"A Billion Chinese can't be wrong."

[golfhobo]

But, their RULING party CAN be! And how is that different from America?

I am watching the opening ceremonies of the Olympics in Beijing, China.... and I cannot find it in myself to hate these people.

Is every man, woman and child on Earth defined by his politics? Or those he is compelled to follow?

Have we not brought a search for freedom to the Soviets and Russians.... and do we not support their struggle?

Are we so ignorant as to believe that every Muslim in the World is our enemy... and not just another human being looking for justice and freedom from oppression? [this is NOT an acceptance of or excuse for terrorism.]

Are we not now friends and colleagues of the free people of Japan and Germany?

Have young Chinese men not stood up to tyranny, as our forefathers did, to lay the groundwork for reform?

Will we embrace the Chinese culture without condemnation for the RULE they have been forced to live under for so many years?

And are they any different than those of Hispanic descent?

I have always said that the answer to the immigration problem we face, is the economic reform of the country and the administration that controls them. The same applies to stabilization of the economy (read economic regulation of big business) in a country like China.

It is clear that we cannot take them all in here. We have no jobs left for our OWN, let alone them. It truly HAS become a "global economy" and with it must come political and economic reform.

We can learn to embrace these cultures, and work with them..... or we can continue to fight them and bomb them. Even the most Conservative and Isolationist among us must know when we are outnumbered, and our tactics are not only futile, but detrimental.

I am glad that our poor excuse for a President is AT the ceremonies tonight. Perhaps he will get an education in Humanity!

There was a time in our history when the military might of America was the stabilizing force in the World, (and before that, it was Britain and lesser Europeans,) but those times have changed. It IS a "new World" and there IS "another side of the coin."

It is time for our Political strength to "re-surge" and for diplomacy and trade to once again bring diverse peoples of the World together. Free trade, yes.... but ONLY when it is FAIR trade.

This will not be cheap, but the cost will or can be counted in mere dollars instead of lives. And there IS only that one solution. The U.S. Military domination of the World is a tactical impossibility.

The energy resources of the Earth are, to some extent, finite and must be shared and replaced. Third World countries are a vanishing minority and even THEY have increased energy needs. This is a GLOBAL problem, and it requires a Global solution. War only exacerbates the waste of resources.

It is time for humanity to GROW UP and start working together, or we shall ALL perish. And do not deceive yourseves that WE will be "the last man standing."

I really don't care much about the competition of the "games." I care about the PRIDE of the contestants and their represented countries. I care about the PEOPLE of the World and their histories and traditions.

I care about the FUTURE of us all.

I care about others because I AM a Christian and that is what I've been LED to feel. I care because I am a Liberal and that is what I CHOOSE to feel. I find no basis in the teachings of the Bible for conservatism. Morality, yes. But not elitism.

The parable of the "talents" has often been misconstrued. [yes, I am now attempting to interpret the regulations of the Bible. lol!] The servant that HOARDED his one talent was chastised, whereas the one who "invested" it was glorified. But, the MEANING of the parable was NOT that we should invest our "talents" (or money) for our OWN riches, but for the purpose of helping others to the glory of God. "To HIM that god giveth MUCH.... MUCH is expected." He does not give you riches (one talent) to hoard for yourself or to return to him unused. He expects you to USE those "talents" (riches) that HE gives you to produce more riches WITH HIS HELP to bring back MORE to HIM than he gave you. And God has NEVER been about MONEY!

Anyway, I digress into religion and politics, and that was NOT my intention. Like MANY Americans, I wanted to HATE the fact that China won the chance to host this year's Olympics. But, I find I cannot. Like the "original" Teamster Marco Polo, I am intrigued by the people and culture of China. I recognize and SHARE the pride of the Chinese people.

The flaming of certain posters who have nothing more to offer than childish condemnation of my posts and my beliefs notwithstanding, I would like to know how the REST of you feel about the Olympics this year, and/or the host country.

I promise no more than a "muted" response to any opposing views. I've said MY piece. I look forward to hearing the views of others.

