17 April, 2008

Olympic Torch

The Olympic torch has passed by many countries and the headlines was not about friendship but about Tibet. Using such venues to get your political message is not correct. Now every time there is a big venue people will bring their politcal problems to it and God knows how many political problems the world has.

Oman did an amzaing job by not allowing any distractions and having the Olympic Torch go smoothly unlike the USA, France, Argentina...... etc.
Posted by ColOman at 9:28 am

36 comments:

i*maginate said...

agreed, ColOman

17 April, 2008 11:25
hut said...

Mabrook, Oman!

Thumbs up for an excellent job at turning a blind eye, and congratulations to the police forces for doing a great job suppressing any eventual protests.

17 April, 2008 11:40
Kyle said...

unlike the USA, France, Argentina...... etc.

That's what being free and freedom is all about in these countries where one can criticize without risks.

17 April, 2008 12:07
Anonymous said...

agree , totally ! and the new update , Pakistan did a brilliant job with accident free Olympic torch . thanx 2all the peploe who truely knews about the meaning of Olympic .

17 April, 2008 12:10
ColOman said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
17 April, 2008 14:02
ColOman said...

Kyle,

Your free countris had police up the nose.. but still were embaressed..

Freedom to give your views and stage a rally is not the same as jumping people while they are running with a torch to make a point my friend.... that is not freedom otherwise rape should also be part of crazy person's freedom!!


Pakistan had to restore to running the torch inside a closed area, a stadium if I am right. Now that beats the purpose of running torch if its a close area for people to enjoy.

17 April, 2008 14:04
Anonymous said...

Absolutely right Coloman. We should all just bury our heads in the sand and let murderous dictators get on with their jobs of destroying ancient cultures. How much more pissed off about Tibet would you be if Muslims lived there? I bet that would be a different whinge from you.

17 April, 2008 18:15
Kyle said...

Rose, thank you kindly :)

I’ve been a bit slow these past few days. Jet lag & time zones I believe :(

You take care. Best, Kyle :)

17 April, 2008 23:42
Dubai Jazz said...

Kyle, Nick

Have you boycotted Chinese products? Do you not do any business with China? Are you not willing to hire a Chinese contractor?

And why all the uproar against china all of the sudden? Because of some rioters in Tibet? Very good…I guess I should have spat on the Atlanta Olympic torch after the suppression of Rodney King's riots….

Let the Olympics be politics free, in fact sport is the only thing that still bring everybody together (well almost…) so let's keep it this way…

18 April, 2008 13:29
Lirun said...

dubai jazz.. how's your pentium chip holding up mate? is your cell phone ok? voicemail and sms working?

:)

18 April, 2008 14:10
Dubai Jazz said...

Lirun dude, they are pretty cool...

But most importantly, my slick Uzi is charged and ready to fire...can't wait...

18 April, 2008 14:17
love4peace said...

very interesting topic .The Majority of the Chinese is Han, There are 55 minorities in China but only 8% of the total population N the Zang minority lives in tibet is just one of the 55 minorities . funny thing is that many pepole who'r bitching around of tibet issues r have no idea where exactly tibet located in China N what's the history behide it .
come on pepole ,China is a big family and has issues 2deal with , but just put it beside .
Let the Olympics be politics free, in fact sport is the only thing that still bring everybody together as what DJ said .
Be cool and enjoy the the only event gethering pepole together .

18 April, 2008 15:52
Lirun said...

db: glad u have one i dont..

l4p: i agree that the games are supposed to bring people together.. coming from an asian country that cannot partake in the asian games i also know what its like to have politics drown your entire population and exclude you form sport.. some of my immediate palestinian neighbours cant even develop their sporting capabilties due to a lack of facilities and othertimes simply because they cant leave the territories..

nevertheless.. china needs to be brought closer to the international community.. and i believe that allowing it to go through with a decent olympic campaign will ultimately serve its minorities as well..

but my guess is as good as anyones..

18 April, 2008 16:13
AM said...

I think what Coloman is trying to highlight is the hypocrisy of it all.

The world was turning a blind eye as long as it was suiting their businesses. And now that they suddenly can see, why don't they boycott the Olympics all together and prove a point? or are medals a bit too dear to compromise on for such a point?

18 April, 2008 16:35
Lirun said...

good point am..

18 April, 2008 16:40
AM said...

Thank you motek ;)

Akaba is back on the list now, thought you should know.

18 April, 2008 17:25
ColOman said...

rose in Dubai


I am all for Tibet... but not by using the Olympic torch as a venue...

there are otehr ways

18 April, 2008 18:42
Proud Emirati said...

I think I should go beat any American and British guys I come across to for the things USA and UK did in Iraq.

18 April, 2008 20:25
Dubai Jazz said...

Count me PE, specially those who raped and killed a 14 years old girl...and I think they were even acquitted eventually...

18 April, 2008 20:28
Dubai Jazz said...

Rosh, I don't know about PE, but I was being sarcastic….

