Anti - Olympic Protestors.

[tetron]

... Question is can we, in good conscience, spend that much on a sporting event celebrating the peak of human achievements whilst the homeless and the hungry roam the streets outside the Olympic compounds. ...

Can and will, if you care so much about the homeless and the hungry then instead of protesting the Olympics go volunteer at a soup kitchen or habitats for humanity. Although anyone who did actually care about those people wouldn't use them as an example for the sake of arguing a point.

 

[Exterminas]

Besides the financial aspects there are some ideological problems with olympia.

Frist of all, do you know who reintroduced the torch-stuff back into the games, after they were held again in modern times?

Take a guess.

Yes, right, the nazis.

For it self not a major reason to demonstrate, of course. But what about stuff like steroid abuse, excessive corporate-buisness utilizing sport and therefore steroids to make money? I mean, in todays olympic boradcasts there are usually more ads on the screen than athlets.

Of course these are relativly pity complaints, compared to world famine and stuff like that, but who cares about africa, when there is MacDonalds on the shooting range.

 

[Deleted]

All right. In my country, Canada the winter olympics is being celebrated. I had a friend that actually had the torch go right by him and he considered this an incredible experience.

'Once in a life time.' In his words.

Days and weeks later, the opening ceremony draws near, then I hear of Anti - Olympic Protestors rioting...

First of all, I don't actually give two craps about the olympics. Sports are one of the things I'm least interested in and care nothing about - I paid no attention to the ceremonies and I paid even less to the games them selves.

One thing that did interest me about the olympics is the Anti - Olympic protestors. I simply don't understand...Why are people protesting against the olympics? Animals are suffering, people are dying, so why is it people waste their time protesting against a few jocks playing a few games?

These people are commonly known as, Funsuckers like a real life troll. They grief humanity and take away fun.

 

[Cavouku]

Protesting the cost is something that I do understand. When London was announced as the "winner" of the 2012 games I found myself wondering what the hell we had won other than a bloody enormous bill (which is already something like 4 times the amount predicted in the bid..goodness..was someone just making shit up when they made the budget?).

Sebastian Coe can go fuck himself.

However, once the games are already under way it is too bloody late to protest. The infa-structure is already built, the facilities are already built. Protesting now just seems like douche-baggery.

How has no one else said this yet?

Really, what can you do now? I say let them finish these ones, while you silently plot your Olympic downfall for the next games or something. That way you can be ready before it takes foot.

 

[Nemu]

Some people just need something to protest or complain about. They can never be content.

This pretty much.

Tho I know that group of self-righteous lunatics, P.E.T.A., were protesting cos skaters had the audacity to wear fur. (Ffs, they're prolly wearing FAKE fur, but these c*nts don't care. GOD I hate them...) Otherwise I don't understand why anyone would be protesting, tho I'd speculate folks were there hating on countries like China, Korea and Iran, but due to apathy, I don't really care about protesters one way or the other.

 

[GundamSentinel]

Probably the anti-globalisation bunch again. Always bothering international gatherings. Go away!

 

[Outlaw Torn]

If someone developed a cure for all human diseases someone else would start to protest against it. That's just the way things are.

I myself am a firm protestor against women wearing bras and not bouncing up and down on the spot. One day justice shall prevail.

 

[Dogstile]

All right. In my country, Canada the winter olympics is being celebrated. I had a friend that actually had the torch go right by him and he considered this an incredible experience.

'Once in a life time.' In his words.

Days and weeks later, the opening ceremony draws near, then I hear of Anti - Olympic Protestors rioting...

First of all, I don't actually give two craps about the olympics. Sports are one of the things I'm least interested in and care nothing about - I paid no attention to the ceremonies and I paid even less to the games them selves.

One thing that did interest me about the olympics is the Anti - Olympic protestors. I simply don't understand...Why are people protesting against the olympics? Animals are suffering, people are dying, so why is it people waste their time protesting against a few jocks playing a few games?

These people are commonly known as, Funsuckers like a real life troll. They grief humanity and take away fun.

These people just know how much taxpayer money goes into the Olympics and think it could be better spent anywhere else. Seriously, 2 weeks. Big deal.

 

[EliteFreq]

Anti-Olympics? What's the justification?

I suppose to an extent it could promote racism in some eyes rather than sportsmanship. Football(Soccer) here brings ut the worst in people and people really show their hate for others.

