boycotting the olympics

[Phrenetic]

Olimpx R Awsume!

[rawb]

K HAVE FUN BRAH l

[Phrenetic]

CAUSE ARRESTING PEOPLE FOR PEACEFUL PROTEST AND FORCED ABORTIONS IS COOLo

[diva]

I honestly don't give a shit about the host country when I watch the Olympics. It's all about the athletes. You know, the thousands of people at the games who've given up countless years of their lives in order to excel at something they're extremely passionate about.

My brother's an athlete who's hoping to make the London 2012 games. This summer, instead of partying and hanging out with friends, he wakes up at the crack of dawn to workout/train before going to work a shit min. wage summer job. He's been doing this (minus the working part) for the last eight years of his life.

The athletes at these games are real examples of how focus and determination can turn a dream into reality.

I love the Olympics. I get tears in my eyes whenever I watch a medal ceremony. And even more tears whenever the camera zooms in on the family members who are watching from the audience. The pride and love on their faces...wow.

[Phrenetic]

Originally Posted by diva

I honestly don't give a shit about the host country when I watch the Olympics. It's all about the athletes. You know, the thousands of people at the games who've given up countless years of their lives in order to excel at something they're extremely passionate about.

My brother's an athlete who's hoping to make the London 2012 games. This summer, instead of partying and hanging out with friends, he wakes up at the crack of dawn to workout/train before going to work a shit min. wage summer job. He's been doing this (minus the working part) for the last eight years of his life.

The athletes at these games are real examples of how focus and determination can turn a dream into reality.

I love the Olympics. I get tears in my eyes whenever I watch a medal ceremony. And even more tears whenever the camera zooms in on the family members who are watching from the audience. The pride and love on their faces...wow.

the Olympics are not about Athleticism at all. is about the Olympic spirit , goodwill and humanity.

[prozac]

Originally Posted by Phrenetic

the Olympics are not about Athleticism at all.

I think that is quite possibly the dumbest thing you have said on here. There are plenty of contenders but I think this takes the cake.

[miss.myra]

uhhh k, is it me or is everyone acting like China just started mistreating Tibet? News flash, it didn't start last year, and if you really want to get China when it hurts why not try something that actually has an effect on them like boycotting made in China products, etc.

Why didn't anyone boycott the Olympics when they were in the USA? It's not like their human rights record is exactly stellar. I'd argue they are just as bad as China.

I get the sentiment but it can apply to almost every single country the Olympics have ever been held in.

Why didn't people care about Tibet as much years and years and years ago? Unfortunately, China's treatment towards Tibet has always been this bad. Maybe if more people cared before, something could have actually been done on it that has an effect on the country besides refusing to watch the Olympics.

[Phrenetic]

Originally Posted by prozac

I think that is quite possibly the dumbest thing you have said on here. There are plenty of contenders but I think this takes the cake.

sorry your right! its not about country's and people coming together at all. its a TV show, like friends or So you think you can dance!

[rawb]

STILL LOLLING OVER THE THOUGHT OF SOMEONE TALKING ABOUT BOYCOTTING CHINA ON A COMPUTER WHOS PARTS WERE MOSTLY ASSEMBLED FROM THAT COUNTRYl

[rawb]

I MEAN NOT WATCHING 2 TV CHANNELS IS A HUGE SACRIFICE, BRAH. TRY NOT TO STRAIN YOURSELF IN YOUR PURSUIT OF JUSTICE. l

[stephen_c]

please don't boycott 2010.

Natives could protest 2010 Olympics, says Chief Fontaine

Natives could protest 2010 Olympics, says Chief Fontaine
Bal Brach, Canwest News Service
Published: Thursday, April 17, 2008

OTTAWA -- Canadian native groups might highlight the "desperate conditions" in their communities with protests during Vancouver's 2010 Olympics similar to this year's pro-Tibet demonstrations, First Nations leader Phil Fontaine warned Thursday.

This despite a memorandum of understanding with Vancouver's Olympics Committee (VANOC) signed by Mr. Fontaine and the Four Host First Nations last summer.

"What that speaks to is the desperate situation in our communities," said MR. Fontaine, Grand Chief of the Assembly of First Nations. "We find the Tibet situation compelling. The Tibetans are disenfranchised people. The situation here is similar, but it's different in this sense - the poverty we're talking about exists in Canada's own backyard.

"It's OK to express outrage with the Chinese government's position against Tibet, but [Canadians] should be just as outraged, if not more so . . . with what is being done to First Nations here."

Tibet protesters have made international headlines with their demonstrations, by interfering with the international Olympic torch relay and calling on countries to boycott the opening ceremonies.

"I would hope that we would not be forced to take disruptive measures," Mr. Fontaine told CBC Thursday. "I am confident and optimistic that won't be necessary. I personally am a big supporter of the 2010 Olympics. The Assembly of First Nations has expressed formally it's support for the 2010 Olympics."

In a memorandum of understanding signed July 12, 2007, the Four Host First Nations and the Assembly of First Nations agreed to work together with the organizing committee to "ensure successful 2010 Winter games and extend opportunities to participate in the 2010 Winter Games beyond the FHFNS (Four Host First Nations Society) to other First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples across Canada," according to the document obtained by Canwest News Service.

The agreement is signed by Mr. Fontaine, five other host nation members, and Vancouver Organizing Committee executive David Guscott.

Squamish First Nation Chief Bill Williams, whose signature is also on the document, said his band has agreed to work with the organizing committee.

However, that did not mean members of his nation would not be protesting.

"There will be some level of protest and I hope so too," he said. "We are going to be working with VANOC, but we have 3,500 members and not all want to be part of the Olympics. They want to talk about the children and the hardships in the community and they have the full right to do that."

