Should the Olympics be cancelled

[Topaz]

I think with all the drugs out there, some can't even be detected, why bother with the Olympics when no one really knows whose doing drugs, to CHEAT the rest of the people who aren't doing it. I heard from alot of people who say the Olympics is the same as it was say 40 years ago and they do't really care anymore to watched it. Beside that, since the invasion Bush, is anyone from the west safe in foreign countries? How do you feel?

[bush_cheney2004]

Yes...what a great idea. Please tell Vancouver so they don't waste any more money after knocking themselves out to get the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Beyond the showcasing of outstanding athletic and cultural performances, we believe the Games can touch the soul of our nation. The Games have the capacity to inspire people of all ages, prompt community celebration and pride, foster unity, embrace diversity and instill a genuine spirit of peace in us all. Through the Games we can become nation-builders, champions at home and at play and we can become better citizens of the world.

http://www.vancouver2010.com/en/Participat...rmation/Tickets

Oh, and did we mention the MONEY!

Edited March 30, 2008 by bush_cheney2004

[RB]

The answer of course is a simple one - NO

When I was a bit younger visiting an inter-mural sports tournament, I recognized at once an athlete of talent and of great potential, a fellow called Darwin who literally sailed over the jumping pit but who was never given a chance to express a power that reside in the swiftness and agility of the hands and feet. I have since formed an opinion that everyone arrives at a checkpoint called foolishness. Here they are given nourishment (seeds) for which they can grow for the better or worst. If you can plant one seed and let a ray of sunlight on the seed and will it to grow that we can testify bravely of growth. What I meant is give a person an opportunity to keep his head on his shoulders, to shine with their talents, and to be brave and prove that they can run the fastest and jump the furthest, that you have allowed them the glory of citizenship of their potential unleased. Or you can pull the rug from under their feet and ask, is the Olympics for real? and then profess you think not.

If seems to me that we have come to an intersection where people with half expressed opinion are in charge and these are the same people with mighty swaying on the future of sports. Simply put, they are are people in charge who are simply ashamed of those that can bravely represent us in sports, or war, they are afraid of those who are swift and can do their best, and unleash a potential unknown and so they will merciless pounce and be demanding on those in sports until the poor folks who who could have blossom with abilities and genius must been crushed and with no hope left.

I believe that no athlete should be forced to accept what a stranger to sports debates, nor accept what these strangers would have thought and what they think or what we should think because they think nor accept opinions of another as their own but respect their own abilities and to carry on competition whether it is in Olympics sports or in the pools of their own backyard.

Competition is as healthy as it gets, in sports, business, life, work, attitudes, character, whatever.

Sports, fitness is healthiest way ever to life by.

Edited March 30, 2008 by RB

[Leafless]

Competition is as healthy as it gets, in sports, business, life, work, attitudes, character, whatever.

The Olympics is corrupt and basically serves no puprpose other than to support big buisness.

Who cares if someone beats some another competing athelte by .100 of a second.

Olympics to-day boils down to drugs and pure luck.

Human achievement in the world of sports has pretty well peaked and has no more to offer.

[guyser]

Human achievement in the world of sports has pretty well peaked and has no more to offer.

Same thing was said when Roger Bannister broker the 4 minute mile barrier....when the 10 second barrier was broken, when the ....when the ...when the....sheesh

[RB]

Who cares if someone beats some another competing athlete by .100 of a second.

Human achievement in the world of sports has pretty well peaked and has no more to offer.

What's wrong with capitalizing and making money from sports - its a free market system, the weak are bound to get exploited at the hands of those who can successfully bargain, negotiate and seize what I call opportunity

I care about competition

If you can't tolerate sports first try getting rid of

- maple leafs, Vancouver Canucks, Oilers , Calgary Flames, Ottawa Senators, NHL, hockey in general - they are making a spectacle of themselves

- basketball

- baseball

- dancing

- cheerleaders

- golf

- skiing

- etc etc. all sports

- SPIKE TV

then come back several years later to explain why people are fat, sitting about all day clueless and dying early

[Topaz]

Maybe the Olympics should have a 2 tier sports competition, one for no drugs and one for those who can't win unless they do drugs!!