Hobo ...... with a "B"

[RebelDarlin]

GH you make some interesting observations and some valid points. America is hated for more than just our politics. We are an arrogant and selfish people. We can't even get along amongst ourselves, let alone in a global sense.

As a world leader we are so far behind the rest of the word in developing something as simple as mass transit/public transportation. Public transportation in Europe is not only far advanced to what we have, it is used by the masses. We are far too selfish a people to 'share a ride'. We have evolved from beleiving out 'home is our castle' to beleiving our vehicles are an extension of it. All you have to do is drive anywhere is this country to see that. Not only are we obsessed with driving the 'best' car, it always has to be in front of everyone else. The driving habits seen daily are an extension of how we live. It's all about "me" I am first, I am best, and I am ALL that matters.

We have lost the idea of neighborhoods, of community. We live in a country of tattle tales who beleive that it is not only their right, but their duty to turn in their neighbors for not living up to their own ideals. There is no freedom of expression here anymore. People have been sued for painting their house a color someone doesn't like, or even putting up a flag pole, or growing herbs (legal ones) instead of petunias like everyone else.

You are concerned with us learning to accept other cultures? We can't even accept our own.

[Windwalker]

GH you make some interesting observations and some valid points. America is hated for more than just our politics. We are an arrogant and selfish people. We can't even get along amongst ourselves, let alone in a global sense.

As a world leader we are so far behind the rest of the word in developing something as simple as mass transit/public transportation. Public transportation in Europe is not only far advanced to what we have, it is used by the masses. We are far too selfish a people to 'share a ride'. We have evolved from beleiving out 'home is our castle' to beleiving our vehicles are an extension of it. All you have to do is drive anywhere is this country to see that. Not only are we obsessed with driving the 'best' car, it always has to be in front of everyone else. The driving habits seen daily are an extension of how we live. It's all about "me" I am first, I am best, and I am ALL that matters.

We have lost the idea of neighborhoods, of community. We live in a country of tattle tales who beleive that it is not only their right, but their duty to turn in their neighbors for not living up to their own ideals. There is no freedom of expression here anymore. People have been sued for painting their house a color someone doesn't like, or even putting up a flag pole, or growing herbs (legal ones) instead of petunias like everyone else.

You are concerned with us learning to accept other cultures? We can't even accept our own.

I see you've found me out...

Where I'm concerned, it really doesn't matter what color or religion a person is. But, you have "pinned down" what seems to be a majority of Americans. We (I'm generallizing here) seem to want EVERYBODY to conform to our ideals, and what we feel is right may not be right for everyone. Tolarance has gone on vacation long ago, and lost it's way back. What we find in society today certainly is not what I was defending when I was in the Navy. And, believe it or not, it seems to be RELIGION that is the MOST INTOLARANT, or at least at the root of it all.

[RebelDarlin]

GH you make some interesting observations and some valid points. America is hated for more than just our politics. We are an arrogant and selfish people. We can't even get along amongst ourselves, let alone in a global sense.

As a world leader we are so far behind the rest of the word in developing something as simple as mass transit/public transportation. Public transportation in Europe is not only far advanced to what we have, it is used by the masses. We are far too selfish a people to 'share a ride'. We have evolved from beleiving out 'home is our castle' to beleiving our vehicles are an extension of it. All you have to do is drive anywhere is this country to see that. Not only are we obsessed with driving the 'best' car, it always has to be in front of everyone else. The driving habits seen daily are an extension of how we live. It's all about "me" I am first, I am best, and I am ALL that matters.

We have lost the idea of neighborhoods, of community. We live in a country of tattle tales who beleive that it is not only their right, but their duty to turn in their neighbors for not living up to their own ideals. There is no freedom of expression here anymore. People have been sued for painting their house a color someone doesn't like, or even putting up a flag pole, or growing herbs (legal ones) instead of petunias like everyone else.

You are concerned with us learning to accept other cultures? We can't even accept our own.

I see you've found me out...

