Did ya'll here the story on NPR about the pro-tibetan groups in the US receiving malicious virus-laden emails from seemingly safe sources?  Turns out all of the viruses originated from a server in China!

man, i hadn't heard that, that's awful.
what's really been aggravating me lately is when people say that boycotting the olympics and protesting along the torch route "isn't the right time" (or place) to protest China. so they're just supposed to let this go quietly?
i'll be boycotting, too.

It's not the right place. The whole intention of the Olympics is to transcend the political differences between countries and bond as people, athletes, and people who enjoy watching athletics, and not involve the politics. That is the intent and the heart of the games. Perhaps it should not be let go quietly, but the Olympic games and the athletes involved should not be used as a pawn for attention.

Although it is usually noble, great, and ideal to transcend differences in most instances, I believe now IS exactly the time to stand up against dehumanizing, atrocious treatment and murder of a class (or classes) of people that has gone on for far too long already.   Some may call overlooking human atrocities inflicted on those less able to defend themselves against those more powerful as "transcending," but in my opinion it is only turning a blind eye, which is no different than helping commit the crimes.  If we cannot stand up to crimes against humanity during a time when the spotlight is on the country committing and then denying them (lying to the world and her people), because it is "not polite- we're supposed to be playing nicely with our neighbors despite whatever horrible things they may be doing to people,"  then WHEN are we supposed to?  Do we have to have a National Stand Up For Oppressed, Murdered, Forced-to-Remain-Silent-Without-a-Voice People Day before we can show our support?   

I just find it hard to accept the idea that people should close their eyes to horrible things being inflicted on people EVER!!!!   How would you like it if it was you or your own family being silenced, treated inhumanely, and murdered and then to have others throughout the world WHO KNEW what was happening- to just look the other way because of a few people playing games- literally?    ???  And if some athletes are upset, well... if someone wants a medal more than equality for all people, then they are a sad, selfish person.

"The only thing necessary for Evil to prevail is that good men do nothing."  - Edmund Burke 

I'm all for the boycotting and the protesting (give me a sign and I'll be there  ;)b ) But I don't think the athlets or the torch bearers should be harrased or even attacked--that is not cool. I don't agree with using violence to end violence.

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh100/eschkm/673500_370.jpg

I don't want to speak for everyone--but it's the Chinese government we are focusing our boycott on--not the athlets--I agree with you--the athlets train very hard to get to this point and they deserve to compete--but they don't need me to watch them to obtain their goals. Like you said, the Olympics are about bringing the world together in a spirt of coperation and peace--it was inappropriate to let a country that is involved in an unpeaceful ocupation of another country to host the olympics (and yes, I would be angry if the U.S. was holding them too since we are engaged in a war). Another country--not engaged in war or oppression would have been a better choice.

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii254/zarate08/free_tibet.jpg

when ARE the olympics on?? during the summer?... just so i know what to avoid watching

Summer--maybe we should have vegweb oympics as a replacer :)

Thought I would share an article that I found about why the Olympics are the perfect place for a protest {link}
I thought it had some decent points.

I have some differing opinions on it myself.  While I know that all the outside protesting is probably just making it worse for the Tibetans (as far as government crackdown is concerned) I love the embarrassment the Chinese government must be feeling that they can't even relay the torch anywhere without protests.
Honestly, I have to blame the IOC for most of what is going on.  I know their idea behind it was to 'bring to light' human rights issues in China, or to make the human rights issues better by giving them the Olympics.  They should have known that it would do exactly the opposite.  China began cracking down on dissidents the second they won the bid.  What incentives do they have no for cleaning up their act?  They already have the Olympics, they are already going to get the money that comes from it, boycotting the opening ceremonies won't really affect that much, and by giving them the Olympics and therefore accepting them into the international system as a world player and NOT providing any serious retributions it just illustrates to them what they can get away with and still receive awards even considering their human rights atrocities.  It's like Hitler using the Olympics as propaganda to further his 'aspirations'.
The IOC made a disaster of a choice and the protests won't change anything as long as the governments remain quiet or only continue to produce meaningless disapproval of Chinese actions without taking any action at all.

Just my two cents.  Thought I would weigh in.

How 'bout those protesters on the Golden Gate Bridge?  The winds up there must have been awful.

[quote author=mystico_tala link=topic=22139.msg192953#msg192953 date=1207688526

How 'bout those protesters on the Golden Gate Bridge?  The winds up there must have been awful.

That was pretty bad ass! maybe if my AR group starts scaling bridges we will get more attention too  8) Did I hear that San Fran might be the last stop for the torch?

I'm so frustrated with all of this. I'm just glad it's the summer olympics, and not the winter olympics, that are taking place in China. most Canadians wouldn't be able to handle boycotting the winter olympics - not with our record of gold medals in hockey!

I won't be watching the summer olympics.

Vancouver 2010!

I'm glad you spoke up Taobo33.  We need to know when and if we are being misled by our media.  I know I  have no idea how to tell a Tibetan from a Nepalese, nor one form of Asian military uniform from another. Please know that not all Americans are evil acting or hate other people and countries.  There are only a few who are evil and they have been lying to and manipulating the rest of the regular population for a very long time.  Unfortunately we Americans have been lied to, manipulated, and misled by a few high-placed, powerful few in our government and high-ranking positions in our soceity whom we trusted to be looking out for us.  The majority of Americans are not bad people.  What the majority of Americans and westerners are guilty of is not being evil, but of being far too trusting and becoming lazy and complacent.   We became too focused on gaining material wealth, comfort,  entertainment, and the easy and quick answers instead of doing our own research, keeping ourselves knowledgeable about what was truly going on around us in the world and even in our own government and on relying on our own selves instead of blindly allowing a few others to control our knowledge and power. 

Many Americans are waking up, though, and have begun fighting and striving to regain the democracy this country was based upon.  It is no longer a democracy.  You are right.  Americans are outraged, scared, and devestated when they learn this. It is still very hard for many to believe it is true that our governemnt has been so corrupt, deceitful, and even harmful to her own people.   Many still do not want to believe it.   The rest of the world recognized what was happening while we did not.   We could not see it because we trusted our media and our government, while all along they were the ones brainwashing us while telling us that it was the "others" who were brainwashed.   

We need people like you though, who can see things from a different view, to help us realize what else may be going on; to help us see the big picture when we may not be getting the full and true facts.   The whole world is going to have to come together and help one another out because the few powerful elites who are behind the scenes pullling the strings are in almost every country, scheming together to control thier masses so only a powerful few have control while the majority have no rights left.     

For everyone who is still not aware of the truth and want to know how I can say such things, please check out these links.  The puzzle pieces come together in these:

http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=1070329053600562261  "Endgame: Blueprint for Global Enslavement"

http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=5547481422995115331  "Zeitgeist"

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8045542387672451515&pr=goog-sl  "September Clues"

http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=5355374476580235299 "  America: Freedom to Fascism"

http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=-3719259008768610598  "Loose Change"

North American Union video - 9 min
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuBo4E77ZXo

Interview with Aaron Russo-  on Rockefellers, 9/11
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nD7dbkkBIA&feature=related

http://www.radioliberty.com/stones.htm - Georgia Guidestones- Illuminati

www.healthfreedomusa.org

www.alternet.org