the olympics

[karel]

I think that everyone shold boycot it.How can china get it with all of there human right violations,me for one will not watch it this year.

[Aidan Kerr]

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=48325


enjoy

[reminisco]

more importantly, the air quality in Beijing is fucking horrible.

i feel for the athletes.

[Freetymes]

I agree with all of your political views on this subject however the Olympics are about people not politics. If we do not make inroads in some way than the people of China have no hope of escape from the tyranny.

Imagine how much exposure (no matter how hard the authorities over there try to stop it) the Chinese people will get too western culture and sense of fairness. Peace and justice may well come some day but not if the free world gets all tight in the panties, takes their ball and goes home!

Remember the great footage and the amazing victories in Berlin. Hold your tongue and let the young people do what they do best....

Make friends!

[Ntetos]

The Olympics can't be boycoted. Do you have any idea how many multinational companies make profit from them? The Olympics now are just a bussiness. They are not going to lose money because there are human rights violated in Tibet.

[Minister Masket]

China is hardly alone in being a country to "violate" human rights laws. Every 1st world country has done it, so get wiv da crowd, yo!

Eurgh, I won't be doing that again.

[PLAYER57832]

I agree with all of your political views on this subject however the Olympics are about people not politics. If we do not make inroads in some way than the people of China have no hope of escape from the tyranny.

Imagine how much exposure (no matter how hard the authorities over there try to stop it) the Chinese people will get too western culture and sense of fairness. Peace and justice may well come some day but not if the free world gets all tight in the panties, takes their ball and goes home!

Remember the great footage and the amazing victories in Berlin. Hold your tongue and let the young people do what they do best....

Make friends!

HERE HERE.

Few had more reason to hate Hitler, even before WWII had actually begun, than an american black man. One of the most UNFORGETTABLE pcitures was Hitler refusing to shake the hand of the gold medal winner.

Forgotten? the many, many individuals and groups who decided to protest various issues.

The irony here? two biggies:

1. The Chinese people are seeing little of the real issues in this debate. They are being told that most Tibetans are being treated well and it is just a few outsiders and trouble makers (headed by the Dahli Lama) who are causing the problems.

2. Should a boycott occur, it will erase one prime OPPORTUNITY to meet Chinese individuals, make friends and perhaps immediately, perhaps more long term, create more MUTUAL understanding. I don't dismiss the tragedy of Tibet (or the Weagers, for that matter), but I ask what will really accomplish a change. NOT a few banners that most Chinese won't even see ... and if they do, will just dismiss as the prooganda and silly ploys that they are.

[heavycola]

2. Should a boycott occur, it will erase one prime OPPORTUNITY to meet Chinese individuals, make friends and perhaps immediately, perhaps more long term, create more MUTUAL understanding. I don't dismiss the tragedy of Tibet (or the Weagers, for that matter), but I ask what will really accomplish a change. NOT a few banners that most Chinese won't even see ... and if they do, will just dismiss as the prooganda and silly ploys that they are.

I ask you again, how am I or most of the protesters over the past couple of days supposed to engage in this mutual understanding? Fly to beijing, learn mandarin, strike up a few conversations? You are being naive. For most people, teh way to communicate their support for the tibetan cause is to protest peacefully. It's a human right that no one in China has.
The only propaganda here is encapsulated in your first point - the Chinese by and large don't have a clue. The violence in tibet is being blamed by the CCP on the 'Dalai clique', which would be laughable if it wasn't such a monstrous lie. (I'm sure similar is being said of the Uigars, although I am not so educated about their plight.)

What would you have the thousands of outraged and disgusted observers do instead of protest? Applaud the chinese special forces as they guide the torch through our cities? Pretend nothing is happening?

[PLAYER57832]

2. Should a boycott occur, it will erase one prime OPPORTUNITY to meet Chinese individuals, make friends and perhaps immediately, perhaps more long term, create more MUTUAL understanding. I don't dismiss the tragedy of Tibet (or the Weagers, for that matter), but I ask what will really accomplish a change. NOT a few banners that most Chinese won't even see ... and if they do, will just dismiss as the prooganda and silly ploys that they are.

I ask you again, how am I or most of the protesters over the past couple of days supposed to engage in this mutual understanding? Fly to beijing, learn mandarin, strike up a few conversations? You are being naive. For most people, teh way to communicate their support for the tibetan cause is to protest peacefully. It's a human right that no one in China has.
The only propaganda here is encapsulated in your first point - the Chinese by and large don't have a clue. The violence in tibet is being blamed by the CCP on the 'Dalai clique', which would be laughable if it wasn't such a monstrous lie. (I'm sure similar is being said of the Uigars, although I am not so educated about their plight.)

What would you have the thousands of outraged and disgusted observers do instead of protest? Applaud the chinese special forces as they guide the torch through our cities? Pretend nothing is happening?

Protests do work, to an extent internally, because leaders have to listen to some extent to their populations. This is more true in the "west", in democracies.

This is not the case in China. China doesn't need your vote or to have your opinion.

What should you do? No, you may not be able to learn Chinese and travel to China, but you CAN learn about Chinese culture and the various internal movements. You CAN support those individuals who ARE going to go to China. You CAN listen to those, dissidents and "happy" citizens both, who come from China .. and learn from them, perhaps discuss issues with them.

You CAN write your government letters, asking that THEY take up these issue with China (though mostly, they already are).

You CAN boycott Chinese goods .. if you feel that will help. You CAN try to post blogs and such that Chinese individuals might see. You CAN try to get around the government restrictions on the internet, if you have the technical saavy to do so.

You CAN look at your own country and fight the, perhaps smaller, perhaps not, battles over which you really DO have some say.

[heavycola]

Protests do work, to an extent internally, because leaders have to listen to some extent to their populations. This is more true in the "west", in democracies.

This is not the case in China. China doesn't need your vote or to have your opinion.

I marched with over 1 million against the UK invasion of Iraq. Didn't make any difference. Tony Blair din't need my vote or my opinion. Jose Maria Aznar faced 92% popular opposition to the war, and Spain still joined in. But those who protested made themselves heard. Or should they have stayed at home then, too? This is not about instant change, or utilitarian ideas about how to chaneg teh most minds. it was a lot of people, of all nationalities I might add, vociign their disaproval of events and their support for those on the receiving end. If it changes minds, all the better, but I am not naive enough to think that will necessarily happen.

What should you do? No, you may not be able to learn Chinese and travel to China, but you CAN learn about Chinese culture and the various internal movements. You CAN support those individuals who ARE going to go to China. You CAN listen to those, dissidents and "happy" citizens both, who come from China .. and learn from them, perhaps discuss issues with them.

What on earth makes you think any right-thinking person wouldn't do those things? From what have you inferred any of these assumptions about me or my behaviour?

You CAN try to post blogs and such that Chinese individuals might see.

What? Communicate? Are you serious?

You CAN look at your own country and fight the, perhaps smaller, perhaps not, battles over which you really DO have some say.

[/quote]

Please give the attempts at patronisation up; they don't take hold, mate.