Where I'm concerned, it really doesn't matter what color or religion a person is. But, you have "pinned down" what seems to be a majority of Americans. We (I'm generallizing here) seem to want EVERYBODY to conform to our ideals, and what we feel is right may not be right for everyone. Tolarance has gone on vacation long ago, and lost it's way back. What we find in society today certainly is not what I was defending when I was in the Navy. And, believe it or not, it seems to be RELIGION that is the MOST INTOLARANT, or at least at the root of it all.

Religion may be a part of it, but I see IGNORANCE and self-centeredness as the main culprits. People can't even begin to understand or tolerate something that is 'different' from their viewpoint, until they LEARN something about it. But they don't want to hear about anything that doesn't conform to what they think is right.

Our society, as a whole, has taken the idea of "Rights" to such a level that no one has any rights anymore, except for the right to bitch about everyone else. I don't have the "right" to grow herbs in my garden because my neighbor thinks they look like weeds because they don't have flowers on them. WTF is that????


Sorry for the hi-jack hobo.

I'll get off my soapbox for now.... :wink:

[gordoUSA]

I personally, will not watch the Olympics this year.
Not that my singular boycott will matter. But I see absolutely NO REASON to condone the brutal regime that enslaves it's people, will not allow religious freedom, or the peoples' freedom to speak out against tyranny.
I cannot condone a government that allows and/or tolerates child labor and slave labor. That knowingly poisons it's own rivers and land and lets those downstream to suffer, all for the profits the very few enjoy. A government that rules by fear.
I cannot condone the actions of a government that sends "operative agents" into all free nations to steal via espionage their technology, military secrets and the like.
I do not condone the largest counterfeiter in the world today. A government that refuses to acknowledge and abide by world standards with regards to the intellectual and artistic rights of others.

It is all a very well orchstrated PROPOGANDA production, they (the Chinese Government) want you to forget how they rule their own people.

[BigDiesel]

Yet another blabbering diatribe from the resident Socialist......

[Trukrswyfe]

I personally enjoy the Olympics, I loved the Chinese Ceremony, It was beautiful and spectacular. Does China have problems sure, but turn my back on them, Not for a second. Even if they were an enemy we should stay closer then with allies.

I am not only proud that The President is there to support our country and the host country. I am completely impressed by the security the China must have to allow the most hated President out in the open for scheduled events.

Again China does have problems but lets face it name a country that doesn't. Some of the other Asian countries have more human trafficing problems then China. That is more grossly unexceptable then not allowing the Tibetians their right to protest. They are making changes, they are trying to be more transparent before the world. China has come along way and it is irresponsible of us to not see that.

China despite horrible earthquakes, pollution troubles, and the over whelming obsticals of hosting such an event has done an awesome job.

I am not sure I wanted to hate the host country but after watching them and all that they have accomplished, not mention their graciousness when another countries wins I am in awe of China and find myself rooting for them.

[gordoUSA]

Of course the President is protected. It is a virtual police state!!! Any dissidents were rounded up 3 months ago and sent maybe to a "re-education camp" or shot. Their relatives don't really know.

And they sure don't want anything to happen to the man, our President, whose stupidity has given them the extra dollars to "host" the propoganda event. It is the money we borrow from China that is used to fund the war in Iraq, and then must pay back with interest, that allows them to spend 600 Million dollars. So in a round about way, we funded the whole thing!

Transparent? Only what they want you to see.

[golfhobo]

Yet another blabbering diatribe from the resident Socialist......

First, it's not a diatribe. I didn't rail against anybody. I attempted to provoke thought and comments on the Olympics, and it appears that is what we are getting from everyone but YOU. There has been far too little of that lately on this forum, and far too much of YOUR :dung:

YOU wouldn't know the meaning of the word diatribe if someone looked it up and READ it to you from a dictionary.

And YOU couldn't string together two sentences about politics or world affairs if your "goodbuddy" Rev whispered them in your ear! (as evidenced by your post.)

Why don't you stay OFF of the grown-up threads, and stick with something you KNOW like..... um....er..... well.....

Okay.... why don't you just STFU??

I'm SURE there's a low-class truckers forum somewhere on the web that is just DYING for your unispired wit! (and if not, I'm sure you could find one and KILL it!)....... but, THIS ain't IT!

