Anti - Olympic Protestors.

[Velocirapture07]

I thought the same exact thing when I heard about this and I'm from the U.S. Seriously what is there to riot or protest about???? It made no sense to me and it still doesn't.

 

[Velocirapture07]

Why are people protesting against the olympics?

Perhaps because it costs millions. I mean, millions that could be spent on people dying or animals suffering but is instead spent on a bunch of sports which are becoming increasingly about politics rather than being a celebration.

In that case we should all just sit at home and cry in a corner on account of all the dying and suffering animals and people....seriously? I think that we can have both the Olympics and charities and projects that support people who are suffering.

 

[Velocirapture07]

I'm amazed that not a single person is aware of why these people are protesting the Olympics - I suppose it really is a local issue.

Although I'm no expert on it, I do have a fairly good idea. As some of you may know, Vancouver has one of the WORST homeless problems in North America. The Downtown East side of the city is an extremely impoverished, drug-riddled area, and it's been like this for a long time. The idea that the government isn't doing enough to help this problem has long been a contested issue, but it's really been brought to the forefront in the years leading up to the Olympics. The city has poured hundreds of millions of dollars into projects being built PURELY FOR these two weeks in February, yet when it comes to helping people who actually LIVE in Vancouver, the government always seems strapped for cash.

There a number of other factors too - in a recent article, it was revealed that Vancouver has the most expensive housing market in the entire fucking world. With housing costs already at all-time highs, people are worried about the additional price increases the games may bring, not to mention the tax hikes which are likely to follow the games, considering the MONSTROUS debt the city has taken on. To give you an idea of how huge the debt is going to be, Montreal, who hosted the games in 1976, just finished paying off their Olympic debt two years ago. So yeah, as you can see, there are a shit load of reasons why people are against the games being here, and I personally feel the protestors are fully justified in their opposition.

This is interesting and does make some sense. However, one would think that this kind of international and large scale project could provide a crap load of jobs (albeit temporary ones). I thought one of the main reasons that Brazil (Rio) wanted the summer Olympics was that it would bring in a lot of money and provide jobs for the citizens there, who are also very depressed economically.

I guess it just still doesn't make much sense. Also, the protests seems slightly pointless to me considering they aren't going to accomplish anything seeing as the Olympics are already happening and aren't going to just go away...

 

[Lord Mountbatten Reborn]

Well I've always considered sports in general to be rather a waste of money, time and potential military personnel (snap! Nah, I respect the soldiers who are doing their jobs properly), so I can understand the protests in that regard, more so with the added information of Vancouver's impoverished districts.

Apparently though, these things help to regenerate the local economy. I still haven't seen how (here's the cue for someone with knowledge of this to step in and furnish me with oodles of interesting information on why I should approve of any kind of Olympic event), and if the 2008 Olympics and the impressive display of money-wasting I saw with them has anything to say about it, I doubt I yet will.

 

[mattman106]

You are a PRIZE WINNER Sir. yeah I agree, it's piss easy to protest about stuff like the Olympics without having to do anything beyond saying 'I am protesting against the Olympics'.

Do I win anything? Like, I dunno, a packet of gummy bears or something?

Umm, the satisfaction of knowing your opinion is shared by someone anonymous on the internet... sorry.

Damn! But I get to keep the box, right?

Oh yeah man totally, go to town on the box; My gift you.

 

[SilentHunter7]

*snip*

Maybe they put it right next to a slum, because such expansive and famous public facilities would skyrocket the value of all the land around it.

Nah, that would be stupid. They obviously wanted to taunt the poor people.

 

[PinkAngelKitty]

Apparently native land was stolen to build the venues on. Which is bullshit. This isn't their land. It's Canada's.

 

[troth]

*snip*

Maybe they put it right next to a slum, because such expansive and famous public facilities would skyrocket the value of all the land around it.

Nah, that would be stupid. They obviously wanted to taunt the poor people.

It's not right next to the lower east side. In fact, most of the Olympic venues are on the other side of the city.

 

[senorcromas]

The way I see it, real life and the internet have very similar rules, except rule 34 is changed from "there is porn of it" to "there are protesters against it".

uh, and stuff.

 

[The Austin]

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

You sir, are a genius.

 

[Bat Vader]

I can see why people are against the Olympics. With all the money a host country spends on the Olympics, that same amount of money could be spent on fighting poverty, homelessness, schools, and/or medicine.

At the same time I can see the Olympics as a good thing. Not because of the sports but because many different nations come together.

In my opinion I think it might be better if countries do not spend as much money on the Olympics. That is just my opinion though.


I also understand that companies like Macdonald's pay for a big chunk of the Olympics. I know it isn't just the host country that foots the bill.

 

[chronobreak]

All this complaining about the costs and taxes, you would think these cities are forced to host the olympics or something.

 

[The Unskilled78]

I just think the whole aspect of "yeah, sports/physical effort" is over-rated. Maybe if it actually meant anything, I would give a crap

 

[troth]

My original idea was to tell you to: Die in a fire, fueled by shit, while being raped by a porcupine.

But when I remembered that the porcupine's nether regions have no spikes, I decided to go with a real argument.

I was going to say:

The protesters aren't against the Olympics, they're against the government deciding to hold them right next to the biggest slum in Canada during a recession.

