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I wouldn't go that far, but the athletics has almost become incidental - just the stuff that gets people to look so they can see the advertising.
CTV is reporting Vancouver is had the warmest January on record, and more than 750 volunteers right now are bringing snow in for the Games by truck and helicopter. Training events have been cancelled until Monday.
It's not a "disgusting phrase", it's a phrase describes a disgusting act. Perhaps if I wrote "X murdered Y" you could get on your pulpit again?
I held my nose when I voted (twice) for that luge-er, you'd need a bio-hazard suit to do so now.
Tell your story to those who are sitting for hours in emergency, those waiting for a needed operation, or an education.
H becomes a willing shill for the disaster capitalism to be preached by the Campbell government--the deficit as justification for further cuts to the social infrastructure and environmental needs.
More accurate are the many comments in response to the Tyee story--one posted here:
http://www.theprogressivemind.info/?p=29919
The Olympigs need to be banned, because they leave a financial catastrophe behind everywhere they go.
Be that as it may they are going ahead.
Sometimes it is hard if not impossible to measure the financial benefits of an event like this.
For example how many jobs were created for this Vancouver, Canada celebration of the best athletes on the planet?
So, because we were robbed in order to throw a party we should enjoy it anyways? I don't think that's very good advice.
I can't find the link, but I remember reading that the Olympics were predicted to return one billion dollars in economic growth. For those keeping score, that's one-sixth of our investment. When this stat is quoted, yay-sayers usually respond with a statement similar to NorthReport's:
Which is basically mysticism: "sure these olympics cost a lot--both in terms of money and the civil liberties we used to enjoy--but the return will be dark sorcery magic--intangible economic benefits as concrete as the so-called 'spirit' lighting up the city right now."
The Toronto Star published this report on Olympic economic return:
Oops, NR did it again.
Yea, the Vancouver housing market has taken such a shit-kicking hasn't it. It's getting so bad that it seems only millionaires can afford to live here any more.
What's the point of wailing about about the Olympics now. They're a done deal, so we might as well enjoy the party while it lasts. That's the problem sometimes with the left. They often seem to be whining about something. Sometimes the left reminds me of the people who are always closing the barn door after the horse has escaped.The left needs to be much more pro-active and start leading instead of following like they do a lot of the time.
Who wrote that the real-estate market in Vancouver has taken a shit-kicking? The article says that there has been no correlation between real-estate growth and an olympic city. However, I suppose when you are so thoroughly invested in fantasy, reading for comprehension becomes superfluous to your goals.
When a housing market takes a shit-kicking it doesn't imply that there is scarcity in housing stock due to high demand but rather surplus stock and little capital interested in it. A housing market taking a shit-kicking producing the result of only millionaires who can afford to live there makes absolutely no sense.
Um, exactly. Do you know what that sentence means?
I couldn't agree more Gord. Great blog.
Debating the Winter Olympics is like trying to debate the wisdom of committing troops to a war zone after they have already landed and engaged
Perhaps now is not the time for this debate. It's like trying to debate the wisdom of committing troops to a war zone after they have already landed and engaged. Any dissenting voice will be quickly dismissed as being anti-Canadian and not supportive of the troops. So, in the case of the Winter Olympics "Go Canada Go" is the appropriate slogan to spur on our athletes, after all the games will be open in a few days and we will all take pride and rejoice in the personal accomplishments of individuals who compete for Canada, as we should. We should not fault the athletes for gross overspending and the elitist structure to the games, anymore than we should blame our troops in the field. They worked hard, and we should applaud them for their accomplishments and the sacrifices they have had to make to be the very best in their sport.
So let those who are invited enjoy this private house party, but don't make the mistake that issues that surround these games will be swept away with the placard signs off Vancouver's streets. There is a real debate needed. One that should seriously question need for this "Olympic Movement" but one that will, more importantly for British Columbians, demand accountability from their government.
I saw a report on CBC that anti-doping tests are going to be stepped up. That's quite a telling comment on the integrity of the games, where athletes will try to cheat to win.
So we are allowed to dissent when undemocratic decisions are made, but we are not allowed to dissent when those decisions unfold? WTF!!!
If athletes and soldiers want to compromise their personal politics and participate in war and corporate spectacles for the elite, I don't give a shit how hard they trained to get there. Why should they be absolved from addressing their personal politics and the politics of these events and the rest of us hushed? ?
Fuck anti-democratic actions and fuck blind nationalism - people should be held accountable for their politics!