Your "schtick" got old (and got you banned) the LAST time you were here! And you haven't learned a thing! Even an old DOG can learn new tricks! Of course, dogs are SMARTER than sheep and asses!

Just sayin'

[BigDiesel]

Yet another blabbering diatribe from the resident Socialist......

First, it's not a diatribe. I didn't rail against anybody. I attempted to provoke thought and comments on the Olympics, and it appears that is what we are getting from everyone but YOU. There has been far too little of that lately on this forum, and far too much of YOUR :dung:

YOU wouldn't know the meaning of the word diatribe if someone looked it up and READ it to you from a dictionary.

And YOU couldn't string together two sentences about politics or world affairs if your "goodbuddy" Rev whispered them in your ear! (as evidenced by your post.)

Why don't you stay OFF of the grown-up threads, and stick with something you KNOW like..... um....er..... well.....

Okay.... why don't you just STFU??

I'm SURE there's a low-class truckers forum somewhere on the web that is just DYING for your unispired wit! (and if not, I'm sure you could find one and KILL it!)....... but, THIS ain't IT!

Your "schtick" got old (and got you banned) the LAST time you were here! And you haven't learned a thing! Even an old DOG can learn new tricks! Of course, dogs are SMARTER than sheep and asses!

Just sayin'

Didn't you claim to have a job this week ??? Or are part of my taxes enabling you to get the goobermint cheese you are so proud to receive.....

BTW this is a forum for employed company drivers, students, local line haul drivers, state, federal, local CDL drivers, O/O's who are leased onto carriers, motor carriers and people who are employed in the industry. You are not any one of these.....

Now please return to one of your Nambla forums..... Thank you.

[golfhobo]

BigDiesel warbled:

Didn't you claim to have a job this week ???

Yes, I did.... and I do. Some part of that too hard for you to understand?

Or are part of my taxes enabling you to get the goobermint cheese you are so proud to receive.....

Hmm.... U.I. insurance, is paid by and to, and distributed and controlled by STATE governments. I don't live in Orygun, so you have paid NOTHING in any way related to me. But then, you wouldn't understand that.... because you know nothing about nothing!

BTW this is a forum for employed company drivers, students, local line haul drivers, state, federal, local CDL drivers, O/O's who are leased onto carriers, motor carriers and people who are employed in the industry. You are not any one of these.....

AS usual, you are wrong on several accounts. But, regardless of how many times we TELL you that you are wrong, you continue to spew lies, innuendos and slander! The mark of a true retard! One capable of communication on only the most BASIC of levels. You have no place or value on this THREAD, this Forum or this Planet! Must really SUK to be you!

Now please return to one of your Nambla forums..... Thank you.

de facto evidens promptus!

Sorry, they ALL require a sponsor, and when I mentioned YOU.... they ALL said you had exceeded your quota of sponsorships! I must say..... you are VERY well known on those sites! In fact, without your "contributions" ( :wink: ) MOST of them wouldn't have survived!

I TOLD you before that I am not interested in your veiled recruitment attempts. Try it on the boys choir at your local Church. I'm sure the Priest will fix you up if you slip him a fiver!

[golfhobo]

NOW..... may we get back to the thread as intended?

Or must you ruin EVERY thread you post on?

[BigDiesel]

NOW..... may we get back to the thread as intended?

Or must you ruin EVERY thread you post on?

Well lets see...... In the spewing of your typical socialistic :dung: you are idolizing a government that supresses the rights of everday people... You do understand that China is a communist country don't you, or does the goo you swallow at every opportune moment affect your pea brain thought process????

[golfhobo]

you are idolizing a government that supresses the rights of everday people.

If you could READ, Bozo.... you'd know that I was not! First line...."But their RULING party can be!"

Does EVERYTHING go over your head so easily?? You really should have at least graduated from Elementary School!