 

[Robert632]

I think they protest because the Olympics are, when you get right down to it, a giant waste of money.

 

[zen5887]

Wow, there are a lot of people who don't really know what they are on about.

Saying there is no reason to protest the Olympics? I think you fail to understand the scale of these things, a giant stadium doesn't come out of nowhere, and a city has to do a lot to fit the massive influx of people in.

The way I see it, there are two sides to the Games.

The side that people like: The world comes together to watch people test their ability against others for glory. And the side people don't like (and according to this thread, don't really know about): Where cites dig far to deep into their pockets to pay for it all.

Sure, its easy not to see the 2nd part when you are watching it from half a world away in your lounge room. But these things are expensive and damaging.

Here is what my good friend (A 'Couver resident) has to say about the protesting

We're protesting about the mistreatment of people surrounding the Olympics in Vancouver and the games in general. Displacing the homeless, taxing the shit outta us, the terrible treatment of the environment and the building of a $600 million highway through native lands, cutting funds to art, the ambulance services, etc, etc, etc, the list is really endless. So many people have been hurt by this. Apparently all this happened in Sydney too and everywhere else the Olympics have been.

To add to this, author Robert Barney said "There has never been an Olympic Games that has made a profit,"

So in the end, while a city gets two weeks of glory and is the focus point of the entire world, its people are the ones who have to suffer for it.

 

[SpaceCop]

Ridiculous overspending in the wake of cuts to healthcare and social programs, a federal government hiding behind a prorogue in case a political cock-up embarrasses the country while "the world is watching", a provincial government that has basically been dishonest and dickish to everyone but the highest echelons of society... Who, incidentally, are the only people who will see financial benefits from the games...

Yes, the olympics will bring money to Vancouver. But if you don't already own a block of condos you aren't going to see any of it.

Part of the dissatisfaction of the olympics might be because of the dishonesty of the whole thing. The facade. We're trying to pretend Vancouver is perfect, the ideal city. And hey, the province does totally have a lot going for it. I understand that rent here is fucking obscene because it's a really, really nice place to live.

But herding up the homeless and hiding them away from tourists and film crews? The proposed legislation to ban anti-olympic sentiments? Locking down downtown to pretend traffic congestion isn't a huge problem? Sending extra police and security to the city to make sure the word doesn't get out about Vancouver's thriving drug and prostitution businesses? Victoria's hybrid busses were shipped to Vancouver while their non-hybrid busses were sent here!

Because why strive to BE a better city when you can just PRETEND to be for two weeks!

The idea of the olympics is great. Sure, whatever, "once in a" blah blah... But there ARE more pressing issues at hand--or there WOULD be, if our government cared about the livelihood of its people more than they do about tourism revenue.

 

[LeonLethality]

The olympics cost Canada a lot of money to host and people are very angry with that, hell I am pretty ticked off with it too.

 

[Hobo Joe]

Protesting a sporting event is rather stupid when you consider the many injustices in the world.

 

[SpaceCop]

...The protesting hippies are making a similar point. Spending $6 billion on games is rather stupid when you consider the many injustices in the world.

 

[LeonLethality]

-snip-

Woah quite a mouthful and I agree with you on many points. If the Olympics came to Edmonton you can be sure they would "clean up" our "avenue of champions" (one of if not the most crime ridden area of Edmonton but also a bit of a landmark) instead of making any extra effort to stop the crime here. We pretty much already got rid of all our non-hybrid buses (except for the buses that take the 9 route as they are accordion buses) but something tells me we would see some more changes in those (aside from the steadily rising bus fare 80 CAD for a bus pass?!) but yeah 118th ave (avenue of champions) has a huge homeless number too but I doubt they would fix that as they haven't made much of an effort already

oh and welcome to the escapist.

 

[MintyNinja]

-words-

Either go back to the first page and read what this guy said, or click the name. Basically hits the nail on the head. I live in Vancouver (the area's known as the Lower Mainland, I'm in there somewhere) too, and for an event that will last two weeks we are seriously overreacting. They have gone around and cleaned up the homeless people. I don't mean give 'em baths, I mean put them in places not visible to the public. This is wrong, right?

 

[RanD00M]

See, it's actually a PR stunt for Dante's Inferno.

I see nothing wrong with that.It's a good game that I finished some 3 hours ago.

OT:Are being serious about some people protesting the winter olympics?