But you would probably claim something about how you know about that and there is no way that the money from the Olympics could solve the lower east side problem and we might as well ignore it.

I was also going to try to say:

Perhaps you are unaware of the "Sea to sky" highway. Which is from Horseshoe bay to whistler, and cost an undisclosed amount of money. Undisclosed because if the number was released then there would be people getting flayed.

But oops, I forgot that every expense except a couple ice rinks is paid for by McDonald's.

So I am forced to take the low road. To see the low road, please see my original idea, and attempt to perform every detail mentioned.

DISCLAIMER: If you have no argument and decide to report me so that I get suspended and can't make anymore comebacks, I really don't care. That is lower than my road, congratulations.

You really made me lol with this one. If you had taken four seconds, out of your obviously hate filled life, to actually read what I said you would know what you said makes no sense.

Do you Think Visa or McDonalds is going to put money towards helping the Lower East Side's issues? Considering the vast amount of money these games bring to the games, not to mention the jobs and infrastructure improvements it brings.

But I guess that doesn't come anywhere near touching... "No Games more houses" right?

Your intelligence, I am sorry to say, is lacking. That or you are maybe 16 and cant form your own opinion based off of fact and history.

I moved to Vancouver with $2000 by myself and have somehow managed to Stay cosy in N. Van. So to all those in the east side... get a fucking job, or get a fucking education, you whiny bastards.

Oh and Troth... this is the high road... the road above you... your kind aren't welcome on it.

It is all so clear to me now. You're a fucking troll.

 

[Nalesnik]

Spoiler

The amount of tax money going into the olympics is absurd. And as others have said "It's just a bunch of jocks playing games". So to recap: the government is pouring millions into sports, rather than, oh I don't know, paving the streets of Vancouver with fucking gold while feeding all of Africa for a year.

I hope you arent being serious?

The games are financed by Companies, McDonalds, Atos, VISA, to name but a few.

Before the games moved to Vancouver the people held a refurendum and overwhelmingly agreed to it.

The only tax money that went into the 2010 Winter games were used to create the tracks in Whistler, Cyprus and Richmond. Now why did they do this? Simple, Richmond now has a Multi Million dollar legacy stadium which all residents can use. It fits Two Olympic Size Ice rinks or 1 rink and 4 tournament size Basketball courts. Not to mention the 5 BLOODY HUGE gyms and rowing facilities in it. I work for VANOC and have seen it.

Oh, and the tracks? Well they can be used almost year round by the constant compititions. And guess what... this brings a shit load of money to these areas YEAR FUCKING ROUND.

Your opinion is so unvalid that it makes me feel sorry your inability to think for yourself.

The games provided not just me a job but 3000+ too. Not to mention the athletes villages which will now be used as cheaper housing for those that need it. How about all the homeless pefab shelters that will be given, from the games, to the city of Vancouver.

I understand the need for people to be free to protest. But when that protest prevents the vetarans a ceremony to show respect to those fighting (for us by the way) and those that have and those that have passed because of it; just makes me angry. Anti Social behaviour is all this was.

Clever people want the games to come to them. Stupid people dont.

Oh and by the way. VANOC just turned down $22million from the Canadian Govt. as they are now in the black (Oh and by the way, a'fucking'gain, any profit that VANOC makes is split evenly between the Cities of BC and the IOC)

I know what you are thinking..... god VANOC is evil... right?

Perhaps because it costs millions. I mean, millions that could be spent on people dying or animals suffering but is instead spent on a bunch of sports which are becoming increasingly about politics rather than being a celebration.

I wont even start on this childishness.

I'm sorry, but you are wrong. History proves that the Olympics are generally a pretty big burden for the hosts to bear, Vancouver is no exception.

Source [http://news.therecord.com/article/664923]

 

[Lullabye]

The way I see it, real life and the internet have very similar rules, except rule 34 is changed from "there is porn of it" to "there are protesters against it".

uh, and stuff.

Now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure you're right.

OT: I think it has something to do with the slums and about how poor everyone is. You know, one of those things no one but the people involved care about save a few humanitarian extremists and houswives/husbands who don't want to be seen in an apathetic light.

 

[Bretty]

It is all so clear to me now. You're a fucking troll.

lol, cant beat my argument so call me a troll? Grow up.

Because it's become a shell of what it used to be. It's become a vessel for publicity and for countries to show off their steel-and-concrete citycocks to the world, while simultaneously screwing over every hard-working, minimum-wage resident of said city (or cities in the case of Whistler).

Really, the Olympics should have ended when they got hosted by THE FUCKING NAZI'S, or after Munich. Or when Moscow got boycotted. Or the moment COMMUNIST CHINA hosted it. Or the moment they started playing the events with clothes on. [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ArsonMurderAndJaywalking]

EDIT:

Apparently native land was stolen to build the venues on. Which is bullshit. This isn't their land. It's Canada's.

... You must be a Yank to not know how Native lands work in Canada...

And obviously you have no fucking idea what you are talking about either. The 4 Nations Sold land to BC and were given huge amounts of money for their communities. Do you think they would be supporting the games if Canada had 'STOLEN' their land? I dont think so.

And City cocks? Really? Thats the most out their opinion of the Olympics I have ever heard.