I’m a bit torn on this one.
With a bit of luck the protests will have got a lot of publicity around the world and drawn attention to what has been going on in Tibet for the last 40 years. (Or is that 50? Blimey, I am getting old enough to lose it!)
My big problem is that the protests were so amateur,. Didn’t even seem to merit a police horse or ten.
Oldguy.
respectful protest is the best form, some ppl take it too far; understandable in Tibet itself, but on the streets of London/Europe the message is devalued by the bad press coverage
**but ** cant be having this sport separate to politics thing, understand the ideal behind it but just doesn’t ring true when major sporting events are being run in stadiums surrounded by suppressed people who may have absolutely no way of becoming involved in the sports being celebrated unless they conform/inform-upon etc…
the Olympics are being used by a regime in much the same way as the nazis; trying to legitimise themselves in front of the world
i read somewhere on the beeb news site that the running with a flame thing was re-initiated/started by the nazis or something like that
they even ran the flame through countries they were planning on invading; cheeky ****s!
About 10 years ago, a friend was given a fiat panda by his then well heeled girlfriend, it was bought second hand for her as a run around whilst at university. It came complete with stickers on the back window, one of which read free Tibet.
I’m a bit dyslexic, and when I first saw the sticker, I asked him why he had a free Tebit sticker on his car? Was it for crimes against humanity with cricket metaphores?
When are the Chinese going to sort out the real issues???
My Chinese takeaway was bloody awful last night, they need to take action now.
On a serious note whats happening in Tibet is wrong, but so is Iraq, Afganistan and probably every battle thats ever taken place.
Peace to all men and my local takeaway.
I’ve got to say, my hat’s off to the protesters. Yes, it was a bit amateurish, but it has gotten more publicity than a well staged demo would have gotten. It’s all about exposure, and the guy grabbing the torch didn’t have to actually get away with it. Just the fact that he tried was enough to be in all the tabloids, and all the online news;)
I’m not into the protesting thing myself, but I do admire those who are willing to stand up for the less fortunate:cool:
Takeaways, my local takeaway the Wan king has let its standards slip.
A country that invented Taoism can be so brutal.
All this has been whipped up by Broady and his mates to get more overtime;)
The Olympic torch relay was invented by the Nazis, and this time the torch is being taken on by far its longest journey visiting loads of places nowhere near the route from Olympia to Peking.
In my view the torch relay has nothing to do with the spirit of the games etc. It has always been political.
I’ve got nothing against lawful protest,however yet again when the Chinese are involved it is stifled,strange that eh! Just glad I was’nt one of the poor bods running behind in normal clothing,must have been sweating like … sweaty policemen:D
Would it be dreadful a pun to suggest that the torch carrying might have back fired on the Chinese in London? O.K. I won’t do that one then.
I think what pee’s me off the most is Gordon Brown not having the gumption to stand up and be counted as a protester against the Chinese occupation and opression.
Bloody hell. All we wanted from him were some well chosen words and old stealth tax couldn’t even manage that.
Oldguy.
(“Noble House” in Chislehurst aint as good as it used to be either.)
I don`t agree with what the chinese are doing and we should boycott the games.
There again i had a lovely chinese takeaway tonight.
ive got to say however, that im in favour of the protestors, i dont agree with the Games being held in China with all thats gone on, but i will say they guy that tried to grab the torch was damn stupid, not to mention dangerous!
Agreed.
Now the fire extiguisher was a great idea, pity about the execution. Needed better rehersal.
Oldguy.
“Choys” in Chislehurst is petty good. A bit pricey but a cut above the rest.)
I agree with the protest, the Tibetans are so suppressed that the only way they can get the message across about what is, and has been happening in Tibet is by using the Olympics as a platform for protest, I know that there is crap happening in other countries like Iraq but those countries haven’t been given the opportunity to host a massive event like the Olympics, I think it’s disgraceful.
keep politics separate from Chinese takeaways, if not from Olympics:D
beijing olympics is already a highly politically charged issue with the mighty chinese state power and resources behind it, actually, olympics is made like a religious cult, all the “sacred” fire nonsense to stir up the fervor to maximize the profit for all related commercial activities, it is now almost a competition of drugs, and profit, instead of sports spirit. it would be much interesting if the ‘sacred torch’ was extinguished today by the worldly fire extinguisher used by a protester:D
We are all very happy to receive exceptionally cheap goods from them but should they dare attempt to hold a little old world class sporting event we’re all up in arms!
Tibet isn’t the only time China has oppressed but all the time we are seeing monetary benefit we appear to be happy to ignore it.
We also really mustn’t think that ‘our’ way is best and expect all world nations to drop thousands of years of carefully balanced hierarchical controls and embrace democracy. Forced democracy really doesn’t work, Iraq being our latest example. :w00t:
I was trying to think how to phrase my view but you’ve just done it for me ! 
Do we really have much choice but to buy stuff that has been made in China, they produce so much stuff!!
It’s because we had the choice and chose ‘cheap’ that China now makes most of the world’s white, black, pink, yellow etc. goods! This has been happening for the last 20 years at least and our own manufacturing has decreased in direct relation to the Chinese increase.
The question is, now that Chinese workers are demanding better housing and company cars will goods go up? I think the answer is YES and we will no doubt already be funding the next China in the same way we funded China when we were buying cheap goods from Taiwan.
My money’s on Mexico and/or if they can get their act together some of the African countries as the next big cheap world manufacturer!
I’ll climb down off this soap box now! 