[maldon_road]

Maybe the Olympics should have a 2 tier sports competition, one for no drugs and one for those who can't win unless they do drugs!!

One thing they should do away with are those disciplines that use "judges" - like gymnastics and figure skating. The Olympic motto is higher and faster, not the number of judges you can bribe.

[Rue]

I think with all the drugs out there, some can't even be detected, why bother with the Olympics when no one really knows whose doing drugs, to CHEAT the rest of the people who aren't doing it. I heard from alot of people who say the Olympics is the same as it was say 40 years ago and they do't really care anymore to watched it. Beside that, since the invasion Bush, is anyone from the west safe in foreign countries? How do you feel?

Top, putting all the foreign politics aside, I have given up on the Olympics because I personally feel it is permanently and hopelessly corupted. Its no longer an amateur gathering and about sportsmanship and good will. Its big business, sponsorships, corupt regimes sending corupt parasites to feed off of the perks of the Olympic government structure.

Its all about sponsorships who is kidding who. Everyone cheats and so it bugs me. If you could say to me Top you could guarantee me a true amateur event with no corupt sponsors, and an event that was completely apolitical, I would say great, but it isn't.

Look I hate the Chinese political system and what it does in Tibet and Sudan in particular as well as its predatory dumping trade practices. But to be fair, if we boycott them, show me what other countries are pure and innocent. are there any really?

Some days I believe the entire world is one corupt mess and its not just 1 or 2 countries and the people who usually point out a country is corupt, are even more corupt.

So I don't knwo Topaz. I am just not into it anymore however if someone still believes in it I would not knock them down for it and say enjoy it then.

[eyeball]

The least they could do is privatize the Olympics. Personally I've always found the sycophancy of politicians and chamber of commerce types and their endless suck-holing to the IOC to be a nauseatingly creepy spectacle. Speaking of which, I understand China expects all nations to protect the Olympic torch relay from any embarassing pro-Tibet protests along the relay route.

This should be enough to make anyone puke.

[jbg]

Beside that, since the invasion Bush, is anyone from the west safe in foreign countries? How do you feel?

Why not take a shot at the Chinese who are so brutally robbing the Tibetans of their self-determination rather than taking your predictable potshot at Bush? What in G-d's name does Bush have to do with the subject of your post?

[WestViking]

The accusations made against Bush are the verbal equivalent of a one-finger salute; the banal, mindless, repletion of mantras that have lost any meaning or substance. Those who resort to these mantras have nothing to contribute to public debate; no objective criticisms or viable alternatives. They cry out to hear the echo and fail to realize the reverberations are internal, unheard by surrounding crowds.

[eyeball]

Why not take a shot at the Chinese who are so brutally robbing the Tibetans of their self-determination rather than taking your predictable potshot at Bush? What in G-d's name does Bush have to do with the subject of your post?

I wonder what would happen if Cuba were awarded the games, a boycott? Say it ain't so.

[M.Dancer]

I wonder what would happen if Cuba were awarded the games, a boycott? Say it ain't so.

Probably. Mainly because the world would possibly revolt in horror as the slave labourers used to move the massive blocks of stone are crushed to death....coupled with the shock of seeing kids in food lines as resources are shifted to accomadate the army of prols...

Why not ask wouyld the world boycott Zimbabwe?

[eyeball]

So why isn't the world revolting in horror in the face of China's similarities to Cuba? Is it economics or virtue? It sure as hell isn't principles.

[M.Dancer]

So why isn't the world revolting in horror in the face of China's similarities to Cuba? Is it economics or virtue? It sure as hell isn't principles.

The world isn't? All those demos and protests are in support?

