To give us bums at work something to talk about. What is the consesus on politics being involved in the Olympics?

My person view is the Olympics are to supercede politics, its about the purity of sport and competition. Just because an athlete is from Iraq doesnt mean he has done anyhting worth banning him.

The boycotts, the denial of the one gentleman for his Anti-Derfur (spelling) ties to me taints the spirit of the games.

Before and after the games are time to interject politics. During the competition, let the competitors have their time in the sun (or smog).

Well Taleren, when one of the competitors is banned from the games because of their beliefs ... you have to wonder how thats possible.

I'm not familiar with the story, so I'll have to do some reading later today. But I have a hard time seeing us applying any sort of regulation to athletes that hasn't previously existed - it's about sport, not politics. I'm assuming the athlete was banned by the Olympic committee, the same group who opted to hold the events in China? A country known for human rights abuses? Either we're leaving politics out, or it's all politics, but you can't pick and choose.

I'm assuming the athlete was banned by the Olympic committee, the same group who opted to hold the events in China?

No, China revoked the guy's visa (for political reasons).

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/aug/07/olympics20081

Well Joey Cheek wasn't a participant in the games. He was basically coming over as a tourist. China would bar me from being a tourist if I was going to protest when I got on Chinese soil.

edit to add (posted the first 3 sentences based upon rudimentary knowledge of the situation, I hadn't read the article yet):

This quote from the article really states my point:

Giselle Davies, the IOC's spokeswoman, said: "The Olympic Games are about the athletes, the active athletes that are competing. Joey Cheek had no formal role and is not accredited in any capacity, so in that sense he is a normal citizen who requires a visa like any other. As such this is really a matter for the Chinese government to respond to, not the IOC."

Taleren has itright after the opening ceremonies tomorrow night it's time to let the athletes shine. Go USA!

China would not give my brother a visa this month either and he goes over there every other month. They are trying to limit those entering the country to only those who have a reason to be there like to attend to the games, visit family, etc.

My brother has nothing but great things to say about his interactions with the Chinese people and his experiences. He doesn't much care for some of the policies of the gov't but it doesn't sway his opinion of the people.

It would be my hope that during the competition other people can sidebar their personal agenda and let the people who have trained their whole lives have their day and not have it marred or forgotten in the political turmoil. I had heard China made approved protest sites in parks that were not near the event sites or player housing. I would say that's a pretty big step for them.

It seems to me that the rest of the world is being made to look bad for its' hellbent intent on saying how awful China is rather than turning and looking in the mirror and consider how awful they look for dragging the games thru politics. Resume this crap after the games not during.



Other tidbit...
If during the opening ceremony or other events you see an Olympic Torch that writes messages in the air above the person holding it, that was made by my brother's company. The The Chinese OC wouldn't approve it and kept saying no but they let up so they get to sell them now.

http://www.eetasia.com/ART_8800538429_480500_NT_ddb9a840.HTM

Well I see all those arguments, but here's the other side of the coin. What other opportunity will there ever be to bring the combined influence of the rest of the world into China to help free their citizens, particularly Darfur? There hasn't been any others in hundreds of years, why should we expect another to come in another hundred years?

Is watching a game more important than freedom of the oppressed?

Well I see all those arguments, but here's the other side of the coin. What other opportunity will there ever be to bring the combined influence of the rest of the world into China to help free their citizens, particularly Darfur? There hasn't been any others in hundreds of years, why should we expect another to come in another hundred years?

Is watching a game more important than freedom of the oppressed?

China hasn't had human rights issues at least visible to the rest of the world for hundreds of years. Darfur hasn't been an issue for hundreds of years. The Modern Olympics hasn't been around hundreds of years. Global awareness hasn't been around hundreds of years.

As long as Amanada Beard keeps boycotting fur and the news keeps reporting it... I see no problems with Olympics and Politics.

As long as Amanada Beard keeps boycotting fur and the news keeps reporting it... I see no problems with Olympics and Politics.

Here's to hoping the new speedo suit is made out of fur. I would definitely watch swimming if Amanda Beard were swimming up her lane naked.

there is a difference between personal politics and national though.

Now if we can just get Jennie Finch to protest Softball uniforms...

China hasn't had human rights issues at least visible to the rest of the world for hundreds of years. Darfur hasn't been an issue for hundreds of years. The Modern Olympics hasn't been around hundreds of years. Global awareness hasn't been around hundreds of years.

You're right, it should have been "nearly a hundred years" instead of "hundreds of years", but the point still stands.

