The Spirit of Olympics - Gone With The Wind
Written by ED on August 12, 2008 – 5:20 am - Posted in Sports & Fitness, World |I was reading with interest about a recent post DK put up, regarding why the practice of releasing white doves (or pigeons if you prefer) had been stopped in recent years of Olympic Games. Right, the doves were burnt alive. Cruelty we say, but if we were to reflect on all the military conflicts that had taken place and is still going on now, the burnt doves seemed appropriate to mark the death of mankind all over the world.
DK used a video from a previous Olympic Games. That’s even more appropriate. This year, war broke out once again with Russia sending military attacks on Georgia. Obviously, the President of Georgia had little choice but to declare a state of emergency. Ironic, isn’t it? Maybe some of us are being too idealistic. Instead of reaching out with good news of medal winners, part of our news feeds are occupied with headlines informing us of people dying in these conflicts.
While “international tolerance and fair competition regardless of races, religions and origins” were delivered in the speeches during the opening ceremony, it seemed as though that ideal went only as far as within the compounds of Beijing. The same do not apply once you stepped out from Beijing apparently. For a quick roundup;
1. North Korea threatened to expel South Koreans, after the killing of a Seoul tourist.
2. 46 families lost loved ones in Sri Lanka fighting.
3. Closer to home, the war goes on between Philippine troops and rebels.
4. Palestinians army killed Taliban militants, along with innocent civilians.
5. The most widely publicized conflict, Russia brought war to Georgia’s doorsteps.
And you thought, it’s a time to put tolerance into practice or sharing the love?
Let me discount all other four conflicts, and talk about Russia alone. Why? Russia’s president was among those prestigious guests seated among the VIP zone in Beijing Olympic Stadium. On TV, we watched on as Putin rose from his seat to wave at his athletes. Certainly, he’s a part of the Olympic’s community at that point. He was participating, right smack in the heart of Beijing.
Mr Putin, how should we look at him when he waged war the very minute after he was done with the Olympic’s opening ceremony? For every word that was delivered by the China’s and IOC’s chairperson, had Putin been listening or falling asleep in his chair? For Mr Putin to be seated among other national leaders from all around the world, was he attending the Olympics opening ceremony as a person who truly believed in the spirit of the Olympic Games?
The first piece of news that documented Russia’s military assault, had answered all the questions above.
With the Olympic Games going commercial and coupled with countless corporations using every opportunity to market themselves, what have we achieved through the Olympic Games? I just feel, it’s just another competition except it’s once in four years. How have we realistically influenced the world with Olympics?
A. Maybe, a ceasefire order all over the world during the two weeks of Olympic Games at least?
B. Maybe, corporate entities should donate a portion of their earnings resulting from their participation in Olympic Games to help rebuild homes in war-torn countries?
C. Maybe, we should start using “The One World” as the basic benchmark in all Olympic’s publicity, instead of just promoting the host country?
I am sure there are lots more we can do. At least for Olympic Games 2008, it will go down into the record books tainted with blood. The blood of the very same earthlings we proclaimed to love.
August 12th, 2008 at 11:50 am
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August 12th, 2008 at 7:40 pm
Putin’s not president anymore…
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Ah ok, thanks for clearing that up. I saw that he has been nominated as Prime Minister by his presidential successor.
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August 12th, 2008 at 10:00 pm
Dear Endoh;
the World can never be at peace as long as religions, greeds and powers exist.
And the Three Elements are inherent in the Nature of man(kind).
Lament not too much and too far, be good and be at peace with yourself.
patriot
[Reply]
Hi Patriot, thank you for dropping by. However though, it is interesting to know you see it as a “lament”.
I am absolutely at peace with myself, thank you for the concern. That’s how I can bring myself to think deeper, and not brush things under the carpet.
I hope you are too.
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ED;
history is full of wars and conflicts. We feel sad that they happened, we knew that they happened because there were/are territorial claims, commercial competitions, religious differences and abuses of powers.
However, the most we could do is bemoan that wars, conflicts, atrocities and other man made/caused calamities happened. These disputes are unlikely to cease in the Animal World, they are perrennial as no one is capable of stopping them.
It is ideal for the World to be at peace, but it is impossible!
At home too, we have our own political and survival problems affecting us. I am of the opinion that we should have our own house in order as an example to others(countries). A well governed and prosperous country with good neighbourly relationships should be the aspiration of all nations.
But, the truth is, it is never as simple.
patriot
[Reply]
Thank you for dropping by again. Despite the truth that you have mentioned above, that still doesn’t mean we cannot reflect on events and talk about it. Perhaps it’s human nature, we only want to hear the good things.
August 12th, 2008 at 10:46 pm
Strange listing of conflicts!!
There are more than 2 million Iraqi refugees living in camps in Syria, Afghanistan and Iran, nearly 1 million Iraqi civilians have died and the country has been devastated while its oil industry has been plundered for the benefit of Haliburton in a war which has lasted for five years and shows no sign of abating….
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Hi Paul, those I have listed are conflicts that were started within the Olympic Games window. They’re not conclusive however. There could be hundreds more that have went unreported.
The other reason why I drifted away from the Iraq war is because the world does not consist of USA alone. There are much other conflicts that deserve the same attention to resolve them.
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August 13th, 2008 at 7:06 am
Hi Endoh
Thanks for your reply. Some minor clarifications, the Sri Lankan conflict started in 1981, the Philipine conflict started approx 1990s, the Korean war in 1950 and the threat to expel the South Koreans before the Olympic opening, during the Olympics, in Iraq, there was a wave of bombings that killed scores of civilians this past weekend. I agree that the USA is not the world but it is not exempt from the rules of civilisation that North Korea, the Philipines and Sri Lanka have to follow
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Hi Paul, thank you for the history recap. Perhaps I should have been more specific to indicate the fresh incidents of violence that broke out within the Olympic Games regardless of their history.
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August 16th, 2008 at 11:38 am
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