Posts Tagged ‘Political’

The Olympics And Political Protests

Introduction

The Olympics is no place for political protests; sports and politics are totally different entities.

There is no doubt that this year’s Olympics have been one of the most politically heated topics in sporting history. The issue was sparked off by events in Tibet. Additionally there were claims that the Chinese government has been abusing its people’s human rights. These arguments have caused some countries to boycott the Olympics or to demonstrate in their respective countries about the Olympics. Such decisions necessitate a thorough analysis of the situation. The essay will examine whether the Olympics is the right scene for these political issues.

Arguments for using the Olympics as a platform for political protests

‘There is active discussion in China about how to proceed with Tibet, and a constant debate about political reforms.’(Buxi, 2008)

Some people believe that by using the Olympics as a platform for political issues, they exert pressure upon oppressive governments and such governments may be forced to change their regime. It is a fact that 2008 Olympics to be held in China has sparked lots of debate. The above writer believes that these protests are actually prompting the Chinese government to review their policies towards Tibet. The latter country is fighting for independence and in order to gain international support, there is a need to choose the right movement when all eyes are on the host country. Such people argue that if they were to choose another time like after the Olympics, very few countries will be interested in the problems of China. Also using sporting events as a platform for political issues allows other countries to demonstrate their disdain about the actions of those oppressive regimes.

There are also claims that host countries need to foster the image of the Olympics. This means that they need to portray the peace and unity that is synonymous with the event. If a host country has not been doing this, then it can be seen as a form of hypocrisy. The Chinese government has been criticized for its human rights abuses. There have reports about how the Chinese government prevents its citizens from discussing issues about their government. Furthermore, the Chinese government normally discourages most foreigners form discussing their problems claiming that it has nothing to do with them; they believe that they are the only ones with a right to solve their problems. In light of these arguments, it would be quite unfair for such a government to hold the Olympics and claim that they foster the spirit of unity that is synonymous with the torch. (Rice, 2008)

Some people believe that protests should be conducted in any platforms a long as there is room to be heard. Furthermore, they believe that sometimes members of the host country may not have the political freedom to do so consequently, the international community needs top help them in this. For instance, there are numerous goods in the US government that come form the Chinese government. But workers in that location have minimal access to basic resources. Most of them are subjected to harsh working conditions and low pay. They cannot complain about this situation because it may bring problems. Consequently, the international community needs to help the Chinese workers by voicing their complaints. These complaints will only be noticed when the country stands to loose something. For instance, if the international countries boycotts the Olympics, then chances are the Chinese government will loose a lot. It may therefore be promoted to change their worker’s conditions due to these changes.

Arguments against using the Olympics as a platform for political protests

‘Sport is sport and politics is politics. There has never been anyone who has belied the fact that sport is the best way of uniting peoples.’ (Brincat, 2008)

The above writer believes that the Olympic event is a sporting affair and not a political one. Consequently, all political issues need to be solved through discussions between the affected parties. The problem is between Tibet and China, therefore representatives from both groups need to negotiate. There is no need to waste efforts by protesting against injustices through sports. This writer also believes that there mediation and long term solutions will only come up when the parties are discussing the issue. So far, there have been no tangible results from the protests that we have seen so far. Some reporters have asserted that China will be pressured to improve its policies but no results are forthcoming yet.

Adherents to this view also believe that including political issues in this international sporting event only serves to undermine the main idea behind it; that is unifying all the people of the world. By introducing politics into the equation protestors may cause some countries to boycott the Olympic. This undermines the very purpose behind the sport.

Introducing politics into Politics is not something new; this has occurred in the past. During the year 1984, there were protests in Los Angeles. Also, in the year 1980, there were political issues in Moscow; there were no positive results that came from them. Instead, international sports were undermined. This is exactly what will happen when political issues continue ruling the platform. It should be noted that when countries choose to boycott sporting events, they deny very talented participants from joining the spots. This means that those who accept to do so may not be the best competitors. Consequently, armature athletes may win while the real talent may be forced to stay home. This devalues the entire event. (Barney, 2003)

One must not forget the fact that the Chinese government has gone through a lot of effort to prepare themselves for this event. Fir instance, it has first class facilities for the event like a stadium called Bird’s nest and a swimming pool called Water Cube. By brining in politics in sports, countries that have invested heavily in the sport may be forced to count their losses due to poor attendance though boycotts.