18 April, 2008 20:36
Proud Emirati said...

^^ I didn't mean what I said. Beside, Iranians weren't hypocrites and protested what is happening in China !!

18 April, 2008 20:37
Dubai Jazz said...

…sarcastic in the sense that I wouldn't hold people responsible for what their governments do…even those who come from 'democratically elected' governments, because maybe they've voted the other party…lol

18 April, 2008 20:38
rosh said...

Oh? oki understood.

18 April, 2008 20:42
Lirun said...

except for me right dubai jazz? im responsible for the whole of israel.. correct?

:)

18 April, 2008 20:51
Dubai Jazz said...

No Lirun, you are not responsible for the whole of Israel. If it was up to me; I'd ask for Israel to compete sports in Asia. But seeing how Maccabi Tel Aviv is doing in Europe; I'd say you better stay there. :P

And btw, thanx for the implicit acknowledgement that Israel is doing lots of wrong.

18 April, 2008 20:57
ColOman said...

Its amazing how Arabs vs. non Arabs view matters , even a torch run we cant agree on !!!

18 April, 2008 21:50
Lirun said...

on little planet there are no clean hands.. im happy to be the first to look at my own in horror..

i hope that the olympics games can retain the sporting spirit they embody and if the torch managed to travel through your region unscathed i think it is a credit..

i dont think the games necessarily diminish the tibetan cause.. and if they have managed to draw attention to the issues that is all the more proof..

18 April, 2008 21:53
rosh said...

Politics has always been attached to the games - recall '80 & '84 boycotts or Munich?

18 April, 2008 22:25
Anonymous said...

ColOman, for the little I have read this blog the (gulf?) arab mentality seems to be "do not talk about issues" while the western one seems to be "rub it in their faces", no surprise then we can't agree on anything.

I for one welcome everything that can bring a government who glorify itself to acknowledge it's shortcoming. The Chinese gov has been on a PR rampage about the "progress" made by China so it seems logical to me that some people asks them to look at their shortcoming on the human rights side, particularly when they refuse to acknowledge any issue.
(That should tell you where I'm from)

But of course, this is not going to ring any bell in the Gulf where the different governments are very close to china in terms of freedom of expression and human rights respect. Their internet proxy is much more sophisticated than yours though..

Lastly, keep in mind that "freedom of expression" in the western world means: the right to say *anything* you believe in and that even if it is going to offend your neighbors.

That is very different from the Arab "freedom of expression" which means: the right to say everything you want as long as everyone can save face and no other good Muslim is offended in the process.

In my world if someone wants to call its teddy bear "big bad-ass jesus/mohammed" he can do so.

Your freedom comes from the fact that you can complain about it as loudly as you can.

18 April, 2008 23:30
Tim Newman said...

dubai jazz.. how's your pentium chip holding up mate? is your cell phone ok? voicemail and sms working?

LOL!

19 April, 2008 03:41
Kyle said...

Dubai Jazz:

I don’t know about Nick, but I’ll say this for myself. Do not bring racism into any of your direct response(s) to me. This is the second time you swing bait by bringing racism into your direct response to me.

If you possess the ability, be civil and intelligent especially in your response(s) to me and my wife’s (she also uses our common ID) comments here.

Thanks.

19 April, 2008 08:06
Dubai Jazz said...

Kyle
I guess no, I can not be civil. Thanks.

19 April, 2008 10:21
ColOman said...

Kyle,

I thought that was your concept of freedom of speech, letting Dubai Jazz say what he wants even if its bad mouth your race!!!!!

BB,

Freedom of speech is regulated even in your country. Jumping a guy running with a torch will land in Jail. Am I right or wrong?

You talk about Tibet but you not allowed anywhere in the world to ruin a venue that is not yours.....

19 April, 2008 12:59
Lirun said...

freedom of speech is a freedom not a right.. legally the difference is a freedom is limited by other rights.. freedoms do not prevail over everything necessarily.. and they are also accompanied by civic duties..

hate speech for example is a limit to freedom of speech in many countries.. so is defamation (to which truth will not always guarantee a defence).. assualting someone verbally may also be a problem..

so my point is - i suggest avoiding hollow grabs at concepts such as freedom of speech..

because while physically attacking someone carrying a torch may no doubt convey someone's opinion - it definitely doesnt really have any connection to speech..

19 April, 2008 14:16
ColOman said...

well said Liru

19 April, 2008 14:33
ColOman said...

DJ,

Most Westrners dont view us as humans...... not even animals..... cause even animals get front page coverage if they get abused.... we defend our land and they view us as mad people, they make us go hungry and its OK, they steal our oil its fine, they make up stories about us and then confess it not true and its all made up and no one gets punished, they kill over 1 million people in Iraq..... that is Ok.... but how dare us defend ourselves.... that is not freedom.... not even freedom of speech......

The problem is most westreners know it but they are so brain washed and do not admit it.... however if the media focus on anyone else other than Arabs or Iran now.... they victims and its OK to attack people who are running for peaceful cause.... go figure

19 April, 2008 20:16

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