Our Planet's Mental Health

[ivlobane]

Wow, mildly mixed emotions on this one:

China's paralympic fencer attacked during Olympic torch run...

I always thought that the whole symbology of the Olympic torch passing in peace through warring countries was very inspiring and healthy.

Act locally, think globally, I guess...

[Mr Epee]

I continue to be horrified by this whole situation.

Jim Caple (ESPN) has an article out in which he makes the following point.

The torch protests bring up the obvious question: Should American athletes boycott the Olympic Games in Beijing to protest China's policies toward Tibet and Sudan? The answer is every bit as obvious. Absolutely. Just as soon as U.S. consumers boycott China by refusing to buy any products from that country, even if you can get a 32-inch HDTV with built-in DVD for just $648 at Wal-Mart.

An Olympic boycott is meaningless without a modification of trade policy.

remainder of the article

[freerider258]

And yet we find ways to ruin and turn peaceful events like the olympics into political wars. Yes, that is the intent of the olympics: To have a city act as a host of global criticism and the sanctuary for boycotts.

[Fencergrl]

At first I was suspicious. The media has a way of presenting what they want to be seen.

1) When Rick Hansen did his World Tour, most countries had people in wheelchairs lining the streets. Those that were athletic, wheeled along. China had members of their army pose in chairs for the pictures (which Rick was both surprised and amused by).

In many poor countries disabled people just die or are bedbound due to the lack of accessibility. His world tour was enough years ago that things might have changed... which was part of his purpose. All the same the story stuck in my mind.

2) When I saw the picture. I noticed immediately that the amp was not in a sports chair. Secondly, someone was pushing her. Most wheelchair athletes would not accept being pushed through the street. They would look for ways for the torch to be attached or they would have someone carry the torch. Being pushed simply wouldn't be considered. Disabled athletes are no less proud of their athleticism than any other athlete.

After reading some more, I realized she was a wheelchair fencer. Which made sense. If you're going to be strapped down you don't need wheels made for speed. Since the nature of your sport doesn't involve chair athleticism you also wouldn't find it as offensive to be pushed through the streets.

As for the protesters vs Olympics... I see both perspectives. Naturally, I would like to see both sides avoid violent confrontations.

[seven6ty]

Naturally, I would like to see both sides avoid violent confrontations.

Unless it involves highly trained fighting monkeys, of course.

[oiuyt]

remainder of the article

Good article. Thanks for sharing.

-B

[KD5MDK]

Unless it involves highly trained fighting monkeys, of course.

How'd the WWF get involved?

[oiuyt]

How'd the WWF get involved?

I thought they used pandas?

-B

[KD5MDK]

Highly Trained Fighting Pandas is the short film stuck in the middle of Kentucky Fried Movie II, right?

[PeterGustafsson]

Hi!

The torch protests bring up the obvious question: Should American athletes boycott the Olympic Games in Beijing to protest China's policies toward Tibet and Sudan? The answer is every bit as obvious. Absolutely. Just as soon as U.S. consumers boycott China by refusing to buy any products from that country, even if you can get a 32-inch HDTV with built-in DVD for just $648 at Wal-Mart.

If one should do boycotts, let me suggest the following set of actions:
1. Opening and closing ceremonies are not showed on western TV (no loss anyway for the sports-interested viewer, but big loss for the PR-hungry Chinese. For added effect, western govt´s could impose a requirement that their teams should sit out those ceremonies, on pain of losing govt grants. That would drive the point home to the average Chinese viewer.
2. Western govt´s impose a "balanced view" requirement on western TV companies. This would mean that for each aired second of material not directly covering the sporting events produced by the Chinese govt or its subdivisions, there must be a matching second of non-event time produced by its detractors. That would probably boil down to 0-0 in rubbish coverage.
3. Do the sporting events as planned, no boycotts there.
4. Impose a rule on the western teams that those team members which have finished their events must leave China immediately.
5. Impose a rule on the Western teams that their team members must stay inside the Olympic village or in their respective competition/training venues until they are done.
6. Should a western competitor earn a medal, he should be forbidden to stay longer on the medal podium than is absolutely necessary to gather his medal. He should be forbidden to shake hands/make eye contact with with any dignitary handing out the medal, if that dignitary is Chinese. Once he has gotten the medal, he must leave the podium immediately, while the anthems still are being played. Western competitors breaking those rules should be punished by their home govts. This should be difficult to paper over by the Chinese State TV Company (CCTV) for its local viewers.

In short: try to deny the organizers any festive mood, while not affecting the competitive success of the western competitors, which are not the guilty party here.


Have a nice time!

Peter Gustafsson

[oso97]

Hi!

If one should do boycotts, let me suggest the following set of actions:
1. Opening and closing ceremonies are not showed on western TV (no loss anyway for the sports-interested viewer, but big loss for the PR-hungry Chinese. For added effect, western govt´s could impose a requirement that their teams should sit out those ceremonies, on pain of losing govt grants. That would drive the point home to the average Chinese viewer.
2. Western govt´s impose a "balanced view" requirement on western TV companies. This would mean that for each aired second of material not directly covering the sporting events produced by the Chinese govt or its subdivisions, there must be a matching second of non-event time produced by its detractors. That would probably boil down to 0-0 in rubbish coverage.
3. Do the sporting events as planned, no boycotts there.
4. Impose a rule on the western teams that those team members which have finished their events must leave China immediately.
5. Impose a rule on the Western teams that their team members must stay inside the Olympic village or in their respective competition/training venues until they are done.
6. Should a western competitor earn a medal, he should be forbidden to stay longer on the medal podium than is absolutely necessary to gather his medal. He should be forbidden to shake hands/make eye contact with with any dignitary handing out the medal, if that dignitary is Chinese. Once he has gotten the medal, he must leave the podium immediately, while the anthems still are being played. Western competitors breaking those rules should be punished by their home govts. This should be difficult to paper over by the Chinese State TV Company (CCTV) for its local viewers.

In short: try to deny the organizers any festive mood, while not affecting the competitive success of the western competitors, which are not the guilty party here.


Have a nice time!

Peter Gustafsson

And the above should only be be in force if the no goods made in China are bought by any citizens of the country during the two weeks proceeding and during the Olympics.

[keith]

So y'all are also in agreement that mother Teressa was a complete *****?