Politics and the Olympics

[VoodooAce]

Question. Do you believe that the Olympics should be a--plolitical?

Or do you think the host nation has the right to bring politics into the fold?

There may be plenty that don't even thin the US has done so. I personally believe that, while it could have been worse I guess, we have in fact done so.

Leaders of previous Olympics, even those in China and the USSR, showed integrity and honor in observing the spirit of the Olympics by leaving politics out of them.

Duuhhh-bya just couldn't resist, though. He had to alter the customary nine-word presentation the nations leader ALWAYS gives to officially open the games. Just couldn't resist adding a patriotic touch to it given the huge audience watching. Hey, what's wrong with a little jingoistic campaigning, eh?

To me, its obviously not THAT big of a deal, its just the principal, or lack there of. George showed once again his total lack of honor.

Also, while a lot of you will argue that it WASN'T any big deal, he still broke the rules. And, as all of you law and order types are prone to say, a rule is a rule. And Duuhhhh-bya intentionally ignored them.

 

[Sixchan]

I was sleepinng when he said whatever it was.

What did he say and what should it have been?

 

[Juize]

Politics SHOULD be away from Olympics. The countries that DO involve politics to them, such as
USA and North-Korea,... well, they're simply m*******s. Sorry.

 

[VoodooAce]

Sixchan, I forget the exact words.

The nations leader is supposed to say something about "I declare open these games to celebrate the Winter Olympics".

He added some stuff onto the front of the statement about 'this proud and determined nation'....something like that anyway.

What he said isn't as important as the fact that he just HAD to say something. You know, to show us once again what a proud patriotic guy he is.

Heck, he's the leader of the free world. Rules that apply to other lesser nations don't apply to him, I guess.

 

[Jimcat]

You know, I didn't vote for GWB myself, and I'm not in favor of politicizing the Olympics, but... some things are just not that big a deal.

Suppose the Olympics were being held in, say, the UK, and that London had suffered a major terrorist attack last year. Do you think people would hold it against Tony Blair if he made a "proud and determined nation" comment at the opening ceremonies?

Or, for that matter, if Gore had won the 2000 election, do you think he wouldn't have made a similar comment?

It's a tough situation to be in when you support the nation but don't particularly like the guy in the White House. But I'm not going to take pot-shots at Bush whenever he opens his mouth. What he said at the Olympics didn't harm the spirit of the games, and wasn't partisan politics. I think that a lot of people, and not just Americans, would be glad to see that our country is still confident in itself despite the terrorist attacks.

 

[Hitro]

Originally posted by VoodooAce
Question. Do you believe that the Olympics should be a--plolitical?

Or do you think the host nation has the right to bring politics into the fold?

My answers: No and no.

But if you look at reality just four dates are enough to prove how unrealistic that wish is: 1936, 1972, 1980, 1984

 

[Zwelgje]

Originally posted by Jimcat
You know, I didn't vote for GWB myself, and I'm not in favor of politicizing the Olympics, but... some things are just not that big a deal.

Suppose the Olympics were being held in, say, the UK, and that London had suffered a major terrorist attack last year. Do you think people would hold it against Tony Blair if he made a "proud and determined nation" comment at the opening ceremonies?

Or, for that matter, if Gore had won the 2000 election, do you think he wouldn't have made a similar comment?

It's a tough situation to be in when you support the nation but don't particularly like the guy in the White House. But I'm not going to take pot-shots at Bush whenever he opens his mouth. What he said at the Olympics didn't harm the spirit of the games, and wasn't partisan politics. I think that a lot of people, and not just Americans, would be glad to see that our country is still confident in itself despite the terrorist attacks.

Not to attack you personally but if this Olympics would be in Iran and the president would say something like: for the glory of the Intifada I declare this Games opened. Would it still be not that big a deal? Think about it. The Olympics are for the whole world and such a remark may not be such a big deal for you but to others it may be. Just a thought from me.....

 

[tetley]

Mark my words: when the Summer Olympics reach Beijing, China will not allow Taiwan to compete. And there will be a huge controversy over it.

You heard it from me first. In 2002.

 

[VoodooAce]

Originally posted by tetley
Mark my words: when the Summer Olympics reach Beijing, China will not allow Taiwan to compete. And there will be a huge controversy over it.

You heard it from me first. In 2002.

What say does China have? Does Taiwan want to compete? Do they normally (not that it really matters).

If they want to, and China pulls some crap like that, then we should boycott them all together. China and their incessant sniveling and b!tching about Taiwan is SOOOO old. Screw 'em.

 

[Simon Darkshade]

I can see it now: a mass boycott of the Beijing Games to the extent that it takes on the plot of the Goodies Olympic Episode, where it was Britain versus The Rest of the World. This time it will be China versus The Rest of the World (as represented by North Korea, and the Young Maoists League of Tenerife)

 

[mrog]

I do not think politics should not enter into the olympics. I think Mr Bush's "modification" of the opening speech was inappropriate as was the location from which it was delivered- it became a photo op with the focus on him, rather than on his role in the ceremony.

Not a big deal- but not in keeping with the spirit of the thing IMHO.

 

[polymath]

The point isn't whether it's a big deal or not, (it's not really) but whether he should have done it. He shouldn't, maybe he was showing off or something...all he had to do was read from a bit of paper, but no, not possible.....

 

[Ptolemy]

Well if politics should be kept out, it should be kept out completely so that we wont get another Olympics like the one in Berlin 1936.

 

[knowltok2]

Originally posted by VoodooAce


What say does China have? Does Taiwan want to compete? Do they normally (not that it really matters).

If they want to, and China pulls some crap like that, then we should boycott them all together. China and their incessant sniveling and b!tching about Taiwan is SOOOO old. Screw 'em.

Actually I think that due to China's efforts, Taiwan can't use its own flag when marching.

I agree with you about China, but boycotting is also rather political.

I wonder if the Taiwanese team would want to go? I mean, would they be safe considering China views them as citizens, and theoretically could refuse to allow them to return. I would hope China wouldn't pull that kind of stunt, the publicity would be horrible, but...

 

[tetley]

Bush could have said, "Hamburgers 99 cents" and he would have gotten people mad.

 

[VoodooAce]

Originally posted by VoodooAce


What say does China have? Does Taiwan want to compete? Do they normally (not that it really matters).

If they want to, and China pulls some crap like that, then we should boycott them all together. China and their incessant sniveling and b!tching about Taiwan is SOOOO old. Screw 'em.

My bad! Geez, man, talk about a hypocrite. I'm complaining about politics in the Olympics in one post then saying we should boycott if China pulls this crap in the other.

I would have to think about that one.

I just despise China's whole attitude when it come to the Taiwan issue.

 

[Alcibiaties of Athenae]

I didn't notice Georgie's little speach, but this olypics seems marred with politics anyway, as the pairs skating fiasco shows.

It seems the former Soviet block countries still have trouble voting objectivly in events where their people participate, and the US judges do it too.

Some of the scoring is very odd.
It's to bad they can't get neutral judges.

I just heard the Canadians were awarded olypic gold for the pairs!

 

[BlueMonday]

Although politics have long marred the Olympic spirit, the question of whether or not politics should be a part of the games is irrelevant because anytime you have nations competing with each other politics will be there. It's a matter of national pride and prestige and the only way to remove a country's ideals is to remove the country.

 

[Hitro]

Originally posted by Tetley
Bush could have said, "Hamburgers 99 cents" and he would have gotten people mad.

I actually would have liked that, as long as it would have had no particular sense. But on the other hand it also wouldn't have belonged into oath, after all that's just a few words, shouldn't be too hard, also for Bush