created around these games. Who knows whether the athletes themselves are aware of these issues (or care, for that matter). Our government is unfortunately too closely tied to China thanks to our ball and chain of foreign dependence on them to hold our currency. Such is life."

Your argument is all well and good, but:

July 13, 2001

This is when China won the bid to host it. Also,
* The Olympics are the most well recognized international contest in the world, hosting it means a lot
* China is home to 1 out of every 6 people in the world, and has never hosted it

You asked what their progress is built on. This "progress" refers almost entirely to what happened since 2001.



You are absolutely right that effects of their growth has had terrible effects on a monstrous scale. But almost every Chinese living today would disagree that the net result was bad.

The athletes ARE aware of the issues. There are about 10,500 competitors, and they're not stupid. Many individuals and organizations ARE boycotting it, and I support their action. There are many current issues that should be strongly focused on, and I hope the Olympics can be another tool to help bring about change in the administration of the PRC.

But your claim that our government should do something about it is wrong. The Olympics are LONG LONG TERM, and while Burma, Tibet, and Sudan are serious issues, the overall situation is much more sunshiney than what we had with, say, the Soviet Union. On top of that, they're talking to us. This is good. The exact way to NOT achieve change is to hide our head in the sand and denounce China for being the evil oppressive communist nation.

What we need to do is go over there, compete, mix, share ideas, and let the people know what is happening, what we think, and why. I think this encompasses boycotting. We need to treat them like adults and tell it like it is.

The Beijing Olympics will be a good thing for China and a good thing for the world. I'm rather looking forward to it. As well as some good old fashioned bickering and controversy!

3/20/2008 6:46:32 PM

I'm just still pissed that Iran didn't get banned from the Judo competitions this year.
The lightweight Iranian guy, Arash Miresmaeili, refused to fight a competitor from Israel, claiming solidarity with his "repressed Palestinian brothers." The douche bag gets home, his country gives him a cash prize, as if he had won a gold medal, and the International Judo Federation all but ignores the Israeli's petition to ban them, and clears them to continue competing.
The entire point of the Olympics is to put the political shit ASIDE and just compete. Especially, in fucking JUDO? You guys are MARTIAL ARTISTS, act like it! I think this has opened up some doors for more political horse-shit this year. Maybe not in the same event, but I can see something like this coming.

3/20/2008 8:38:57 PM

oh, i can see shit coming.

3/20/2008 9:02:20 PM

There's really no evidence out there right now to suggest that China has any increased interest in relaxing the current political system in light of recent success. Just because the average Chinese person is happier these days in no way lessens the impact that China has had negatively, acting in their national interest, from Sudan to Tibet. There's no economic success in the world that can cover up genocide and repression of national sovreignty or basic human rights, and to say otherwise, to me, reveals a gaping hole in our humanity.

The best way to solve this is to continue realpolitik with regards to them, of course. I think you misunderstood what I was suggesting here. I don't expect the government to take a hard line, and they should not, they have the power to really get things done. What has to be done is the PEOPLE of the United States and countries all over the world have to show that they are concerned about the situation by demonstating their distaste for these games and China's actions. We have to voice our disgust. To do otherwise cedes to our identity as consumers, sports fans, what have you, who desire good product, over our more important identity as human beings who desire political freedom. If the people lead, the government will (should) follow and we will hopefully see increased international pressure (and hopefully continued internal pressure) of the sort which brought down the USSR and South Africa without (directly) firing a shot.

[Edited on March 21, 2008 at 11:04 AM. Reason : .]

3/21/2008 11:02:53 AM

Raleigh should get the olympics.

3/21/2008 11:12:39 AM

Quote :

"Winter olympics is usually dull, while I can watch almost anything in the summer olympics. "

total opposite for me. I love all the skiing events, as well as bobsled, more than anything the summer olympics have.

3/21/2008 12:38:17 PM

^^^ There's more to a country than a government!!! And none of your claims are qualified with any time frame. People involved there know that things are changing, but that doesn't mean the old system is anywhere near out yet.

The government should provide leadership, but this "leadership" mostly amounts to lipservice here.

Quote :

"Just because the average Chinese person is happier these days in no way lessens the impact that China has had negatively, acting in their national interest, from Sudan to Tibet. There's no economic success in the world that can cover up genocide and repression of national sovreignty or basic human rights, and to say otherwise, to me, reveals a gaping hole in our humanity."

our humanity -> their humanity

Traveling to a country or buying products from there is not a blanket endorsement of their policies.

[Edited on March 21, 2008 at 2:02 PM. Reason : n]

3/21/2008 2:02:25 PM

Ok, I had another response originally, but really all I'd like to ask is whether or not you think it's proper humane, or otherwise in the best interest of human beings anywhere (I never was implying "us" vs. "them", just "all" vs. "their gov.") to simply allow the status quo and our (that being anyone who is not a part of the power structure in China) to continue in China based on the plights of political prisoners, Tibet, Darfur, etc?

Do you really think these Olympics will change their approach to the oppressed? Is what their gov. has done to "clean up" right?

