Torch Parade

First and foremost let us be clear ... the Olympics are a political event.

They are no more a mere sporting event presenting the best of the amateur and professional athletes than a Yankees/Red Sox game is a mere baseball game. We well know that when the Red Sox meet the Yankees on the baseball diamond they are still fighting over the Babe Ruth trade which brought the curse upon Boston. Even when Boston wins they are still fighting the curse. Sports enthusiast know what I am talking about. It is the same when you are watching any professional sports contest, why after ten years out of college or high school do you have to announce an athlete along with his Alma mater. I mean how much school did they actually attend? Ego, that is all ... we are catering to the ego of everyone who went to that college.

But enough on that. Why are the Olympics a political event? Well going back to the famous 1936 Olympics where Jesse Owens demonstrated to Hilter on his home field - Berlin, Germany, by winning four gold medals: one each in the 100 meters, the 200 meters, the long jump, and as part of the 4x100 meter relay team that in fact Germans were not the Master Race. Let's not forget Jimmy "the absolute idiot" Carter who ordered the U.S. team to stay home because the U.S.S.R. was stupid enough to think they could invade Afghanistan and actually win a war there ... only to have the U.S.S.R. boy cot the following Olympics in L.A. just because the U.S. was playing politics with the Olympics. Remember Afghanistan ... don't we have troops their now fighting the guys we trained to fight the Russians? Boy is life funny!

There are many other instances where the Olympics have been made political ... in fact there is a new book just out covering these and if I was real good I would tell you the title but you need the exercise. The original instance of politicizing the Olympics occurred when the Spartan Team refused to stand for the Athens Team because they decided to wear a small patch of cloth over the genitalia which was formerly unacceptable in the Olympic dress code. Now we have Polo clothes ... see how far we've come.

So what is the point?

Well for the present Olympics it seems that host Red China is not being nice to the poor Tibet monks ... that would be Tibet which China conquered and continues to oppress and has for years. Now, do not forget Mongolia and Taiwan. Well, it seems that the current method of protesting the treatment of Tibet by China is to wreck havoc with the Torch Parade. Why the poor innocent Torch had to take a bus in San Fransisco to avoid embarrassment and protesters.

Give me a break. Do you think China is going to be nice to the Monks because the Torch had to take a bus?

From the Gospel according to Wikipedia - The Chinese government has promoted the games to highlight China's emergence on the world stage. Earlier in 2007, former IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch has said that he believes that the Beijing games will be "the best in Olympic history."

All of this in the midst of concerns about environmental issues where the athletes might not even be able to breathe the air in China and the human rights violations, particularly in Tibet. There have also been growing concerns of major nations boycotting the Olympics in protest of China's actions in Tibet.

Well, accept for pissing on the athletes and those big sponsors who have paid billions for the rights to broadcast this "sporting event" by boycotting and the resulting boycott by China of the 2010 Olympics which is winter sports which they suck at ... who cares?

The answer you have been waiting for! Do you want to send a message to China? Well, boycott Wal-Mart until it stops selling cheap stuff from China. Boycott any other store that makes its billions from cheap goods manufactured by Chinese slave labor. Boycott "Made In China".

Of course, you may have to deal with the consequences of China's response ... (a) it stops buying U.S. Treasuries which helps fund the drunken Congressional spending resulting in a $500 annual deficit and (b) it decides to dump the almost two trillion dollars it is sitting on into the open market bringing the U.S. to its knees economically ... gas at the pump would shoot to $20 a gallon at least. Sucks to be dependent.

So, you will note that President George "no brains" Bush has said he is going to China to watch the games because they are just a sporting event. Sport event nothing ... he is going because if he doesn't China will call his marker.

Bottom line ... leave the Torch alone and protest where it belongs ... in front of Wal-Mart and in front of Congress.