<p>I’ve decided that I’ve had enough of the propagandafests. And I don’t just mean China; it’s every Olympics now.</p>
<p>I think it should stop being nationalized–hold it in the same place every time (I’m thinking Greece) and have it be run by the international organization, not a “host” country.</p>
<p>it’ll be very very boring to hold it at one place all the times. It gotta go around the world. That’s the way to connect people.</p>
<p>I finally watched part of women’s (or in the case of China, little girls who should be playing with dolls and robots, not competing in the Olympics) gymnastics last night. Raise your hand if you believe those Chinese girls met the minimum age limit? No one? And NBC said nary a word. The Olympics has been corrupt-ish for a while, but this is the most egregious violation of the “ideals” of the games since the East German women/men competed in the 70s.</p>
<p>There were 12 young women on the podium for the women’s gymnastics medals and 6 little girls. Guess which country lies about the ages of their athletes? Stalin is alive and well in China.</p>
<p>I really think that if it was not the host country that was entering underaged athletes, they would have been booted by now.</p>
<p>Which is one of the reasons I think there should be no “host country.” If it really is about the athletes, then all the spectacle attached to one country showing off is extraneous.</p>
<p>[Athlete</a> Says Steroids Changed His Sex](<a href=“News, Politics, Sports, Mail & Latest Headlines - AOL.com”>News, Politics, Sports, Mail & Latest Headlines - AOL.com)</p>
<p>Yeah, growing up I remember laughing at/about the East German female athletes, how they were really men, etc. Poor things!!! So many lives damaged.</p>
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<p>You don’t understand. The whole world is fooled by China. It started with Nixon and Kissinger in the 70’s. Bush is fooled by China. China uses Sadam Hussein and North Korea to tie the US economic hands.</p>
<p>But if I know this and you know this, why doesn’t our government know this?</p>
<p>Because our government supports special interest groups without understanding the consequence of Chinese imperalist expansion.</p>
<p>Here we go:
[State-media</a> story fuels questions on gymnast’s age - Olympics - Yahoo! Sports](<a href=“Sports News, Scores, Fantasy Games - Yahoo Sports”>Sports News, Scores, Fantasy Games - Yahoo Sports)</p>
<p>Here is another side:</p>
<p>[After</a> Bibles seized, U.S. group won’t leave Chinese airport - CNN.com](<a href=“http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/08/18/china.bibles/index.html]After”>After Bibles seized, U.S. group won't leave Chinese airport - CNN.com)</p>
<p>Why should athletes be representing countries? :rolleyes:</p>
<p>Unlike the Germans, the Chinese are too busy making export goods and investing around the worl to think about just taking it. I’m very gald they chose this direction and if they want to spend what to them is a few bucks on some fancy shows, well good for them. All that money just goes back into the economy anyway. And warts and all I think they got a good bang for the bucks.</p>
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<p>I guess American people don’t care much who “represent” the US. But for China, the answer is different.</p>
<p>WashDad,</p>
<p>Actually, at the beginning of the coverage NBC said quite a bit about the alleged age of the Chinese gymnasts. But they stopped - I have to believe someone told them to shut up. Why is Bela all over the broadcast ? Couldn’t they find anyone else ?</p>
<p>Also, the quality of the commentary is way down this year, since most of the commentary is from the SNL set in NYC - the commentators are just watching a video feed, just like us.</p>
<p>I understand from a newspaper story that He was irritated that reporters were asking how old she was after the parallel bars. In essence, she said, “I already told you I’m 12, I mean 16, so stop asking me.”</p>
<p>There are always 2 sides to a story, always! doesn’t matter where it is. There are too much politic involved and sports will never be just pure sports. Everything that China is going through, America actually did in the Winter Olympic in Salt Lake city (judging favoritism, unfair, bribery, controversies, protests…)</p>
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<p>Which commentators are in NYC? All of the ones I’ve noticed are actually in Beijing.</p>
<p>Tennis is in NYC, they keep telling us that. The gymnastics announcers are in Beijing, though.</p>