[Trukrswyfe]

First off I have church friends that reside in Bejing before all this Olympic hoopla. So if I want to know what it is like in everyday life in CHINA, I ask them. They come and go out of CHINA and though he was a very well paid lawyer in WA he is happily living there with his wife and kids.
Yes the conditions in China are different then here, duh, 5000 year ld tradition and culture. As many healthy men and women as there are there are still thousands of orphans in China. My friends are humanitarians that take, care for and place Chinese orphans with loving parents any parents Chinese, Europrean, Canadian, American.

Now back to the games!!

My favorite game is beach volleyball. Misty May-Treanor/ Carrie Walsh.

[gordoUSA]

More propoganda!

http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/new...v=ap&type=lgns

[RebelDarlin]

More propoganda!

http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/new...v=ap&type=lgns

Propaganda? That's ALL the Olympics have ever been.

[Twilight Flyer]

Let's see...barring the pollution aspect, which China claims is merely a "mist", we have the following:

An American there for the games is stabbed to death by a Chinese man and his wife is seriously injured. "Oh, we can categorically deny that this was politically or racially motivated." Bull*****! :x

A Chinese women's gymnast team competing on forged passports because most, if not all of them, are under 16 years old, which is the minimum age requirement.

A Chinese men's gymnast team coach that has said on several occassions that anything less than gold medals are completely unacceptable and his gymnasts would be suitably punished.

The same Chinese coach who has said if they don't win the gold, he will throw himself off the highest building in Bejing. (probably after he throws his team off the same building)

Am I missing any others? No worries, though, it's early. The bigger tragedies are coming. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for the Chinese athletes...they're busting their butts to compete just like everyone else. But the Communist political propanda machine absolutely turns my stomach.

Whatever dumb-***** political committee agreed to having the Olympics in a cesspool like Bejing should be deported off the planet.

[Trukrswyfe]

Am I missing any others?

Since your bent on pointing out all the propaganda<aka>Marketing you missed this one.

BEIJING (AP)—One little girl had the looks. The other had the voice.

So in a last-minute move demanded by one of China’s highest officials, the two were put together for the Olympic opening ceremony, with one lip-synching “Ode to the Motherland” over the other’s singing.

The real singer, 7-year-old Yang Peiyi, with her chubby face and crooked baby teeth, wasn’t good looking enough for the ceremony, its chief music director told state-owned Beijing Radio.

So the pigtailed Lin Miaoke, a veteran of television ads, mouthed the words with a pixie smile for a stadium of 91,000 and a worldwide TV audience. “I felt so beautiful in my red dress,” the tiny 9-year-old told the China Daily newspaper.

Peiyi later told China Central Television that just having her voice used was an honor.

It was the latest example of the lengths the image-obsessed China is taking to create a perfect Summer Games.


In a brief phone interview with AP Television News on Tuesday night, the music director, Chen Qigang, said he spoke about the switch with Beijing Radio “to come out with the truth.”

“The little girl is a magnificent singer,” Chen said. “She doesn’t deserve to be hidden.” He said the ceremony’s director, film director Zhang Yimou, knew of the change. He declined to speak further about it.

China has been eager to present a flawless Olympics face to the world, shooing thousands of migrant workers from the city and shutting down any sign of protest.

The country’s quest for perfection apparently includes its children.

A member of China’s Politburo asked for the last-minute change during a live rehearsal shortly before the ceremony, Chen said in the Beijing Radio interview, posted online Sunday night. He didn’t name the official.

During the live rehearsal, the Politburo member said Miaoke’s voice “must change,” Chen said.

“We had to make that choice. It was fair both for Lin Miaoke and Yang Peiyi,” Chen told Beijing Radio. “We combined the perfect voice and the perfect performance.”

“The audience will understand that it’s in the national interest,” Chen added.

He said he felt a responsibility to explain to the country what happened but on Tuesday the link to the video on the Beijing Radio Web site no longer worked.

Miaoke’s performance Friday night, like the ceremony itself, was an immediate hit. “Nine-year-old Lin Miaoke becomes instant star with patriotic song,” the China Daily newspaper headline said.

Zhang, China’s most famous film director, was asked at a post-ceremony news conference about the little girl who swung on wires high above the Bird’s Nest National Stadium during the performance.

“She is a lovely girl and she sings well,” Zhang said, according to a transcript posted on the Beijing organizing committee’s web site.

