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What do you guys think? Should politics and propaganda be allowed in this global sporting event?

What about other events like the World Cup...or the World Series...or Superbowl...or the NBA finals...or...oh, well, you get the idea.

Well as for politics- all those old bullcrap mantras about sport being above or beyond politics are so tiresome. Politics is just people, and things related to people- sport can easily be political anyway, international sport ALWAYS has an element of politics to it... and staging the Olympics in China is, de facto, political right from the start, to the very core.

As for protests- depends on the extent. The games themselves should not be disrupted. I'd approve of boycotts though.

did you see the olympics and that guy in that costume ran and stopped that runner? stuff like that shouldnt be allowed but boycotts and other things that do not disrupt the actual games is ok

everyone remembers the Iranian martial artist (one of the favorites to win the gold) who refused to fight an Israeli, on the grounds that Israel wasn't a nation, and was thus disqualified?

ya, my opinion is that politics and sports have never been seperate. Like Ush said, choosing China as the spot for the olympics was political in itself, there was hope it would reform human rights (instead child labour has been used to make olympic merchandise).

Um, I believe protests should be allowed anywhere.

As long as they don't incite to riot or encourage violence against a certain group.

Originally posted by Ushgarak
Well as for politics- all those old bullcrap mantras about sport being above or beyond politics are so tiresome. Politics is just people, and things related to people- sport can easily be political anyway, international sport ALWAYS has an element of politics to it... and staging the Olympics in China is, de facto, political right from the start, to the very core.

As for protests- depends on the extent. The games themselves should not be disrupted. I'd approve of boycotts though.

very well put...there has been political protests of sort at the olympics before...some obviously more extreme than others...Munich 1974 was as political as it gets

there was also the olympics in Nazi Germany...the Russian boycott during the cold war of the 1984 olympics in LA along with 14 other eastern bloc countries

the question is not whether protests should be allowed at the China games....it's whether or not they WILL be allowed...which is highly doubtful...

Originally posted by Ushgarak
Well as for politics- all those old bullcrap mantras about sport being above or beyond politics are so tiresome.

Not "above and beyond", rather, they are a different element and shouldn't be terribly mixed up. Protests should not be allowed. Boycott the Olympics, protest at your capitol, but at the same time, don't disrupt others who ARE participating.

I don't get the impression that the IOC thinks that the Olympics are "above" drastic political issues..more like they have no place in the Olympics. Politics are a major part of the Olympics but the IOC as drawn a specific line when it comes to politics. These are in place to allow the participants to perform and represent their country as best as possible while also providing a form of security.

The writers of these rules did not drink pickle juice before they decided to talk about the rules. The rules are still being changed and added to because it is not perfect. That is one of the reasons for the IOC.


Originally posted by Ushgarak
Politics is just people, and things related to people- sport can easily be political anyway, international sport ALWAYS has an element of politics to it... and staging the Olympics in China is, de facto, political right from the start, to the very core.

As for protests- depends on the extent. The games themselves should not be disrupted. I'd approve of boycotts though.

I fully agree. Well put.

my favorite was the time when those black competitors threw up a "black fist" after they won their medals and that white dude was stuck standing there like .......

i think that they should be allowed to protest outside in the parking lot or whatever. just hold up your little signs and pass out free tibet flyers outside so spectators can act interested for 5 mins, without interfering with the actual fun.

as far as boycotting china goes if you're really going to boycott the chinese you better get ready for a whole lot of boycotting... because the olympics is just the tip of the iceberg. the chinaman currently has america by the balls, without them we could very well fall on our faces.

I guess it depends on the country the Olympics are being held in and their laws.

On a side note, no country should boycott the olympics due to political or moral disagreements.

Doesn't country need to fulfil certain criteria in order to host Olympics?

We all know China bought the games. Just like numerous other countries previously.

I don't believe in disrupting the games, but protest all you like. I am all for free Tibet, but equally I know that if any country waged a war to free Tibet, those who are sticking 'Free Tibet' stickers on their car, would be pulling those off and sticking ''No War'' ones on.