Why should we expect our athletes to become pawns to political causes, and why should we expect China to grant a visa to someone who would only be going to protest issues? Granting a visa to a person wanting to come to the US isn't automatic either. If we got wind that someone that was applying for a visa to come to our country was coming to protest gitmo, abu garab(sp), the Patriot Act, illegal wiretapping, etc., I bet that person would be denied his/her visa as well.

Now if we can just get Jennie Finch to protest Softball uniforms

OH Yummy! ;)

Am i the only who thinks Hope Solo's defensive capabilities could be vastly improved if she would only play topless?

ootah gootah solo!

The time to protest China being chosen was during the consideration process, now it's about the athletes.

Optimally the Olympics should be about sport and friendly competition. Politics should be put aside until they are over.

Well I see all those arguments, but here's the other side of the coin. What other opportunity will there ever be to bring the combined influence of the rest of the world into China to help free their citizens, particularly Darfur? There hasn't been any others in hundreds of years, why should we expect another to come in another hundred years?

Is watching a game more important than freedom of the oppressed?


If the US were hosting the games, and people from outside the country who were flagrantly espousing their intent to protest our Middle East actions when they came for the games, do you honestly think the US would not deny those visas?

As much as China evokes revulsion for their human rights record, they have a legitimate point in limiting visas during the Games, to avoid detracting from the athletes' endeavors.

The visa wasn't denied, it was revoked a day before his flight departure. And China didn't refund his hotel or plane fare. We have foreigners protesting in front of the White House every minute of every day. Another group probably in front of the UN, World Bank, etc etc etc. I'm fairly certain our country wouldn't revoke their visas unless they broke the law.

I'm ironically siding with our President on this one, and I'm glad he made note of China's horrible human rights record before heading to the games. During the events, inside the stadiums and such, I agree that it would be wrong for protests to break out, and I'm fairly sure they won't. But while the eyes of the world are focused on China I'm glad the Chinese people are getting a view of what life outside the Communist wall looks like.

I'm just going to steal this right from John Oliver.

The Olympics were originally an event where women were barred from spectating, punishable by death. They've never really been about human rights.


On the other hand, the argument that china is simply a fucking terrible (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1038995/Worst-smog-month-hits-Beijing-Olympic-athletes-leave-minute-acclimatise-poor-air.html) place for an athletic event is very legitmate.

The Olympics were originally an event where women were barred from spectating, punishable by death. They've never really been about human rights.





If the male competitors were still performing in the nude, China would most likely bar women from watching now, too. :p

The visa wasn't denied, it was revoked a day before his flight departure. And China didn't refund his hotel or plane fare. We have foreigners protesting in front of the White House every minute of every day. Another group probably in front of the UN, World Bank, etc etc etc. I'm fairly certain our country wouldn't revoke their visas unless they broke the law.

I'm ironically siding with our President on this one, and I'm glad he made note of China's horrible human rights record before heading to the games. During the events, inside the stadiums and such, I agree that it would be wrong for protests to break out, and I'm fairly sure they won't. But while the eyes of the world are focused on China I'm glad the Chinese people are getting a view of what life outside the Communist wall looks like.

Now if he would only speak out about the horrible human rights violations of his own administration, he wouldn't be such a hypocrite.

I'm just going to steal this right from John Oliver.

The Olympics were originally an event where women were barred from spectating, punishable by death. They've never really been about human rights.


On the other hand, the argument that china is simply a fucking terrible (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1038995/Worst-smog-month-hits-Beijing-Olympic-athletes-leave-minute-acclimatise-poor-air.html) place for an athletic event is very legitmate.

My dad is there now working for General Electric doing water purification for the games. GE has sunk a TON of money into this years games: water purification from GE Water, electric generation and distribution from GE Electric, financing from GE Bank, live coverage around the world on various NBC/Universal channels, etc. He says that GE has had their own set of rules and standards China was supposed to meet - but didn't. They still haven't passed the Olympic committee's regulations on how many people are allowed to urinate in public per city block, let alone air quality and water quality and food quality. Will be interesting to see if their inability to prepare will become an incident in itself.

I heard that China will not allow live broadcasts by NBC... there will be a mandatory delay so that they can dump something if they deem it necessary. Is this true? I heard this from my brother last night who said that MEMSIC's torches are already at the Olympics some 100,000 or so. I wonder if someone hacks the messages :p

Nah, the Today show and a bunch of live programs are coming out of China already, the only delay being the time it takes the signal to bounce from China to a satellite back to NBC in New York and back up over the air waves.