Would Olympic protests be as large if Toronto had been chosen?...

[SidDithers]

The selection of the 2008 Olympic site really came down to 2 cities, Beijing and Toronto. Paris was a close third, but the 2004 summer games had just been in Athens, so another European city was unlikely.

I have to admit to being a fan of the Olympics. The competition, the spectacle, the athletes. I drink it all in.

And done properly, staging an Olympic games can have a lasting impact on the development of sport in a country. The facilities built for the winter games in Calgary 1988 have provided a training center for a whole new generation of Canadian winter athletes.

So, it's with a certain amount of schadenfreude that I watch the protests against Chinese human rights abuses during the torch relay. That old fascist Juan Antonio Samaranch twisted arms to award Beijing the games, because he wanted a Chinese games as part of his legacy. Canada's human rights record is far from perfect, and we've treated our First Nations people deplorably, but I don't think Toronto would have been a lightning rod for protest the way that Beijing has become.

Did the IOC choose the wrong city for 2008?

Idle musings on a Thursday morning.

Sid

[JI7]

1. in a way it's actually bringing more international attention to the issues

of China and Human Rights.

[SidDithers]

4. Good point...

that's a "benefit" of the protests that I hadn't considered.

Sid

[hulklogan]

2. The anti-gay fascists would be doing massive purity sieges

against the torch if the Olympics were in gay marriage loving Toronto.

I love Toronto.

[SidDithers]

6. They could have scheduled the games to coincide with pride week...

Toronto's Dyke March and Pride Parade are spectacles that rival almost anything that the Olympics could present.

:)

Sid

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

3. You have to ask? (nt)

[MonkeyFunk]

5. Doesn't Toronto

have a rather large Tibetan population?

[SidDithers]

8. I think Toronto's got a pretty big everything population...

I believe the UN has ranked it second behind Miami in cities with the most cultural diversity.

But you're right, I just found this:

Toronto's Tibetan population is thought to trail only the New York City area in terms of Tibetans outside of Asia

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/toronto/archive/2007/07/01/making-room-for-history.aspx

Sid

[KharmaTrain]

7. The Debate That Is Going On In Chicago

The city's making a serious bid for 2016...and people here have mixed feelings. While it'd be great to have such a world showcase in town, is it worth the costs and inconvenience? I suspect Rio will win the bid as there hasn't been an Olympics in South America and they've all but kissed up the IOC big...just like the Chinese did.

Maybe, if you think on it, the IOC chose the right city...and country. The Chinese have been supressing and re-populating Tibet for nearly 60 years...and except for Richard Gere, most never even had heard of the place. The Olympic spotlight now has made this an international issue and the Chinese government is now in a sticky situation as to how they proceede. They can't turn off the cameras and the world like they did in the past...and this could lead to a positive change...but it will take time.

The problem many here have about the Olympics is that its both sport and politics. Nationalism is at the core of the IOC movement and many embrace the politics and the national prestige to give their country exposure. For those who want the altruistic Olympics...then remove all professionals, commercial sponsorships and the wearing of flags or any national identification. Then watch the ratings and interest plummet.

[Dorian Gray]

9. Yes

the IOC chose the wrong city. Toronto would have been a wonderful place to hold the Olympics this summer.

[taterguy]

10. An Olympics in a city with a raging SARS epidemic?

What could go wrong?