Peaceful protest is a form of expression that doesn't hurt anyone else. What these protestors don't understand is that resorting to violence makes them no better than the people they're calling oppressive. China does a lot of stuff I don't agree with, but if you're going to pick a place to hold the Olympic games that has never been part of any crimes against humanity in its whole history, you'll be hard-pressed to find a place.

Originally posted by Strangelove
Um, I believe protests should be allowed anywhere.

As long as they don't incite to riot or encourage violence against a certain group. That's what I'd say too.

Long as it doesn't interfere with the actual games.

Originally posted by Strangelove
Um, I believe protests should be allowed anywhere.

As long as they don't incite to riot or encourage violence against a certain group.

agreed.

To the topic: That they're taking place in China means we likely won't be seeing the level we would if the games were being held in Europe or North America.

Originally posted by lil bitchiness
Doesn't country need to fulfil certain criteria in order to host Olympics?

We all know China bought the games. Just like numerous other countries previously.

I don't believe in disrupting the games, but protest all you like. I am all for free Tibet, but equally I know that if any country waged a war to free Tibet, those who are sticking 'Free Tibet' stickers on their car, would be pulling those off and sticking ''No War'' ones on.

Funny, in a sad true way.

Originally posted by red g jacks
the chinaman currently has america by the balls, without them we could very well fall on our faces.

It's mutual ball-handling. They need us as a market just as much as we need them as the mass producers of the products we purchase.

Personally, I think the US should adopt many of the same standards the EU has in regards to production standards. Not that they're perfect, by any means. In fact, if the US had any manufacturing standards, many right-wing pin heads wouldn't have the luxury of equating our miserable import standards coupled with China's knowledge that they have no production standards with the notion that the Chinqs are trying to kill us. If they don't care about their own people, I doubt they have in place a particular consideration when it comes to the citizens of other nations.

Originally posted by Strangelove
Um, I believe protests should be allowed anywhere.

As long as they don't incite to riot or encourage violence against a certain group.

Ehh...no, not really "anywhere" I mean why hold a protest in the middle of a busy interception, or near a hospital, you know what I mean? Just do it somewhere in place more suitable for whatever cause the protest is about.

I'm not sure that's what he meant by "anywhere".

Protests should be allowed..why not.

Except for the hippy liberal college protester whining FREE TIBET! Those shitbags should get an ass kicking.

Originally posted by KidRock
Protests should be allowed..why not.

Except for the hippy liberal college protester whining FREE TIBET! Those shitbags should get an ass kicking.


****ing A! There won't be any peaceful protests in your mother-****ing country, roit! If they're peaceful, it'll look bad when the national guard releases the hounds on them and starts beating them with night sticks and high pressure water cannons. And who can have a really real protest without a GOD HATES **** sign, anyway?

considering that protestors, peaceful or otherwise are routinely brutalized and slaughtered in china, i would certainly advise against it.

Originally posted by KidRock
Protests should be allowed..why not.

Except for the hippy liberal college protester whining FREE TIBET! Those shitbags should get an ass kicking.

Do you even know where Tibet is?

Protesters should be allowed anywhere, as long as they keep control of themselves.

Originally posted by WrathfulDwarf
What do you guys think? Should politics and propaganda be allowed in this global sporting event?

What about other events like the World Cup...or the World Series...or Superbowl...or the NBA finals...or...oh, well, you get the idea.

If the Chinese Constitution allows the right to assembly.

Originally posted by red g jacks
my favorite was the time when those black competitors threw up a "black fist" after they won their medals and that white dude was stuck standing there like .......


Yep, Mexico City 1968. I have the photograph hanging in my office and the whiteboy standing on the 3rd place spot looked pretty damn uncomfortable.

Originally posted by Quiero Mota
If the Chinese Constitution allows the right to assembly.



Yep, Mexico City 1968. I have the photograph hanging in my office and the whiteboy standing on the 3rd place spot looked pretty damn uncomfortable. 2nd place if I can read correctly.

