'Count Me Out' - Spielberg Quits Olympics

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

Source: Sky News

Oscar-winning film director Steven Spielberg has quit his role as artistic adviser to the Beijing Olympics because the Chinese government refuses to act over the fighting in Darfur.

"I find that my conscience will not allow me to continue business as usual," he said in a statement. "At this point, my time and energy must be spent not on Olympic ceremonies, but on doing all I can to help bring an end to the unspeakable crimes against humanity that continue to be committed in Darfur."

As the biggest customer for Sudan's oil, China has been the target of Darfur campaigners leading to Chinese officials complaining that the Games were being politicised.

Sky News' Beijing correspondent Peter Sharp said: "China is simply not doing enough - it's got the chance and the opportunity to bring real pressure on the Sudanese government, but instead it's pressing ahead with its oil deals there."



Read more: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/skynews/20080213/twl-count-me-out-spielberg-quits-olympic-3fd0ae9.html

[salin]

1. Good for Speilberg.

[Steerpike]

2. Good for him.

Hard to believe he need the money anyways.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

3. He's a little slow, but he gets there

Spielberg sent letters last spring, calling for action in Darfur? After he accepted the artistic advisor job? And he's just now getting around to bailing out? That's either a very slow conscience, or there's something else behind his quitting, some outside influence.

And China is complaining about the games being politicized? Well, yeah, they've been politicized at least since 1936.

[rpannier]

4. So...

Speilberg is quitting over Darfur.

Yet, he was unaffected by the fact he was working to bring the Olympics to a country that has displaced millions of its own people in the name of creating a corporatist state.

That executes more people every year than the rest of the world combined.

The abuses it's own workers by forcing them to work long hours in substandard working conditions.

That protects the most reclusive and oppressive government on this palnet (North Korea)

That has the most lax standards for checking the safety of food and materials produced for sale both within China and throughout the world.

That allows cats and dogs to be butchered so they can use the fur to line "mink coats" (It's why many French furriers won't buy any fur from China anymore.) Many of the dogs have been videotaped being skinned alive.

That cut what little safety net there was out from under the poorest people in their own country.

Steven Speilberg... F*CK YOU!!!

[NashVegas]

5. I Think This Is Weak

As the artistic adviser, Spielberg had the opportunity to bring Darfur to worldwide attention via the games' ceremonies. He bailed, and blames it on China? Don't think so.

[atreides1]

10. You Really Believe That?

I would guess that the Chinese government has the final say in what gets seen, not Spielberg. So, regardless of what he might have done as artistic adviser, unless it got on YouTube we would have never seen it!

[xchrom]

6. good.

[anamandujano]

7. He did mention awhile back that everyone was still trying to get a handle

on how to best influence the issue, whether from the inside as he was doing, or by giving up the job, obviously in no way related to money.

I hadn't been following it until Mia Farrow called him out for it.

I can't see why he is being criticized for it at this point, now that he knows he can't do anything positive from that position; his exit will draw some attention.

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

8. And his exit will take others with him

according to the article.

[Javaman]

9. Was it his conscience or the want to save his lungs, that changed his mine? nt

[donsu]

11. that's Stevens choice but let's remember the Olympics are for the athletes

we are there simply to cheer them on.

Steven quiting didn't help anything olympic or Darfur