Athletes are also not soldiers. Soldiers go to war because it is their job, many people join up for economic reasons. Athletes go to the Olympics because they are among the best supported (i.e. rich) people in whatever sport they do.
I missed the Hockey Powers show on Team Canada
.Can someone please tell me if it is being rebroadcast or if it is available on the internet. email me if possible.
GO CANADA GO!!!!
Baaaahhhhhh!, you give the NDP a bad name.
This looks interesting - lots of different versions about what actually took place.
Did Vancouver protesters force Harper to scrap appearance
So, what the heck happened in Vancouver?
The prime minister has only been in British Columbia for a few hours, but his pre-Olympic tour is already proving to be a memorable one, at least for those who were at the Chinese Cultural Centre in Vancouver where he was scheduled to watch a dress rehearsal this afternoon, only to be greeted by several hundred protesters who were apparently unhappy by his government's decision to appeal the ruling on the InSite safe injection site.
NDP MP Libby Davies, who took part in the protest, described it afterwards as a "peaceful protest."
http://www.cbc.ca/politics/insidepolitics/2010/02/postpmprotestspinwatch...
Cross posting this post by Erik Redburn.
http://olympicresistance.net/content/convergence-summit-schedule-feb-10-11
"Kick off the Convergence week at the 2010 Olympic Resistance Summit!
It all begins on opening day!"
Harper must have really pissed off Canadians, of all sorts, as even the comments at CBC are against him almost 96% wise.
Oh and why in hell did they take the torch over the border and into the USA?
--
Who else gets the feeling Harper is losing this Public Relations battle with the NDP
In the ring: PMO vs. NDP
http://www.cbc.ca/politics/insidepolitics/2010/02/in-the-ring-pmo-vs-ndp...
What's with this 2-week period.
What's wrong with a permanent, universal, and lasting peace.
Come on Canada, Canadians, we can do better than this.
Nik on the Numbers
On the eve of the Vancouver Winter Olympics, a new Nanos Poll shows that a very strong majority of Canadians embrace the idea that all countries participating in the Olympics should declare peace for the duration of the Games (80.7%). Support cuts evenly across every age group and region, but Quebecers were more likely to support Olympic peace than respondents in other regions (87.7%).
When asked whether they agreed or disagreed that the benefits of a temporary peace declaration would outweigh the negative impact on athletes who could not compete because their countries were not declaring peace, Canadians were more likely to agree (49.3%) or somewhat agree (19.5%). One in five Canadians disagreed (16%) or somewhat disagreed (5.4%) that the benefits would outweigh the negative impacts on athletes.
To chat about this poll join the national political online chat at Nik on the Numbers. The detailed tables and methodology are posted on our website along with regional breakdowns. You can also register to receive automatic polling updates.
Methodology
Nanos conducted a random telephone survey of 1,001 Canadians, 18 years of age and older, between February 5th and February 8th. A survey of 1,001 Canadians is accurate to within 3.1 percentage points, plus or minus, 19 times out of 20.
Support for Olympic Peace Question: As you may know, the Winter Olympics will be starting in February 2010. Do you support, somewhat support, somewhat oppose or oppose all participating countries declaring peace, that is stopping hostilities around the world, during the Olympic Games?
Support 80.7%
Somewhat support 7.6%
Somewhat oppose 1.9%
Oppose 5.5%
Unsure 4.3%
Impact of Olympic Peace Question: Do you agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree or disagree with the following statement: The possible benefits of a temporary peace during the Olympic Games outweigh the negative impact on athletes who could not compete because their countries did not declare a temporary peace.
Agree 49.3%
Somewhat agree 19.5%
Somewhat disagree 5.4%
Disagree 16.0%
Unsure 9.7%
Feel free to forward this e-mail. Any use of the poll should identify the source as the latest "Nanos Poll."
Maybe having them on stolen land is one of the problems; that it was fascist and undemocratic in its process is another. Having states declare peace whilst they commit internal violence is not peaceful. No wonder I. Berlin calls Kant's perpetual peace a source of nationalism.
Just caught the end of Harper'sspeech in the BC Legislature - he got a standing ovation, looks like the entire Legislature is applauding him, I have no idea why, unless it's for contributing federal money for Olympic this and that.
This highlights how democracy works. The people are clear in this poll and a majority of the parliament would support a motion if they already haven't. This is the response from our NATO military. Will VANOC speak up? the hypocracy of the IOC and VANOC talking about peace is enough to make me want to puke.
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/83858.html