I still hold that your "FUCK YEAH THIS IS ENTERTAINMENT" is pretty damn troubling.


[Edited on March 23, 2008 at 5:54 PM. Reason : .]

3/23/2008 5:44:41 PM

I'm sorry that I'm happy the quality of life is improving for someone in the world.

Your position that somehow the Beijing Olympics are not a good thing for the world or for China is completely and utterly untenable.

I'm happy that people are putting pressure on them for already mentioned host of political issues. But if you weren't a hypocrite, you would be pissed that we ever allowed them a position on the UN security council, versus them hosting a sporting event. The former has actually affected the state of affairs of Burma and Sudan.

3/23/2008 8:04:26 PM

add to the mix:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7310654.stm

This is what I mean. For past olympics, this would be a nonstory. Just an update - oh the torch has been lit. But this time, shit's going down.

3/24/2008 2:39:49 PM

i saw that today too, it was kinda funny to watch the video

3/24/2008 4:46:25 PM

Another one:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7312815.stm

France threatens a full boycott in light of the Tibet issues, but is right now probably more likely to boycott just the opening ceremonies. Good old GWB will be there.

I can just hear it now, the CNN people going on all fucking day long about who is at what ceremony and why.

3/25/2008 12:34:36 PM

i love this.....i bet lou dobbs will break his record of saying communist china 28 times in a show

3/25/2008 3:12:56 PM

Quote :

"I'm sorry that I'm happy the quality of life is improving for someone in the world. "

Oh come on, you know that the quality of life could very well still have improved by the same leaps and bounds without the police state.

3/26/2008 6:43:15 PM

...yes

What the fuck are you trying to say? The world can't be 100% happy and perfect, doesn't mean you're not glad to have 5% over 3%.

3/26/2008 6:59:59 PM

Saying China's economic strength is based purely on oppression is like saying America's economic strength is based purely on slavery.

3/28/2008 3:58:29 PM

did you know that Japan's economic strength came from us dropping the atomic bomb on them?

true story.

3/28/2008 9:04:05 PM

so whats the latest...havent been able to keep up lately...did i mention i love this negative press?

3/29/2008 1:02:45 AM

Quote :

"EU foreign ministers meeting in Slovenia were split on the idea of boycotting the Olympics opening ceremony over Tibet, but keen for China to open talks with the Dalai Lama."

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/world/view/20080329-127205/EU-commissioner-raises-threat-of-Olympics-boycott----report

An entire host of EU nations are now talking seriously about a boycott. I still don't think it's likely that the entire EU would boycott, but I wouldn't be surprised if you had a large number of notable absences. The USA seems to be in no position to implement such a measure, and Japan has outright said that it should not be boycotted.

3/29/2008 4:24:02 PM

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7321271.stm

Summary:
The finishes the Greece leg in Athens. While the ceremony itself is uninterrupted, police have had to clear the path of protesters. *obligatory BBC bias about Tibet follows*

While this is mostly a nonevent, it brings up a good point. The parade of the torch around the world is like parading a bullseye for protesters. Everywhere. In April look forward to:

# torch relay protested in Athens
# torch relay protested in Almaty, Kazakhstan
# torch relay protested in Istanbul, Turkey
# torch relay protested in St.Petersburg, Russia
# torch relay protested in London, United Kingdom
# torch relay protested in Paris, France
# torch relay protested in San Francisco, USA

3/30/2008 11:01:26 AM

3/31/2008 12:29:08 AM

Pelosi Statement on the Sentencing of Chinese Human Rights Activist Hu Jia

Quote :

"Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement on the conviction and sentencing of human rights activist Hu Jia by the Chinese government. Hu has been an outspoken critic of the human rights record of the Chinese government and called on the international community to hold Beijing responsible for the promises it made when bidding to host the Olympic games. This week, Hu was sentenced to three and half years in prison for 'incitement to subvert state power.' 'The conviction and harsh sentencing of Chinese human rights activist Hu Jia should dispel any notion that Beijing would permit strong criticism of government policies by the Chinese people preceding the Olympic Games. 'There is disturbing new evidence that the imprisonment of Hu Jia is part of a broader pre-Olympic crackdown on peaceful activists including journalists, lawyers, and human rights defenders. Amnesty International released a new report this week providing evidence that the Chinese government is intensifying its crackdown on human rights activists because of the Beijing Olympics. 'The Olympic Games in Beijing should provide an opportunity for more free expression, not less. The international community must speak out to press the Chinese government to live up to its promises to improve human rights before the Olympic games. 'Hu Jia is risking his life, family and freedom so he can speak the truth. I call on the Chinese government to immediately and unconditionally release Hu Jia from prison and to respect the fundamental freedoms of all the people in China.'"

http://speaker.house.gov/newsroom/pressreleases?id=0592



Hu Jia



Yang Chunlin

FREE HU JIA AND YANG CHUNLIN!!!

4/5/2008 7:01:53 PM

Well, we can start by

1) making the olympics look like a pariah by causing the ratings to tank due to moral outrage

2) supporting local agriculture and foodstuffs as well as buying from our small businesses and not China's biggest customers

4/5/2008 7:21:26 PM