OFF TOPIC - The IOC sucks.

Marty Ward · #1 July 15th, 2001, 08:42 PM

From a sports standpoint having China host the games is long overdue. The country contains about 1/6th of the worlds population. They are competitive in most events and dominate some. It's about time they had "the home field advantage".

The Olympics are not suppose to be about politics they are suppose to be about sport. Why we insist on making it political is beyond me but as far as I can tell it's mostly western countries who start the debate.

CaptSpoogy · #2 July 15th, 2001, 08:58 PM

CW - Don't assume ALL the west is moulding China into an enemy. Personally being from Toronto, with one of the largest ethnic Chinese communities in the world - I have met and work with a lot of Chinese people who have shared with me their experiences in China - and why they choose to come to Canada.

[quote]While I agree that China could make use of a better government system, it seems rather strange that people not even living in the country is pushing for a change harder than the Chinese themselves.[quote]

Perhaps it's because they get mowed down by tanks or just plain disappear when they do...

I sympathize with the people living in China and I wish them to enjoy the freedoms that I have. In some ways I'm glad they got the olympics - but it worries me that the people who control China will use it as a propaganda display saying there's no problem with their country during those 16 days...

I'm not saying that China should become like the west (not just the US). I think in this day and age that should be moving towards democracy a lot faster than they are. If the majority of Chinese know what the west was really like (as oppossed to the propaganda fed to them) - what lifestyle would they choose?

Lucanos - Please be careful not to heap in Canada in the same pile as the US. Just because we're on the same continent and share a lot of things does not mean we practice the same politics or culture. I've lived in both countries - and find that Canadian politics have a lot more in common with European countries.

Also with the US, it varies from region to region. The Northwest for example is suprisingly different from the south and so on. I'm sure the Americans on this board will agree. Sure they messed up a lot of things, but they're really not that bad - plus without them you guys in Europe might still be living in a Nazi regime...

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CaptSpoogy · #3 July 15th, 2001, 09:08 PM

I know the Olympics are supposed to be about sports and not politics. But the current view is that Beijing got the Olympics as a result of politics and coporate push. Those multi-national corporations just can't wait to get their hands on such a big market you know.

If it was just about sport, then why didn't they choose Toronto? The world's must diverse multi-cultural city? Geez, then everyone could have cheered for their native countries (instead of just the Chinese cheering the Chinese to dominate over everyone else)...it seems it could have been a more global thing doesn't it?

Oh well. I hope Toronto bids again for 2012. Although I'll probably be living in Vancouver by then - rats - but then again they're up for the 2010 Winter games - alright Olympic Hockey!

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capnq · #4 July 15th, 2001, 09:19 PM

quote:
definitely not helped by your local Press. Bad things always got colourfully exaggerated many times over and put on the front page, good things rarely if ever got mentioned. Beware that what you see on the news might not be the whole picture.

This description fits most of the media outlets that I know of. The weaker a radio or TV station's news Ratings, or the lower a newspaper or magazines' circulation, the more sensationalized their coverage becomes. "If it bleeds, it leads." I believe this is a worldwide problem; the rest of the world's perception of the U.S. is no more accurate than the U.S.' view of their respective nations.

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Cap'n Q

The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the
human mind to correlate all of its contents. We live on a placid
island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was
not meant that we should go far. -- HP Lovecraft, "The Call of Cthulhu"

Marty Ward · #5 July 15th, 2001, 09:20 PM

Capt.,
Toronto didn't get it because the US wants the 2012 games held in Baltimore/Washington. Unfortunately the political games overshadow the real games.

Luc,
You're right the US is not a Democracy, we are a Republic and the election was held properly according to the laws in effect at the time of the election.

You must have spent a lot of time in our country. I've lived here over 50 years and haven't seen any country side that looks like a poor South American country. Maybe I've just been lucky.

PS-Europeans may think Bush is a moron but he was smart enough to get elected President of the most powerful country in the world. Would he have been smarter if he were elected Prime Minister of Sweden?

Zarix · #6 July 15th, 2001, 09:46 PM

I think everyone here has forgotten that things work differently in different cultures.

Here is an example:

quote:
Originally posted by Marty Ward:
PS-Europeans may think Bush is a moron but he was smart enough to get elected President of the most powerful country in the world. Would he have been smarter if he were elected Prime Minister of Sweden?

I don't know about Sweden but in Finland getting voted to president doesn't mean you have to be very smart. Usually the person doesn't matter much but the persons party matters. If the person would matter I'd bet that the Finnish president wouldn't be divorced single parent and a woman.

Edit: I just remembered that she remarried some time ago.

[This message has been edited by Zarix (edited 15 July 2001).]

Puke · #7 July 15th, 2001, 09:47 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Lucanos:
Human rights? What's with vietnam? Was that a humane thing to do?

i donno, ask the French. they were there first.

As for the US being a free country, I think we have less restricting laws on firearms than just about anywhere else in the world. I think we have some opressive laws on drug use and pornography. I think the oppressive laws we do have, and the choices we lack, are by far made up by in the vast increase in standard of living that we have over other first world countries. for example, the price of comodities like petrol, the wide varities and availability of luxury items at grocery stores, such as scented quilted paper to wipe our butts with. comparativey, we are a nation of hedonists.

I think our race riots are not any worse than the race riots in the UK, and are certainly better than the **** that goes on in places like Israel and Serbia.

I think our poor are in general better off than most peoples poor. People like to poo-poo on the US, and on our forign policies, and our domestic situation. all in all, i think its pretty danm good. I think we do more good in the international community than would be done if we were not there doing it. And I dont really care that our election system is screwed up. there are enough political extremists around here, on every side of an issue, that things tend to work them selves out without more moderate people having to worry about it. We can sit back and rest assured that there are enough rabble-roUsers out there to fight the good fight for us.

man, I cant even start thinking about how good we have it, without getting all warm and fuzzy inside.

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"...the green, sticky spawn of the stars"
(with apologies to H.P.L.)