Adherents to the above view also assert that most of the issues that people protest about in politics have nothing to do with politics. For instance protesters against the Beijing Olympics argue that there may be environmental problems in China. The alter issues will not affect the events in the Olympics directly and this means that the latter should not be used as a scene for addressing them.

Lastly, there are numerous athletes that have dedicated so much time and effort top prepare for the vent. These athletes need to be given an opportunity to compete. By introducing politics in the equation, such athletes will not be given a fair chance.

Conclusion

Some people assert that there is no better platform to air out their political issues that the Olympics because the event attracts international attention. It will therefore allow other countries to join in the political issues causing tension. They also claim that using the Olympics as a platform for politics pressures oppressive regimes to change their policies. An example of these changes can be seen in China.

However, other people claim that it undermines the efforts of the sportsmen who put in a lot of time and dedication to prepare for the event. Besides that political issues have nothing to do with the Olympics. As if this is not enough, it causes a waste in resources since host countries invest a lot of resources to prepare for the event. Also, no tangible results are usually forthcoming through protests. Political issues are best solved on a round table. Lastly, protests in Olympics undermine the unity and peace; these are the main principles behind the event. In light of the latter views, it can be seen that Political issues should not be addressed during the Olympics. Citizens need to choose more appropriate platforms because they are the ones who stand to loose in the end.

Reference:

Buxi, T. (2008): Two Chinese Protests two different reactions; retrieved from http://blog.speak4china.com/?p=28 accessed on 30 May 2008

Brincat, H. (2008): Let the Chinese Olympics go on; Standard Publications Ltd

Rice, A. (2008): China Olympics; retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/yourview/ accessed on 30 May 2008

Barney, R. (2003); The Olympic legacy of wealth: a double-edged sword, NY; Routledge Publishers

Yet Another Political Blunder is Inevitable…………

 

New Delhi, Jyoti Basu was almost on the brink of becoming the first Left Prime Minister of India. This was denied to him by his party colleagues. This was a political blunder, as later confessed by Jyoti Basu himself. It seems that the party is once again treading the same path.

The Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Somnath Chatterjee, a staunch Leftist, is being forced to tow the party line. The dissent within the party is apparent. The Bengal Minister Subhas Chakraborty expressed his concern and annoyance, and struck the first note of dissent. He said”the Speaker’s case should not be viewed as a CPM party affair and voting with the BJP will harm our party’s interests”. The CPM politburo member, Sitaram Yechury, said in Delhi on Saturday that the Speaker understands the political situation and will take the appropriate decision at the appropriate time. may be termed as the softer version of this dissent..

The doyen of the CPM, Jyoti Basu, however, has other views. The CPM has requested Somnath Chatterjee to resign as Speaker and vote alongside the BJP against the trust vote being sought by the UPA government. The CPM General Secretary, Prakash Karat, firmly believes that the Speaker will have to quit. He has indeed included Mr. Chatterjee’s name in the list of MP’s snapping ties with government. This was obviously done without taking Mr. Chatterjee into confidence. Mr. Chatterjee has reportedly taken exception to his name being included in the list of the left MP’s to the President The Speaker’s office argues that the Speaker cannot be dragged into a partisan political controversy. It holds that Mr. Chatterjee was elected by the Lok Sabha unopposed and hence represents all parties..

Mr. Karat however made it clear that the Mr. Chatterjee was elected on a CPM ticket and will have to take the line of the party disassociation himself from the government. This is in spite of the fact that the Speaker’s post was part of the package for CPM’s wholesome backing for the Congress power project. The party had then deliberated the issue at length and the offer was taken up under pressure from its West Bengal unit. It is rather queer that Mr. Prakash Karat has not issued any dictum to the Speaker directly but has resorted to impose moral pressure on Mr. Chatterjee through the party’s West Bengal Unit and Jyoti Basu in particular. Does Mr. Karat have some doubt at the back of his mind?

It may be too late when Mr. Basu in his next interview mentions this incident as yet another political blunder of the party. Mr. Basu was one4 of the chief architects of the UPA government, which he is ready to topple.

 

Indian Political League

As he wiped the sweat off his brow, the naked truth struck him with tremendous force. It was the last ball of the last over. The hopes of the entire team were pinned on him. Looking across he saw an equally nervous guy standing in front of the wicket. With the bat tightly clutched in his hands, he was trying to gather all his cricketing knowledge for this last ball. Finally the moment came when the ball left the hands of the bowler and made contact with the bat. The batsman stuck it hard and it went on to make the winning run. The match was over.