Mr. Williams said First Nations across Canada have the highest attributes in all the worst life quality scenarios.

"We have the highest people incarcerated, the highest rate of children dropping out of schools, the highest rate of children in the child-care system and I could go on and on," Mr. Williams said.

Indian Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl said the prospect of First Nations protesting the Olympics is "a little odd to me."

"We have an excellent working relationship with the four host nations that are in the Olympic territory," he said.

Mr. Strahl said the federal and provincial governments have been working closely with First Nations to make certain they benefit economically from the Games, and "for the first time ever" indigenous people will have a say in how the ceremonies are conducted.

"It's going very well and it's going to be an exciting Olympics for First Nations, not just from the area but from across Canada," said Mr. Strahl.

David Hurford, director of communications for Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan, said the mayor met with Mr. Fontaine this past summer to talk about the opportunities for First Nations with 2010.

"We've certainly offered an ongoing dialogue with him. We have a lot of respect for the national chief," said Mr. Hurford.

He added protests around the Olympics aren't unprecedented.

"There are a number of groups that are talking about using the Games as a catalyst to make a point on an issue that they care about. I think that's to be expected and in a country like Canada people are free to do that."

[prozac]

Originally Posted by Phrenetic

sorry your right! its not about country's and people coming together at all. its a TV show, like friends or So you think you can dance!

I can't tell if you're deliberately misinterpreting me or if you really are that dumb. I quoted the part where you said the Olympics "aren't about athletics at all".

[Phrenetic]

my opinion stands. its not about athletics.

tell me what the olympics are about, I would get into eugenics but i want to hear what you have to say about it first

[kir mokum]

they're not, really. the actual event is kind of incidental.

[Grapes]

Originally Posted by prozac

I think that is quite possibly the dumbest thing you have said on here. There are plenty of contenders but I think this takes the cake.

Cosigned.

[Grapes]

Originally Posted by kir mokum

they're not, really. the actual event is kind of incidental.

Even if that was true, which it isn't, saying they're not about athletics "at all" is still a false statement.

Come on man, don't hitch your star to Phrenny's wagon.

[diva]

Originally Posted by Phrenetic

the Olympics are not about Athleticism at all. is about the Olympic spirit , goodwill and humanity.

These games are displaying plenty of goodwill and humanity.



Olympics Beijing 2008: Shooting - The Russian Natalia Paderina and Georgia's Nino Salukvadze share a podium | Sport | guardian.co.uk

[prozac]

Originally Posted by Phrenetic

my opinion stands. its not about athletics.

Somehow I think the thousands of participating athletes might disagree with you.

[kir mokum]

Originally Posted by Grapes

Even if that was true, which it isn't, saying they're not about athletics "at all" is still a false statement.

Come on man, don't hitch your star to Phrenny's wagon.

i have my own wagon, thank you very much.

the olympics are a business venture. their modus operandi follows suit. i don't agree that their not about athletics at all but that's just part of their product. but i could be about mathletes or pogs or whatever.

it's like saying nike isn't about shoes. they're not, really. they're there to make a profit. shoes in the point of nike. that's just the product they chose. the olympics are the similar, though a lot more complicated in their motivations imo (politics being another huge factor). i think that's what phren. is getting at.

also, this is a comment of what they are now, not what they were when they started.

[kir mokum]

Originally Posted by prozac

Somehow I think the thousands of participating athletes might disagree with you.

see, they're not "the olympics". they're part of the product being sold.

i would be curious as to the athletes opinions on the olympics, the politics involved, and it's effect on the communities they take place in.

[project.one]

Originally Posted by Phrenetic

i think its bullshit, Repressing everyone and promises never kept. They are detaining anyone who questions their authority.

its a big "Made in China" fail.

Way to jump on the banwagon!
Which newspapers do you get your opinions from?

[project.one]

Originally Posted by project.one

Way to jump on the banwagon!
Which newspapers do you get your opinions from?

bad karma from brent?
now my life is over!

[Grapes]

Originally Posted by kir mokum

i have my own wagon, thank you very much.

You're steering it wrong.

A lot of what you said is perfectly legit. But let me back up a sec here..

True statement (? arguably): The olympics aren't really about sports.

False statement (not arguably!): The olympics aren't at all about sports.

See where I'm coming from now? To say what Phrenny said was hugely disrespectful to the athletes that bust their asses to compete, EVEN IF you feel like the sporting competitions are largely secondary to the politics and economics of the event. Which is certainly a viable argument (though I don't agree with it 100%)

[miss.myra]

Originally Posted by kir mokum

i have my own wagon, thank you very much.

the olympics are a business venture. their modus operandi follows suit. i don't agree that their not about athletics at all but that's just part of their product. but i could be about mathletes or pogs or whatever.

it's like saying nike isn't about shoes. they're not, really. they're there to make a profit. shoes in the point of nike. that's just the product they chose. the olympics are the similar, though a lot more complicated in their motivations imo (politics being another huge factor). i think that's what phren. is getting at.

also, this is a comment of what they are now, not what they were when they started.

You can't argue the nature of business is to make money, so I'll give you that. You also can't argue that the Olympics is a chance for businesses to market the shit out of themselves and make a lot of money.

You certainly cannot argue that these events would NOT take place and business would NOT make money if there wasn't something real there, which is the athletes.

People paying a ton of money to go to a baseball game aren't going to enjoy the giant Dell™ ad that can be seen just over left field, they are going because they love the game and they want to see it. Professional sports everywhere have a lot of politics and money involved, but it doesn't make them worth boycotting.

[stephen_c]

^
lol @ Dell™
afraid of trademark infringement?