UK Kowtows to China
The British Olympics Association (BOA), in a never before matched fit of boot licking, touched their addled pates to the floor before their Chinese masters and removed the basic human freedom of expression from the British Olympic athletes. They have decided to force all British athletes attending the 2008 Beijing games to sign a contract promising not to comment on any politically sensitive issues! Any athlete who refuses to sign away their rights will be forbidden from competing in the games.
Such an order is utterly reprehensible and unneeded. Section 51 of the International Olympic Committee charter already forbids any kind of demonstration, or political, religious or racial propaganda in the Olympic sites, venues or other areas. Simon Clegg, the BOA’s chief executive, seems to be this era’s Neville Chamberlain. Perhaps he’d like to athletes to kowtow to the PRC as well.
Perhaps Clegg doesn’t realize that China’s state-sponsored terrorists – the Chengguan – can’t feasibly reach him in England. Perhaps Mr. Clegg is just in the pay of the Chinese or corporations heavily invested in China. Either way, whether he’s stupid or corrupt, he should be removed from the BOA.
Tags: 2008 Olympics | China | Politics
February 11th, 2008 at 7:34 am
It’s good to know that our democracies uphold the right of ”Freedom of Speech” That makes it so much better for us, and helps spread freedom and happines to the rest of the world.
A friends blog has just been deleted because he spoke out against mcDonalds! Yes! a food-franchise can order a blog to be deleted!!! How can it surprise us that a government succumbs to deny their citicens the democratic right of Free Speech when they have lucrative hopes for trade with China?
Money is a lot more important than civil rights, you know.
You know, I didn’t vote for politicians so that my rights can be taken away. By now I don’t know who to vote for anymore.
February 12th, 2008 at 9:24 am
Yeah, the system universally sucks. We vote but can never be sure of what the politicians will actually do once they’ve gotten into office.