The winners rejoiced every moment of their glory. The trophy was theirs and only theirs to keep. The losing team went back to the dressing room, dejected and disheartened. All this and more, in a day of cricket.

As an audience, all we see is the drama that unfolds on the field. The highs and the lows, the sixes and the fours, the tons and the top guns, the outs and the occasional doubts. Do we ever stop to think about what goes behind this theatrical display or how is it that the actors of the play are selected?

In a country as big as ours, there’s no end to the amount of the talent available. May it be the good old ‘gali cricket’ or the sophisticated ‘under-something’ team; budding cricketers are present in hordes. In spite of so much talent, only a few make it to the national team. Some due to their talent, some through political contacts and some purely by luck. The rest just fade into oblivion. The final team is a mix of the superstars, underdogs and absolute non- performers. Is that the best combination or can it be bettered?

If only we could open our eyes to the talent present in the villages, town and even our own neighborhoods’. So many young children play this game religiously without any proper gear or training. Few of them are so good that they can give our so called stars a run for their money. Then why do we not give them a chance? Why do we not bring them out of the darkness and show them new horizons?

Is it the lack of money, infrastructure and interest or is it the influence of the influential? The answer is both.

In India, cricket is the only common religion. All cricketers are demigods and all Indians are fanatics. The country rejoices and mourns every victory and loss. Still the amount of training and development that goes into the sport is nothing compared to what it should be. The money allotted to the sports upkeep goes underutilized and the lack of adequate infrastructure makes the situation worse. All officials involved are either busy in filling their pockets or are busy pushing their candidates. No one cares about what happens to the quality of the game or the team.

A sport that was originally played with a bat and a ball has now become a political match. The amount of political backing makes you a team member and not your cricketing skills. So many good players do not make it to the crease because there’s always someone else with better contacts. All decisions regarding the team and the players are taken in a boardroom with a few top notches’ calling all the shots .The credentials of the players, all their hard work and their efforts are tossed and trashed. If someone fails to perform once, he’s thrown out unless he has a godfather sitting and making the decisions. All the acts of the bosses are termed as strategies but what we do not realize that the strategy fails most of the times. People, who have never even picked up a bat in their entire life, make the critical decisions of who stays in the team and who makes their exit. Actors become our sports ministers and the original sportsmen are just pushed down the drain. Everyone wants an instant superstar. But a superstar is also not born overnight. Until and unless everybody is not given a fair opportunity to prove their mettle, how can we judge them?   

No one realizes that we are facing stiff competition from the world. Our team represents our country. It’s our national honor that’s at stake and we need to do all that we can to preserve and protect it. Backstabbing, cheating and undercutting each other will not help our cause in any way .Only when we are united and have our priorities sorted, we can do justice to the efforts of all. A sport should be kept as a sport. Politics has the whole parliament devoted to it.

Now with the common wealth games so near, we as a nation need to clean up our act. We need to put our best foot forward and that can only happen when we give the truly deserving an honest chance. The only question remains is that ‘are we ready to do it?’

Join Email List: TinyUrl.com SEE Videos about Israel and 9/11, WATCH them here: www.youtube.com You Can Help, Pass it On: Tinyurl.com “It is the goal of If Americans Knew to provide full and accurate information on this critical issue, and on our power — and duty — to bring a resolution.” – IfAmericansKnew.org IfAmericansKnew.org tinyurl.com See Representative Press’s camaign RepresentativePress.blogspot.com Those who want to suppress the facts have dishonestly contacted YouTube and claimed that the video “If Americans Knew What Israel Is Doing!” was a Terms of Service Violation. The video is clearly NOT a TOS violation. You can see why they don’t want you to see it. The user “rbdevon4″ was a smartass contacting me with this message: “You have violated YouTube terms of use policy with your anti-Semitic hate videos. You must remove them IMMEDIATELY! Thank you for your cooperation.” Soon after that, he and his buddies succeeded in getting my video removed. Israeli Army of Cyber-Soldiers Target Our Right to Know www.youtube.com tinyurl.com See these videos: Tanya Reinhart RIP www.youtube.com AIPAC is pushing us to war with Iran for Israel www.youtube.com Journalist Receives Death Threat for Talking About Israel www.youtube.com US support of Israel puts America at risk and it is immoral and unjust. If Americans knew what Israel was actually doing they would not support it in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It is the goal of If Americans Knew to provide full and accurate …

The Capacity For Discernment – Linking Spiritual Practice And Political Observation

There is a need for souls today to understand how to apply principles of spiritual awareness to every aspect of life including political perceptions and choices and the observation of the political arena in general. In this way, what has been a compartmentalized spiritual life can remove itself from the more protected corner of our awareness, to inform all areas of choice and decision that we make, from the most lofty to the most mundane.

