The Olympic torch will pass through London this weekend as part of its journey to Beijing. China intends to use the Games to prove that it is a succesful, forward thinking and modern society ready to take on the mantle of the world's new superpower. Unfortunately this is far from the case, as suggested by an Amnesty International Report:"It is increasingly clear that much of the current wave of repression is occurring not in spite of the Olympics but actually because of the Olympics"
In addition, the IOC team who are currently in Beijing to assess its readiness for the Games have reported that the Olympic program has wholly failed to act as a catalyst for reform. Serious questions must now be asked as to why this brutal regime were ever awarded the Games in the first place. As Sam Leith of the Telegraph points out, this is a regime which not only seeks to suppress truths, but seeks to suppress the free exchange of thought between its citizens.
People such as the boat man Steve Redgrave and jogger Kelly Holmes will spout out the usual nonsense about "not mixing sport with politics". But the Olympics Games is a profoundly political event, which is what makes it so special and separate form the World Championships. The decision to bid for the Olympics is taken at a Governmental level, funded by Government and the social legacy is perhaps the most important factor in the awarding of the Games. How can it be anything other than political? The torch itself symbolises political freedom and harmony through sport, so it would be farcical acknowledge it given China's consistent human rights abuses, most recently in Tibet. I also somehow doubt they will be lining the streets of Darfur in celebration of the torch.
The shocking events in Tibet cannot go unpunished and it is important that the Games are not afforded any legitimacy, as was the case in 1936 in Berlin. In this respect Germany's Angela Merkel has to be commended for deciding to boycott the opening ceremony, while French President Nicholas Sarkozy has indicated he will also stay away. If Gordon Brown and indeed George Bush had boycotted the ceremony it would have sent a powerful message and been a huge embarrassment for the Chinese.
I for one will not be watching a single minute of the Games and hope it is a disaster, and that is nothing to do with the fact that half the athletes will undoubtedly be drugged up to the eyeballs. Hopefully the intense focus on the country for those couple of weeks will serve as a reminder to the Western world that China cannot yet be trusted and must be treated with caution. Once again, the all talk no action Gordon Brown has failed to stamp his authority on the world stage which is why he will be remembered as one of the most lame Prime Ministers in living memory.
The shocking events in Tibet cannot go unpunished and it is important that the Games are not afforded any legitimacy, as was the case in 1936 in Berlin. In this respect Germany's Angela Merkel has to be commended for deciding to boycott the opening ceremony, while French President Nicholas Sarkozy has indicated he will also stay away. If Gordon Brown and indeed George Bush had boycotted the ceremony it would have sent a powerful message and been a huge embarrassment for the Chinese.
I for one will not be watching a single minute of the Games and hope it is a disaster, and that is nothing to do with the fact that half the athletes will undoubtedly be drugged up to the eyeballs. Hopefully the intense focus on the country for those couple of weeks will serve as a reminder to the Western world that China cannot yet be trusted and must be treated with caution. Once again, the all talk no action Gordon Brown has failed to stamp his authority on the world stage which is why he will be remembered as one of the most lame Prime Ministers in living memory.
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