[eyeball]

At least one protest has been in support of China. I'm thinking more in terms of the reaction of nations, many of which feel compelled to not have any truck nor trade with Cuba because of its communist government and alleged human rights abuses. China seems to be getting different treatment despite these things. Why, virtue, economics or principles?

It'll be interesting to see how protesters are dealt with by the various countries the Olympic torch is relayed through. I'm betting more than a few will kowtow to China's endangered face and try to keep any protesters as far away from the torch as they can. Perhaps who these are will say a lot about why they do.

There seems to be a growing need amongst national governments to rally around and prop each other and their authority up. Things like the issue of Kosovo's separation and separtism in general and the way things like WTO negotiations and agreements are made also speak to the development of a new level of fraternity, one that divides us into those who govern and those who are goverened. In the past many nations formed into blocs to boycott the Olympics for one reason or another. I don't think we're going to see that much anymore, especially not if China sets the new standards for acceptance into the club.

If that's the case and if they could afford it why not Cuba?

Edited April 1, 2008 by eyeball

[M.Dancer]

I'm thinking more in terms of the reaction of nations, many of which feel compelled to not have any truck nor trade with Cuba because of its communist government and alleged human rights abuses.

That would be an interesting argument had it some grounding in reality.

Produce a list of nations that have sanctions against trade with Cuba. I would be surprised if the number is greater than 3.

[eyeball]

Feeling the compulsion as opposed to acting on it are two different things. Many however are chided for their dealings with Cuba, by you know who and human rights abuses are the most oft-stated reasons why. China on the other hand is getting a different treatment. They're in where Cuba is out, so to speak.

Why?

[M.Dancer]

Feeling the compulsion as opposed to acting on it are two different things. Many however are chided for their dealings with Cuba, by you know who and human rights abuses are the most oft-stated reasons why. China on the other hand is getting a different treatment. They're in where Cuba is out, so to speak.

Why?

Speaking of two differents things would be your first premise and then your new one here. First you say there are many that feel compeled not to trade and now you say some are chided because they do. Please make up your mind.

China btw is still subject to numerous trade restrictions from various countries around the world and specifically the US in the high tech sector.

[eyeball]

First you say there are many that feel compeled not to trade and now you say some are chided because they do.

That's right.

The European Union resents the Helms Burton Act because it felt that the US was dictating how other nations ought to conduct their trade and challenged it on that basis. The EU eventually dropped its challenge in favor of negotiating a solution

Wiki

China btw is still subject to numerous trade restrictions from various countries around the world and specifically the US in the high tech sector.

China is also home to much of America's manufacturing sector and foreign debt. I can only imagine what Joseph McCarthy would think.

[capricorn]

The accusations made against Bush are the verbal equivalent of a one-finger salute; the banal, mindless, repletion of mantras that have lost any meaning or substance. Those who resort to these mantras have nothing to contribute to public debate; no objective criticisms or viable alternatives.

Sort of like those who hurl the term fascist or fascism around in discussing those they don't agree with.

[capricorn]

So why isn't the world revolting in horror in the face of China's similarities to Cuba? Is it economics or virtue? It sure as hell isn't principles.

eyeball, Canadians love Cuba and that's why they feel they can criticize her government. Same as with the US. We love her so we don't feel bad dumping on her. IMO most Canadians don't particularly feel threatened by either country.

As for China, I get the feeling most Canadians fear China and criticizing her is kept to a minimum. You know "don't upset China, we don't know where it might lead to" sentiment. David Miller, T.O.'s mayor will soon visit there. Let's grill him when he gets back to find out how China feels about us.

[OneNoShine]

umm, No?

[bush_cheney2004]

China is also home to much of America's manufacturing sector and foreign debt. I can only imagine what Joseph McCarthy would think.

False on both counts. America's manufacturing sector resides mostly in America, and since only about 45% of its public debt is foreign held, with China and Japan only holding about 50% of that, it is not home to much of anything American.