Within this view, to be a spiritual being is to treat consciousness as the precious gift that it is in all its manifestations and to become aware of the need to hold this gift responsibly when we are asked as members of a family, as partners in a relationship, or as citizens of a nation, to make decisions. To be responsible for our consciousness allows us to draw conclusions that are more aligned with truth and light in all areas of our life, including the public and political arena.

The need to hold choice in a sacred way as it applies to these spheres involves us in a need to understand ‘discernment’ – what it is, how to cultivate it, what interferes with it, and how to stabilize it as a process within ourselves. To do otherwise, especially in relation to those things that affect us as members of a community or nation, is to allow ourselves to be swayed by the prevailing public view of something – a view whose shape is often defined by fear rather than by wisdom.

Our choices in the public or political arena are often influenced by what media would have us believe about events, their causes, the merits of persons in public office, and the need for actions of different kinds. To become discerning involves not only being aware of the influence of media as it shapes, informs, and cultivates public awareness, but also includes the understanding of how energies of darkness can play a role in this shaping through the effect that they have on our emotions. These energies are more potent today because we are living at a time of expanding light and expanding consciousness, and their role and intent is to prevent such expansion. Discernment involves knowing when something that is affirmed as true is really true, and when something that creates fear in us, is actually worthy of fear.

Often, the basis for fear is the incorrect belief that something that is offered as the ‘only’ way to view things is actually the ‘only’ way. This profession becomes even more disturbing when the ‘only’ way has grave consequences for life or is reprehensible in some way. Discernment, when present, conveys to us that there is another way, and that what appears to be a necessity, is often not. The capacity to foreclose the sense of choice is one of the primary tools of darkness, and it causes many within the public sphere – both elected officials and the public in general – to reduce their capacity for more creative solutions to problems out of a perceived sense of threat. This sense of threat reduces the feeling of choice and gives rise to a perception of need for immediate action.

Discernment involves us in an interactive process that joins reason with intuition. It relies on our capacity to join with our higher intuition to arrive at a closer approximation of truth than is possible through information alone. Sometimes this intuitive knowing comes easily. At other times, it is necessary to immerse ourselves more deeply in the practice of alignment with light so that a sense of truth can emerge from a different level of our consciousness.

The capacity for aligning with light is central to our ability to discern truth. For if darkness or motivations that are more ego-based color our mental or emotional perceptions, we will not be able to discern truth, but will be held in bondage to the public opinion that prevails at a given time or to our own fears. The capacity for discernment is the bridge between our spiritual life and our life in the public arena, and the practice of alignment allows us to live with a sense of truth on both sides of this bridge. Such a practice allows us to release our smaller self and ego and to join with the higher aspects of ourselves. It increases our ability to hold light in the world and our ability to hold truth for the benefit of ourselves and others. As we seek to commit ourselves to a unified life, a life that is sacred in all its aspects, it is essential to anchor ourselves within a practice that supports our capacity to hold light and to remain anchored within the wholeness of our being. Out of this anchoring, discernment can emerge, as well as a broader ability to live life fully and completely from our sacred humanity.

More Political News Articles

There is No Business Like Political Show Business

Sen. Obama trotted out Oprah. Sen. Clinton put her family on display, including former President Bill, and she teared up in New Hampshire. These are just the warm ups for the main political show of election 2008.

Gov. Huckabee had Chuck Norris at his side at numerous events. The Chuck Norris appearance with Gov. Huckabee was not as extensively covered by media as were the Oprah and Clinton family events. Sen. Clinton’s choking up on camera was shown over and over and over just prior to New Hampshire. It gave her the boost she needed from women voters to grab a close win after being upset by Sen. Obama in Iowa.

The campaign trail will increasingly be like going to the movies or watching the “tube” as Hollywood tries to take advantage of the lazy voters among us. Most recently, Boston Legal on A.B.C. took some strong swipes at the Bush administration and the Iraq war. They attacked the National Guard as well. This propaganda will be seen more and more on TV in the coming months.

