Your thoughts on the Beijing Olympics

[Lyric]

Just curious what the mood is.

[TechBear_Seattle]

1. I think it was a serious lapse of judgement on the part of the IOC

But China has money, and that has become the sole interest of the International Olympic Committee. Expressing concern over fundamental human rights is NOT a matter of "politics."

That is not to say, however, that I "oppose" the Olympics in China. I likely won't be watching, but that is because the crass commercialism turns my stomach.

[Lyric]

4. Fair enough.

And yes, the commercialism is extremely off-putting.

I personally would have been happy if some of our athletes had refused to take part. But I guess I can't blame them for considering their own careers.

[PBS Poll-435]

2. The Americans are going to deliver a size 15 boot to the ass of the Chinese!

At least in Women's Gymnastics...

[rurallib]

3. The Olympics have totally lost any relevance

like all other things, the Olympics have been ruined by money. Why should I spend my time watching a professional athlete who does nothing but flips 18 hours a day, 365 days a year? Or some anorexic teenage girl who has been starved to size 0? Last time I watched Olympics much was 1968. I will spend my time working on someone's campaign instead.

[katandmoon]

5. I strongly oppose but I wouldn't watch the Olympics if they were in my own backyard

Just not interested in sports or all the hooplah.

[galledgoblin]

6. never very interested to start with

I probably won't watch anything, unless there's a chance for a repeat of the 1936 events.

[NightWatcher]

7. if there's no curling, I'm not watching

[L0oniX]

8. Hey ...at least they've temporarily banned doggy burgers ...I mean real dog burgers.

No hot dogs at the stadium either. I didn't hear anything about stir fried cat yet.

:evilgrin:

[RB TexLa]

9. Aren't they going to be in london in 2012.You talk about people that belong in the ashbin of history

[aspergris]

10. Other

I strongly support the olympics in general, and obviously I think China is a gross humans rights violator... but...

The olympics is supposed to be about sport, not politics.

For pete's sake, they once held the olympics in nazi germany. It doesn't mean you supported hitler (no godwin here... it's relevant), if you supported the US team and Jesse Owens.

There is a dignity in sports that is seperate from all that other stuff.

I also have a friend who made the olympic team, and I wouldn't miss watching her compete for anything.

[Mojorabbit]

12. I feel pretty much the same way

I am not blaming the athletes for the venue. I will be watching it off and on.

[TechBear_Seattle]

17. I strongly disagree that human rights issues is mere "politics"

Regarding the 1936 Games in Berlin, the site was chosen in 1931, two years before Hitler and the Nazi Party came to power. The debate then was whether or not to cancel the games, as it was too late to organize a change of venue. That situation is fundamentally different from giving it to China, whose record of human rights violations is very well known and has existed for decades.

[aspergris]

25. well, i agree it's different

And that's an excellent point. I was not aware we chose in 1931.

thanks for the info...

[stillcool]

11. I don't watch

much television. I don't find the news shows, or much of anything else entertaining, and I am looking forward to it. I would much rather boycott corporations than athletes. I am amazed at what the human body is capable of. It's similar to when I read, or listen to music..it blows me away that a human being could write such beautiful images, or create music that reaches in and stirs my soul.

[Tindalos]

13. China shouldn't be hosting the Olympics

given their record on human rights, environment, many reasons. I won't be watching but I don't normally watch them so it's not really a protest, just the status quo for me.

The Olympics are here (Vancouver) in 2010. They're already turfing people out of poor neighbourhoods to "upgrade" their apartments (read: convert to high-price condos the former tenants can't afford). I might boycott those games depending on how things play out.

[Digit]

14. I voted "other", because I never watch the Olympics anyway

I just don't have any interest in sports in general.

[DeepModem Mom]

15. I strongly oppose, and won't be watching. nt

[MrSlayer]

16. I'm going to watch the stuff I like.

And I don't particularly care about where they are being held.

[KharmaTrain]

18. Women's Beach Volleyball

That is all...

[Freddie Stubbs]

19. I hope that we go all Jesse Owens on them

[old mark]

20. I don't care for the Communist government in China,

and I don't care much for the Olympics either, but they should have not been held in China.

