Boycotting the Olympic Games '08

[Alex]

That pun was worthy of our family, Dave. :x

[Rosti LFC]

We're good at curling in the winter, and we tend to be extremely good at boxing with the normal games. Also rowing and
Unfortunately, most of the medals are track and field, which we tend to do quite poorly at. We'll maybe pick up a few bronze and silver medals, but the golds tend to elude us. Kelly Holmes won two golds in Athens though.
Usually our big hopes tend to underperform and we come away a bit disappointed. As England tends to do with almost all sports.
We came 10th in the overall medal table in Athens, which isn't too shabby.

I'm also pretty sure that any economic boost will be from overseas spectators and investment, as well as sponsors (if the Olympics has any?). The number of natives who visit the game won't affect the country's revenue too much I'd expect.

[Fluffy Cocaine]

I guess it IS distasteful. But I think their violations against humanity is more distasteful, and the Olympics is a world wide stage that should be used.

Why should it be used? What message will be sent by this? This makes us all look like petty little bastards that think we're sending a big message by refusing to go to a world tradition that's been held for centuries.
I very much support every method of protest that sends a message in a big way, like workers' strikes and embargoes. However, boycotting an event that's supposed to be about coming together and setting our differences aside to compete in sports events makes us look more petty and underhanded than it makes us look headstrong and benevolent.

[Lardarse]

I don't think the "economic boom" from the Olympics is quite as large as you guys are making it out to be. London is hosting the 2012 ones, and there's a lot of debate over if the country is actually likely to make money from it.

Debate? You know as well as I do that it will be a financial flop. That's assuming that we even manage to finish the stadium on time...

No offense, but what is England good at in the Olympics? I think countries with likely gold winners take it more seriously, thus selling more tickets, etc.

We're good at cycling rowing and sailing, some success at athletics and swimming, sporadic successes elsewhere. We've come 10th on the medals table 2 summer olympics running (which kinda makes up for Atlanta when we were shit), so we're not that bad at sport...

[Takurai]

I agree with and support the protesters.

China is the antithesis of what the Olympics are. To even CONSIDER hosting them in China is an affront to everything I like about them.

I mean, I feel sorry for the athletes, but no. China doesn't deserve the prestige. Not after what they've done.

[Fluffy Cocaine]

If China hosting the Olympics is such a terrible thing, why did no one protest it until now? It's so easy to jump in and protest to look like you're endorsing a good cause once the torch is out and once things are finally getting settled. I suppose no one had the balls to protest this on a large scale when it was announced.

Beijing has the 2008 Olympics and we did nothing to change that. Pulling out now just makes things a mess. I believe that the protesters and those calling for us to pull out are more guilty of undermining the true message and "point" of the Olympics than China is. Yes, China has no respect whatsoever for humanity laws, and yes, China has done and is doing some awful things, but the Olympics are supposed to be all about coming together for a moment of peace. This is not peaceful. The fact that China was willing to open themselves up to hosting the Olympics in the first place shows that they are taking a major step in the right direction. Why would China ever be compelled to change their ways when we make a gigantic shitstorm to show how displeased we are with them whenever they finally open themselves up a little and drop their guard a little?

[Rosti LFC]

To add something perhaps controversial to the debate, I think that quite a lot of nations, particularly the USA and the UK, are being extremely hypocritical to condemn China's hosting of the Olympic games. None of our countries are completely innocent as far as violations of human rights go.
Noam Chomsky has pointed out that if you apply the same laws which were created for the Nazi leaders at the Nuremburg trials to American Presidents, then every single one since Truman should be executed for war crimes and crimes against humanity. There are no (or very few) Western countries that have not benefited at some point from the exploitation of people and countries, and who have not committed crimes on the same scale or worse to those by China.
Sure, we may have learned from these, and they may happen again, but it's wrong to condemn a country like China, which is several decades behind in development, from making the same mistakes and actions that we ourselves made several decades ago.

Also, let us also bear in mind that the entire ceremony of having the torch brought from Greece to the host nation has not been around since the ancient games. The relay was devised by Carl Diem, under the supervision of Adolf Hitler, to promote the Nazi ideology and way of thinking for the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games.

[Lardarse]

Also, let us also bear in mind that the entire ceremony of having the torch brought from Greece to the host nation has not been around since the ancient games. The relay was devised by Carl Diem, under the supervision of Adolf Hitler, to promote the Nazi ideology and way of thinking for the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games.

Did you just hear that on Radio 2?

[Rosti LFC]

Did you just hear that on Radio 2?

Lol, no I didn't.

It was in something I heard regarding the protests, so I read into it a little.

[Alex]

Also, let us also bear in mind that the entire ceremony of having the torch brought from Greece to the host nation has not been around since the ancient games. The relay was devised by Carl Diem, under the supervision of Adolf Hitler, to promote the Nazi ideology and way of thinking for the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games.

Seriously? Huh, I had no idea. I guess that's a good way to do it.

[GracefulDave]

I learned that on the Daily Show. Stewart was SO angry that we were besmirching Hitler's ONLY LEGACY! *stares*

I think the flame represents the games rather well, and it's a throw back to simpler times where sports matter. Though running an unlit torch in a bus is still very symbolic... It's not too late to start your own traditions!

[Deezlink]

I don't really see why you would boycott it, it doesn't make any sense to me.

Wasn't there a fuss about marching through Tibit because of fear of even more chaos?

[Cesium]

Seriously? Huh, I had no idea. I guess that's a good way to do it.

Yeah, most of the Olympic traditions and legends aren't ancient Greek at all. They were created in the early years of the games. Just like the marathon isn't the distance a Greek warrior ran, but the distance to the Queen's palace window in the London Olympics of 1908.

[Redlazer]

I agree with Cesium and Polar. The Olympic games are supposed to be a time where our differences are set aside and we participate in sporting events. You didn't see anyone protesting when the Olympic Games were in Nazi Germany.

Besides, if they want to protest, make signs and march. Don't try to use a fire extinguisher on the flame. I feel bad for the runners who had the honor of running the torch ruined by protesters.

What is happening in Tibet is wrong, but you shouldn't ruin the ancient tradition of the Olympics to stop it.

[Rosti LFC]

You didn't see anyone protesting when the Olympic Games were in Nazi Germany.

Err... yes you did?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1936_Summer_Olympics#Dispute_over_boycott_of_the_Olympics_in_the_U.S.

[Cesium]

It seems the protests have served to heighten Chinese nationalism, and desire to succeed in spite of the West, instead of causing any change in policy. Chinese news sites, forums, and bloggers have been railing against CNN and other such.