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Samizdata quote of the day “The Olympic Games are not the place for demonstrations.” Aren’t they? Actually, the Olympics seem an ideal place for demonstrations.
– Anne Applebaum, pointing out the obvious fact that the Olympic Games are highly political by their very nature. I am feeling a greater and greater sense that the Beijing Olympics are going to be highly memorable, quite possibly in the sense that a trainwreck is highly memorable. And I am not sure this is bad.
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Isn’t it the Chinese who say “may you live interesting times” as a curse? How about we have some interesting Games?
Given the vast cost, complexity and risk of not getting adequate financial returns, associated with the Olympics, I never cease to be amazed that countries volunteer to host them. Use of the Olympics as a platform for political demonstrations against the host nation, is just another risk.
Maybe compulsion to host the Olympics should be treated as a UN sanction, and applied to regimes who are considered to be acting unacceptably.
Harare 2016, anyone?
During the 2012 London Olympics, yours truly and Mrs Pearce will be leaving the country, heading off to a nice beach in the south of France, rent out the apartment to recoup some of that tax we’ve paid to support this farce.
Gosh,
The Powers that be would prefer us not to protest at the Olympics? Sounds like that is all the justification needed to do so then.
If Samsung don’t want protests, then fuck them. Who the f**k do they think they are to issue any political guidelines?
Well, I suppose the corporate entity has a right to a corporate opinion, but it sounds like middle finger salute time.
Couldn’t give a toss about the sport, but I’ll be watching the edited highlights on YouTube when someone dares to express an opinion about human rights or liberty or any of those things China has shown not to really give a shit about. Nobody seems to give a toss about the allegations that the Chinese government performs live on-demand organ extractions on imprisoned members of the Falun Gong religious movement.
As for London 2012? Bugger my carbon footprint, I won’t be in this country during that particular folly. The transport networks will be decimated – and if all goes to plan I’ll be across the pond enjoying myself.
I think the Olympic torch is such a cool symbol. But it should be renamed to something like The Liars Torch.
As a veteran of the 96 Hot’lanta Olympics, it was a fabulous experience, bombings aside.
We were dissed by that ahole Samarinch(sp) in his final statement, so I will be waiting to see what happens.
Also, I know nobody who was able to rent there flat and make a fortune. The house I live in now I purchased from someone who bought it specifically to rent out for the Olympics and did not receive 1 call.
Also, I know nobody who was able to rent there flat and make a fortune.
Making a fortune is probably unrealistic.
Getting enough money to enjoy a nice vacation somewhere else is probably very doable, tho.
The trick is to let it out to a foreign film crew or presenters covering the ( I feel a fit of the giggles coming on again) Games. Snort, Titter.
Top Dollar I assure you.
Damn I’m glad I live in Bristol !
But these bastards will find some way to stick us with some of the bill.
Given the vast cost, complexity and risk of not getting adequate financial returns, associated with the Olympics, I never cease to be amazed that countries volunteer to host them.
I think you are misunderstanding the function of The Olympics. They are a demonstration to begin with: a monument to the power and glory of the state staging them and the officials involved.
That’s one reason the holders object so much to other demonstrations; they’ve paid a lot of money for solus rights to show off to their peers, and been to a lot of trouble to tidy away their less clean and less admiring residents. They don’t want anyone else’s message intruding on theirs.
It’s so stupid that it got this far:
Should China have been given the Olympics? Heck no.
Is there a worse country to have in China’s position at the moment? Again, heck no.
The SINGLE most important aspect of Chinese culture is not money, nor fame, nor love. It is face. Pure and simple.
If the Chinese had not gotten the Olympics, they would not have lost face. They’d be just another tendered bid that didn’t make it through.
However, having their Olympics be a failure would result in a loss of face on a truly epic scale and the NPC and politburo do not act in a rational manner to losing face.
The British didn’t understand this in their dealings re: Hong Kong, the world doesn’t understand it in China’s mendacious grasping for Taiwan or Tibet. Face is what it all comes down to.
If their citizens embarrass the leadership on such a global stage, the reprisals will be so brutal that they will make Tiananmen square look like fisticuffs between two septuagenarians.
Samsung, Coke and other spoinsors say the Olympics are not the place for politics. They would say that, wouldn’t they? Let’s face it – the business of business is business. Morality regarding human rights isn’t where business is at.
The Sydney Olympics were a fabulous experience too. The IOC does have a great event to offer, which is one reason why cities and countries bid for it. Lots of London people were junketed to Sydney in 2000, thought “We want one of these too” and that is largely what led to the 2012 bid.
However, we still don’t know what the Sydney games cost. What tends to happen is that a city wins and discovers that running the games is incredibly hard. They are generally then willing to do just about anything not to lose face, and vast sums of money are spent making sure they do not do so. People who have run previous Olympics tend to get hired as consultants at huge expense, and the games themselves run smoothly. I am sure this will happen in London as it did in Sydney and even in Athens. As for transport, Sydney’s transport system is in general far worse than that of London, but it worked superbly for the two weeks of the games. (Heaven knows who was paid off at what expense to make this happen).
And the “I will rent out my flat and leave the city” thing never works. Nobody ever makes any money doing this, and in truth if you have paid for the Olympics you might as well enjoy them. The games themselves are really quite an experience.
In case anyone is interested, some people have gotten a little creative with the Olympic logo.
Given the vast cost, complexity and risk of not getting adequate financial returns, associated with the Olympics, I never cease to be amazed that countries volunteer to host them.
The ruling elite bask in the glory, the bureaucracy carve up the jobs, and the people pay for it all.
What’s amazing about this?
My dear good Hongkong Chinese friend, Xuan, grinning like a Cheshire cat, bounced into our local on the evening of October 16th. 1964.
“See what we’ve done!”, he said with unconcealed pride.
I have just heard on the news, here in Oz, that the Chinese government has requested that Chinese troops be allowed to manage the security for the Australian leg of the Olympic torch.
Chinese troops? Exercising authority on Australian streets and public spaces?
They will be given an extremely dusty answer, but the sheer unmitigated gall of the request should be seen as indicative of the approach that a powerful China will take to the rest of the world in years to come.
What’s the Australian word for “WOLVERINES!!!”
And if they want to have their business, then let them. However, if I don’t want my money to be used to murder Buddhist monks and college students, and I don’t want the bodies swept under the rug for the sake of someone’s advertising dollars (advertising yuan?), then the same freedom that lets Coke pull that shit lets me drink Pepsi.
What’s the Australian word for “WOLVERINES!!!”
Absolutely.
And I am not sure this is bad.
That’s because you don’t have to live here. I’m having a hard enough time using the internet with all the blocking they’re doing.
JL Swaine above is correct on just about all counts. It’s face, and it’s not going to work just as BJ intended. Yet I wonder whether the most impact will come from pre-oly protest coverage, or from word getting around later about the “real” China after folks have visited. Think Beijing toilets and Beijing manners, and I doubt they’ll be able to simply delete the orange air.