OFF TOPIC - The IOC sucks.

CaptSpoogy · #1 July 13th, 2001, 05:42 PM

I know this is totally off topic - but I needed to vent some frustration out at the decision of the IOC for Beijing to host the 2008 Summer Games.

BOO!

Why does it seem unfair that a country that has such a long history of abusing human rights and denying freedom to it's people be rewarded with something as special as the Olympic games? Isn't the spirit of the games the exact opposite of what China is today?

I am from Toronto. The runner-up for the 2008 games. Bitter, perhaps - but not a sore loser. Toronto is the most multi-cultural city in the world. 52% of 5 million people in this city are foreign born and co-exist peacefully in the same neighbourhoods. A cultural mosaic. A safe and clean city with impressive plans to develop the waterfront into an olympic haven. One of the most efficient mass transit systems in the world. It should have been the only choice.

If anyone thinks the Olympics will help the people of China - they're wrong. When the games come and the world's media is focused and Beijing, what do you think will happen to the protestors marching for their rights? They'll be swept under the rug. Can anyone say "Tiananmen Square, Part II".

Oh well. There is nothing that can be done now. Perhaps I'll focus this spurt of Olympic enthusiasm towards getting Space Empires IV as a demo sport for 2004 games in Athens. (See, not completely off topic).

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disabled · #2 July 13th, 2001, 06:00 PM

I am in agreement.

China is a poor choice. I suppose the worst thing that could be done to china right now was if Nato & Commonwealth nations all refused to submit members to the olympics and an official statement demanding china fully disclose all thier human rights violations and demand that china restore the rights of the people.

Of course, I favor forcing china into bankruptcy as well...

My apologies to anyone in china who reads this. I really don't like communism as it often goes from being communism to dictatorships really fast.

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HADRIAN AVENTINE
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http://www.hyperionbase.com

justjake73 · #3 July 13th, 2001, 06:45 PM

I was really hoping it would be Toronto. I'm from Rochester (across Lake Ontario) and not only would I likely have gone if they were there, but it would have had benefited the economy of probably every city within 100 miles. I'm honestly not surprised with the decision, since the IOC rarely has looked at the practical side but rather on who puts on the best show for them. Democracy has little influence with the IOC since they are an elitist non-democratic organization themselves!

Quikngruvn · #4 July 13th, 2001, 08:59 PM

quote:
Originally posted by justjake73:
I'm from Rochester (across Lake Ontario) and not only would I likely have gone if they were there, but it would have had benefited the economy of probably every city within 100 miles.

Yes, it does: I lived in Greenville, SC, in 1996, 150 miles away from Atlanta. You bet we got a significant tourism windfall. And going to the Olympics is extremely way cool, even if it was for one day-- the day AFTER the Centennial Park bombing....

quote:
Originally posted by Hadrian Aventine:
I really don't like communism as it often goes from being communism to dictatorships really fast.

In theory, communism is a great system: "from each according to his abilities, for each according to his needs." Unfortunately, the theory breaks down very quickly when you introduce human nature....

Quikngruvn

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"That which does not kill you will make you stronger." -- Nietzsche

[This message has been edited by Quikngruvn (edited 13 July 2001).]

geoschmo · #5 July 13th, 2001, 09:05 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Quikngruvn:
In theory, communism is a great system: "from each according to his abilities, for each according to his needs." Unfortunately, the theory breaks down very quickly when you introduce human nature....

Sure it's great, if you are the one with the needs. But if you happen to be the one with the abilities, you get screwed.

Geo

rdouglass · #6 July 13th, 2001, 09:22 PM

The layman's explination of capitalism / socialism / communism:

Capitalism: You have a cow and a bull (not a steer of course - something fertile!!). You breed the two, use / sell the milk and calves and pay a tax.

Socialism: You have a cow and a bull. The goernment takes all milk and calves.

Communism: You NEVER HAD a cow and a bull!!!

Puke · #7 July 13th, 2001, 11:15 PM

as much as we tout capitalism, the US was basically a socialist state through much of the Last century. as dingy as he way, old ronny ray-gun pretty much dismantled the wellfare-state, and 30s era government subsidies to things like state construction projects and agriculture have been tapering off since.. oh, the fifties?

from what I understand (which aint much) Canada and the UK are mostly socialist, especially with regards to medicine.

now communism.. well, it works well enough on COMMUNES for hippies and crystal huggers and such, where they only have to deal with 50 to 100 people or so. but if someone can come up with any usefull contribution that that batch ever made to anything, i will be impressed. as soon as you apply it to governments, what a mess.

which reminds me, is anyone on this board from Hong Kong? how are they doing now? I recall talking to a guy in HK on battlenet the night before it was being handed back over to China. He was not terribly happy about the whole thing.

geoschmo · #8 July 14th, 2001, 01:29 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Puke:
now communism.. well, it works well enough on COMMUNES for hippies and crystal huggers and such, where they only have to deal with 50 to 100 people or so.

Communes only work because of the small scale, and the transitory nature of the population. By the time one group gets tired of doing all the work for the others and leaves, another group of pie-in-the-sky optimists comes along and picks up the slack.

No system that rewards laziness and punishes initiative can survice on a universal scale, without a totalitarian hierarchy to keep the proletariat in line.

Geo

Instar · #9 July 14th, 2001, 02:17 AM

Heck, back in the bad old days, the USSR and ChiComms werent friends even though they were supposedly the same system. China adopted communism to itself I guess. Maoist Communism. Mao was quite the character too... I'd tell stories but this is a family place

Puke · #10 July 14th, 2001, 03:15 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Instar:
I'd tell stories but this is a family place

a strategy game forum? if this isnt the biggest bunch of war-mongers and leftover cold-warriors on the web, im not exactly sure what is. where else can you start a topic thats basically entitled "F- the Olympics, the commie dogs!" and not only is it NOT flamed by sensitivity-trained internet yuppies and hipsters, but it is overwhelmingly endorsed by everyone who has commented so far. I even got away with poking fun at pacifists, hippies, and new-agers, and no one has rebuked me yet!

granted, most stories about thrid world dictators can get fairly graphic, but I for one would not complain if you posted some stories.