SST Bashes Chinese Fascists, NZ Socialists
A great editorial from the Sunday Star/Times
The Chinese Olympics are an attempt by an odious political regime to buy global respectability. They are as political as Hitler’s Games in 1936. So it is splendid that the propaganda campaign is now coming unstuck. Steven Spielberg’s resignation as artistic adviser for the opening ceremony and Mia Farrow’s denunciation of “the genocide games” will infuriate the Chinese satraps. Excellent! Dictators shouldn’t be able to buy off the world with a bout of circuses.
How disgraceful it is, then, that New Zealand is being so craven towards Beijing. The government refuses to oppose the gagging clause that requires New Zealand Olympians not to make statements or demonstrate about “political, religious or racial matters”. This is a deplorable attack on the fundamental right of free speech by the New Zealand Olympic Committee. But the government’s backing of the clause is even worse...
It is ridiculous for Cosgrove to claim that the gagging clause is to protect the athletes, so that “they are not treated as political pawns and can concentrate on their sport”. It is not the athletes who are being treated as political pawns. It is lickspittle governments like Cosgrove’s.
Everyone knows the Clark government will do almost anything to get its free-trade deal with China. The Labour left-wingers who fought so hard against racist sport New Zealand’s insistence on playing rugby with apartheid led to the great African boycott of the 1976 Olympics have long since given up the struggle. Now it’s all about bread and circuses. Shame on them.
Hat Tip KiwiBlog
The Chinese Olympics are an attempt by an odious political regime to buy global respectability. They are as political as Hitler’s Games in 1936. So it is splendid that the propaganda campaign is now coming unstuck. Steven Spielberg’s resignation as artistic adviser for the opening ceremony and Mia Farrow’s denunciation of “the genocide games” will infuriate the Chinese satraps. Excellent! Dictators shouldn’t be able to buy off the world with a bout of circuses.
How disgraceful it is, then, that New Zealand is being so craven towards Beijing. The government refuses to oppose the gagging clause that requires New Zealand Olympians not to make statements or demonstrate about “political, religious or racial matters”. This is a deplorable attack on the fundamental right of free speech by the New Zealand Olympic Committee. But the government’s backing of the clause is even worse...
It is ridiculous for Cosgrove to claim that the gagging clause is to protect the athletes, so that “they are not treated as political pawns and can concentrate on their sport”. It is not the athletes who are being treated as political pawns. It is lickspittle governments like Cosgrove’s.
Everyone knows the Clark government will do almost anything to get its free-trade deal with China. The Labour left-wingers who fought so hard against racist sport New Zealand’s insistence on playing rugby with apartheid led to the great African boycott of the 1976 Olympics have long since given up the struggle. Now it’s all about bread and circuses. Shame on them.
Hat Tip KiwiBlog
posted by Trevor Loudon at
2/17/2008 10:08:00 PM
3 Comments:
Apart from the apparent misuse of the word "satraps", I couldn't agree more.
Cheers
Sam Buchanan
That's two things we agree on now Sam.
Trever, China never asked for gag order:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/02/12/sochin112.xml
"a number of national Olympic committees in Asia, China has put no pressure on countries to silence their Olympians"
"Several national Olympic committees said yesterday they had no agreements limiting free speech and denied there was any pressure from China"
Also the "no protest t-shirt" rule has been part of IOC regulation for decades:
"No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas."
Did Sydney get "Free Maori" for its close tie with NZ? Did Atlanta get "Davidian Is Good"? Will foreign government related group hang "One First Nation" flag at Whistler 2010?
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