That's right.

Dude should have thrown up a white fist.

Originally posted by Bardock42
2nd place if I can read correctly.

2nd place is for the 1st loser....313

Well China shouldn't even have been given the olympics in the first place imo, however I doesn't think a boycot is the way to archive better human rights and a larger degree of independence for Tibet. imo a Boycot against a given country when OL oriented is depending on two things, that's it a unified world performing the boycot and that the majority of the native population is aware of there being a problem, The first criteria isn't forfilled, The second is hard to gauge based on the level of information controlling from China but my assumption would be that the criteria isn't forfilled either, and if I remember correctly the only time where a Boycot have actually had a visible effect was in Southafrica

Protests however is fine by me, but the type of demonstration that the world have seen lately, with the flame being stolen ore extinguish and the sportsmen being covered with a ring of Policemen doesn't quiet illustrate the original idea with the olympic games.

Originally posted by Robtard
Do you even know where Tibet is?

Sure do you?

Originally posted by KidRock
Sure do you?

Bordering SW of China.

Originally posted by Robtard
Bordering SW of China.

Very good Retard! Very good!

Hey, at least I knew.

Originally posted by Robtard
Hey, at least I knew.

Yes, and we are all very proud of you for knowing.

Originally posted by KidRock
Yes, and we are all very proud of you for knowing.

Here, let me spell it out for you: I was accusing you of lying about knowing.

easy, ladies.

Just to make clear what has happened in tibet
It was independent from1911 to 1950 .In 1951 the chinese army started to invade.
THe Bejing government regards it as a province not an independent country,
in more recent years, they have encouraged settlement by ethnic chinese in overwhealming numbers.

So, are we proposing to take Tibet from China and install absolute Dalai Lama rule again?

Can we buy Tibet from China?

No, seriously...no joking...can the European or the US government can offer to buy the nation's indepence from China?

Can such a thing be done?

Even if it sounds stupid. Can it be done?

Originally posted by WrathfulDwarf
Can we buy Tibet from China?

No, seriously...no joking...can the European or the US government can offer to buy the nation's indepence from China?

Can such a thing be done?

Even if it sounds stupid. Can it be done? Probably. China doesn't seem too stuck up on morality really. They'd probably sell a province and all the people for some money.

Japan could pitch in with money too.

Money talks...

Originally posted by WrathfulDwarf
Japan could pitch in with money too.

Money talks... I don't want my money to be spend on that. So I hope you can count Germany out.

You can do it as charity....

Don't be a cheap bastard.

Originally posted by WrathfulDwarf
You can do it as charity....

Don't be a cheap bastard. No. I don't want Tibet to be free...I can spend that money on better things, like burning it or something.

Originally posted by Bardock42
No. I don't want Tibet to be free...I can spend that money on better things, like burning it or something.

Yeah, right!

Germans were interested in Tibet back in the 1930's.

Ask the Nazis.

Now come on... donate some euros, or franks, or wienerschnizel, or whatever currency you got in Germany.

Originally posted by WrathfulDwarf
Yeah, right!

Germans were interested in Tibet back in the 1930's.

Ask the Nazis.

Now come on... donate some euros, or franks, or wienerschnizel, or whatever currency you got in Germany. NO. I will even send some money to China with the condition to use it for the oppression of Tibet.

Originally posted by Bardock42
NO. I will even send some money to China with the condition to use it for the oppression of Tibet.

where do i send a check?

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u55/WatchOut_02/Tibet.jpg

Originally posted by Strangelove
Um, I believe protests should be allowed anywhere.

As long as they don't incite to riot or encourage violence against a certain group.

Originally posted by WrathfulDwarf
Yeah, right!

Germans were interested in Tibet back in the 1930's.

Ask the Nazis.

Now come on... donate some euros, or franks, or wienerschnizel, or whatever currency you got in Germany.
They got Euros. And I read the nazis were interested in finding some sort of mythical place there... dunno what exactly anymore