Where are the Winter Games to be held - North Korea?

mark

[supernova]

21. Will probably watch some events I care about

It's about the athletes afterall, edit: and they don't get to pick the venue. When they make the team, they have to go wherever the games are being held. So I like to support them. And I usually enjoy the opening ceremony. It's one time every four years the world gets together and says we do believe in trying to get along together, even if we don't always live up to that.

As for it being in China, I really wish the IOC hadn't rewarded them just yet. They've come a long way, but they have a ways to go in terms of human rights, the very antithesis of the spirit in which the games were born.

OTOH, the games and their history are a great big FU to the Chinese gov't. My real hope is the the Games, with all their attendant attention to international good will and cooperation, will rub off permanently on the Chinese. The games may very well change China.

[aikoaiko]

22. Given the decision to let China host, I support the Olympics in China and will watch.

Of course, I oppose their human rights abuses and political abuses, but thats a different issue for me.

[begin_within]

23. I'll watch the fireworks - they did a dress rehearsal on July 16 and

the fireworks will be awesome. See pictures at
http://fireworkstown.com/NewsDtls.asp?Id=2973

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

24. I don't mind them being in China but won't watch them because of the commercials.

And, the America-centric coverage.

[Lyric]

29. America-centric coverage?

Do the media outlets from other countries neglect their own teams to cover America's teams? That would be...disturbing.

[bigwillq]

26. I will watch some events

I will watch the events I am interested in.

I don't blame the athletes that the Games will be held in China. I blame the selection committee. If people want to protest the Games b/c they're in China, that is fine, but I will still watch and support the athletes who qualified legally. They work their butts off to compete in this most elite amateur competition.

The Olympics format has become very flawed with allowing professionals to compete and with a select few using illegal performance enhancing drugs but for, the most part, most of the athletes have done nothing illegal and have spent most of their entire lives preparing for this event. I will honor some by watching some of the events.

[Lyric]

31. The reason the Olympics started letting professionals compete

had its genesis back during the era of the Soviet Union, when there *were* no Russian "amateur" athletes. Since everyone had an assigned place within society, promising athletes were separated from their families during youth and trained. Their "profession" was to be an athlete. Since barring professional athletes from the Olympics would have meant barring *all* athletes from nations like the USSR, and allowing them *only* from the USSR and similar nations would have been unfair, the IOC decided to permit it for everyone.

Or at least, this is what my domestic partner told me. She's considerably older than me, and grew up during that era, so she heard this stuff firsthand on the news.

Edit: I almost forgot--I also agree that allowing professional athletes has tainted the games. It would be nice if the IOC would set one standard of rules for everyone (no professional athletes) and stick to it. The games are more interesting and exciting with amateur competitors.

[BigBluenoser]

27. I'll watch the strength events...

Weightlifting, Discuss, Hammer, Shot etc.

Those are the only ones I'm interested in and the venue does not matter to me one bit. Spectacle is spectacle.

[JBoy]

28. I'd like to see a "fair" competition - like the "All-Drug Olympics

http://www.boreme.com/boreme/funny-2005/all-drug-olympics-p1.php

[Romulox]

32. We miss you, Phil!

:cry:




:rofl:

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

30. I strongly support the Olympics in Beijing...

but I'm not a TV sports fan, and I won't be watching.

[entanglement]

33. Other-Most criticism of China on DU is for all the wrong reasons, IMHO

The autocratic Chinese faux-Communist party and its leadership are no doubt condemnable. But are they opposed for the right reasons? Scratch the surface of the criticism and the pretense of sympathy for the plight of the oppressed Chinese / Tibetans and you find the real reasons - fear of a new economic (and potentially military) competitor, anger at the rise of a nation considered "third world" and inferior, racism of the yellow-peril variety (many DUers believe the Chinese intentionally poisoned our pets / food supplies), blind nationalism, historical ignorance (How many of the "they stole our jobs" types know of the Opium Wars?) or a combination thereof.

I believe in the unity of the international working class and do not consider Chinese workers as the enemy. I believe that the "our capitalists are better than theirs" line of thought is thoroughly bankrupt. I refuse to foolishly take sides in this war of two utterly corrupt ruling classes which is awash with hypocrisy and jingoism.

[DutchLiberal]

34. I won't watch because I hate sports, but I will say I don't watch out of principle.