The switch became a hot topic among Chinese and raced across the country’s blogosphere.

“The organizers really messed up on this one,” Luo Shaoyang, 34, a retail worker in Beijing, said Tuesday. “This is like a voiceover for a cartoon character. Why couldn’t they pick a kid who is both cute and a good singer? This damages the reputation of both kids for their future, especially the one lip-synching. Now everyone knows she’s a fraud, who cares if she’s cute?”

Others disagreed.

“They want the best-looking people to represent the face of China. I don’t blame the organizers for picking a prettier-looking kid over the not-so-pretty one,” said Xia Xiaotao, 30, an engineer.

“It’s the unfortunate reality that these sort of things turn political,” said marketing worker Zhang Xinyi, 22.

It was not the first time an Olympics opening ceremony involved lip-synching.

At the 2006 Winter Games in Turin, Luciano Pavarotti’s performance was prerecorded. The maestro who conducted the aria, Leone Magiera, said this year that the bitter cold made a live performance impossible for Pavarotti, who was in severe pain months before his cancer diagnosis. Pavarotti died in 2007 at age 71.

Also Tuesday, Beijing organizers confirmed that some of the opening ceremony’s fireworks display—29 gigantic footprints shown “walking” toward the National Stadium—featured prerecorded footage. The footage was provided to broadcasters “for convenience and theatrical effects,” said Wang Wei, vice president of the Beijing Olympic organizing committee.

(NBC also has augmented its Olympic coverage in the past to set the right mood. That fire in the studio fireplace during the 2002 Salt Lake Games? It was just a video.)

Neither of the two little girls involved could be reached by The Associated Press on Tuesday, and it was not clear how the ceremony—or the controversy— might change their lives.

Peiyi is a first-grader at the Primary School affiliated to Peking University. Her tutor, Wang Liping, wrote in her blog that Peiyi is both cute and well-behaved, with a love for Peking opera.

“She doesn’t like to show off. She’s easygoing,” Wang wrote. She and other school officials couldn’t be reached Tuesday.

Miaoke, however, was a minor celebrity even before the opening ceremony. The third-grader appeared in a TV ad last year with China’s biggest gold medal hope, hurdling champion Liu Xiang, and she was in an Olympics ad earlier this year, China Daily reported.

Her father, Lin Hui, told China Daily he learned Miaoke would be “singing” only 15 minutes before the opening ceremony began.

Lin “still cannot believe his daughter has become an international singing sensation,” the report said.

Chi-Chi Zhang and Isolda Morillo in Beijing contributed to this report.

It sounds like common marketing from an image obessed world to me.
You can tell me that by buying tampax I am going to feel like I am running through a field of lilies in a silky white dress. And when I buy them I am not going to feel ripped off, because I know it is just marketing. I already know I will feel like chit, I would rather not think of chit when I am reminded by a commerical to pick up some chit absorbers
Get it.
Got it.
Good. :wink: :P

Olympics are entertainment if you are looking for more that well that's why your frustrated. I watch sports because it is entertaining. not because I know these people are worth their salaries or all the stupid products the players are sporting are what I need to look like them.

[Twilight Flyer]

Yeah, I caught that one earlier and forgot to post it. I also didn't post the one about judges favoring the Chinese in both boxing and gymnastics.

Bottom line, it's a f'ing farce and to believe otherwise is the height of ignorance.

The only thing about the Olympics worth watching is Michael Phelps destroying everybody and the idiot French swim team having to eat their words (Lord that was high comedy!).

Sad for the Olympians, but pretty much the going rate today. Put it this way. If some 2-bit 3rd world country had half as bad a human rights record as China does, they'd have already been invaded and their leaders put on trial and executed. But it's China...let's all play nice and make believe nothing is wrong over there. And the execs and NBC should all be hauled out and shot in the streets for pandering to them.

So, in closing, here's a big "F" you to Bejing, to the Olympics, to the IOC, and to all the political BS artists involved. Football starts in 3 weeks and Madden '09 is out today...I ain't hurtin' for sports-related stuff.