AND THOSE KNUCKLEHEADS AT THE IOC HAVE GIVEN THE OLYMOPIC GAMES TO CHINA, AN IMPERIALIST GENOCIDAL REGIME (see Tibet today)
Chinese director Lou Ye poses during a photo call for the film “Summer Palace,” at the 59th International film festival in Cannes, southern France on May 18, 2006. Lou has been banned from making movies in his home country for five years because his film was screened at Cannes in May without government approval, state media said. Xinhua News Agency said Monday, Sept. 5, 2006. that Lou’s movie, “Summer Palace,” would be confiscated and income from it seized. The film is a sexually explicit love story set against China’s pro-democracy protests of 1989, which led up to the brutal Tiananmen Square crackdown.
Let’s leave the politics that occurs outside of sport outside of sport. I just finished watching the little blurb on CBC (back in the day - 1980) on the boycott of the 1980 Olympics. I believe that Angela Talyor (Issajenko) was right. Doesn’t make a damn bit of difference. If I were an athlete at the time … I would have gone! And declared myself as ‘Independant’!
“No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend’s or of thine own were. Any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee…”
Principles,
at the end of the day each person has to make a decision they are comfortable with and hopefully will never regret, no one can make that for them.
I have never been in a situation where I have had to make a tough call like boycotting a sports event. I would like to think I would have the courage of my convictions. That said by buying Chinese made products am I supporting their Government? Hmmmm I will have to ponder that. It is easy to say You shouldn’t do this but as they say, when you are pointing the finger at someone esle there are 3 pointing back at you. :o
Well, if we examine this from a historical viewpoint, China cannot be entirely blamed for choosing this mode of reaction to the showcase of the film. Yes, in the context of preventing freedom of expression China can considerably said to be a disgrace, but this has no relevance to the Chinese hosting of the Olympics, as the issue of the banning of the director simply stems from enforcing the political security in which the cradle of the Chinese Communist Party’s control over the country rests on. In my opinion, our social beliefs in the sphere of sporting excellence should not amalgamate with that which concerns the basic political functioning of a country empowered by capitalist-communism, and surely if freedom of expression was not tightly controlled in specific aspects, the country would erupt with political and social chaos.
Well said KitKat I think alot of people forget about their own issues back home in their countires and are too quick and free to lecture about freedom and civil rights in other countries.
To play devil’s advocate, (which i have been doing in this thread)
It depends on how you look at it. One could argue that the civil rights movement died. The gap in the US between rich and poor is widening and was already heavily correllated with ethnic lines. In addition, due to the fact that there is technically “legal” equality between ethnic groups prevents any furth reform on this issue.
Also, because this will invariably come up, the only reason that Gandhi was able to use a non-violent approach was that the occupying force (the british) actually had a conscience. If it were the dutch in control (for example), Gandhi and his follower would have been brutally slaughtered and India would currently be in the same position that most of the former dutch colonies are in.
To my knowledge the athletes, any athlete, whose country boycotts an Olympic games has the decision taken out of their hands. Did the government ask the athletes, “Although our government and X government who is hosting the games don’t see eye to eye on world policies, etc. would you still like to compete?”
Politics are politics and honestly need not affect any Olympic Games. I commend her for saying she would’ve gone independent. She put in 4 years of training for her life with little assistance from her country and then because the government isn’t able to look past issues not even dealing with sports she is supposed to accept their moral grounds. F*#k that!
Correct me if I wrong but the Olympic Games are about the competition of the best athletes in the world in those specific sports. Ben Johnson didn’t compete for Canada the Monarchy. He competed for Canada. Whether the games are held in Russia, Australia, or Canada who runs the fastest 100m is determined by the athletes and the athletes alone.
One man/woman is not an island…no country is above the possible accomplishments of a group of athletes representing said country either.
Don’t take the above wrong, this is only in relation to boycotting any games and not my opinion of whether or not a country is deserving of an Olympic Games.
All trolling aside (i admit to helping it), the IOC has been repeatedly shown to be a complete tool to outside interests. I am personally horrified by most of china’s (and the US’s and most other) human rights abuses, but i don’t see how getting angry and offended will solve any of these problems. (Nor can i offer a better solution).
Agree, let’s face it China and the US are easy targets but almost every country has some form of human rights abuse.
strspdpwr,
Politics and sport will always be intertwined. Lets not forget Moscow isn’t the only other boycott in Olympic history.
Other examples includes the United States boycott (under President Jimmy Carter) to participate in the 1980 Summer Olympics, held in Moscow that year (to protest the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan), the retaliatory boycott of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles by Soviet Union and following 14 Eastern bloc countries, and the movement that advocated “disinvestment” in South Africa during the 1980s in opposition to that country’s apartheid regime. The first Olympic boycott was in 1956 Summer Olympics for the Soviet invasion of Hungary.
On the contrary. At least one element of the issue is that of State control of the rights of individuals and even independent territories (Tibet, or if you prefer Iraq or, closer to home, New Orleans - at least the black part). And if you think behaviour like that ought to be rewarded (as the IOC has done in China’s case) then that is wrongheaded in my own view.
By the way I see another Chinese film, about the controversial Three Dams policy has just won a major award in France. Wonder what will happen to this director?
Hmmmm I will have to ponder that. It is easy to say 