Let’s look at the Obama-Oprah and Clinton family events.

Sen. Obama proudly proclaimed that the turn out for one Obama-Oprah event was the biggest turnout for a political event ever for any candidate in this campaign. Yet, after Oprah gave a rousing speech, people began leaving the stadium in droves while Sen. Obama was making his speech. Obviously, star struck Oprah fans came to see their idol and could care less about Sen. Obama’s views on the issues of this campaign.

To counter Oprah, Mrs. Clinton put family members on display as if to say – “Family values, not star power, are more important to me.” Well, that should be the case in every election whether it’s a Democrat, Republican, or Independent saying it. The truth, however, cannot be hidden from active voters. The love affair between the Clinton’s and Hollywood is well documented. Hollywood money is being poured into the Clinton campaign, along with advice about how to influence star-struck voters.

The only bright spot in media thus far has been Charlie Gibson and A.B.C. News for putting on the live debates. The debates were largely balanced efforts to give voters some solid information from the candidates. In my opinion, the Republican debate was much more lively and revealing than was the Democrat debate. I was disappointed that Sen. Clinton’s claim to offering “35 years of change”, as qualification to be President, was not challenged by an opponent or media.

You may think that I am anti-Clinton, anti-Obama, or anti-Democrat. I really don’t care about political party affiliation, male-female, or black-white-brown-yellow, or Christian-Mormon-atheist-agnostic.

While I am decidedly conservative, I do not lean toward the G.O.P. In fact, there are conservative Democrats and Independents, too. At this point, I haven’t begun to decide whom I will vote for. To be honest, I am not impressed by any single candidate of either party. Likely, as it always does, it will come down to the lesser of two evils. But, I will vote because, if I do not vote, I will have no right to complain about my government.

So, what is my motive for this article?

I am antagonistic toward any group that attempts to manipulate the electorate by virtue of money or star power. These are the people we need to guard against and any candidate who makes deals with any special interest group should be crossed off our list of choices.

Think about it. Will Hollywood moguls and other power brokers not expect something in return for their support if their candidate wins? And, can the candidate ignore them once in office? No, not if he or she wants to be elected to a second term in the White House.

Hollywood’s agenda is the most dangerous one for America. They want the government to leave Hollywood alone so they can promote their liberal agenda and make piles of money. They claim the rights of “free speech” and “artistic freedom”. In fact, it’s all about the money they make by appealing to the basest leanings in our human nature. The more unfettered are the movie moguls, the more tickets and DVD’s are sold.

If Hollywood gets control of the White House and Congress, look for laws regulating them being watered down or repealed. Look for violent crime and drug use in the movies and on television becoming even more graphic because the movie and TV rating systems will be scrapped or watered down. The result will be a society that will increasingly believe there is no right or wrong and will no longer be hindered in satisfying the basest of desires at the expense of others.

Perhaps you think I have gone off the deep end and see a demon behind every bush. My answer to that is simple – “When in doubt, shout it out!” I would rather find that my fears are unfounded than have to admit I knew the truth and remained quiet.

Jim DeSantis

What will it take for real finance reform – next “big one” will be much worse

Political Blogging- Free Interesting Information For Bloggers

It’s difficult to provide accurate political blogging information, but we have gone through the rigor of putting together as many political bloggings related information as possible. Even if you are searching for another information somehow related to movie blogs, sporting news magazines, great blog sites or create blog com this article should help a great deal.

Now for the burning question? How soon will your blog go from skin and bones to having those swinging hips? A few months to a year would be a good time frame. If you add just two posts a day to your blog in six months time you would have hundreds of pages with traffic generating keywords intact. Still don’t want to wait for that long? Look at this way. Even Popeye knows that Olive could not be bouncy like Oprah in two months time. Therefore, why would you expect your affiliate business to achieve that goal?

Make friends with your competitors, use your colleagues and encourage your employees or partners to write articles for your blog. Again, give them the benefit of the link. You’ll be surprised what comes out of sharing your blog space with those around you, and it’ll provide your readers with a better mix of writing styles. Encourage your readers and customers to propose article topics and submit questions. Great for writer’s block.

The Google Adsense program provides a way for bloggers to generate passive income from their web logging efforts. In order to maximize your Adsense web logging efforts it’s important for you to generate as many visitors as you possibly can to your Adsense blog. This is achieved by creating informative and original content that people are actively searching for and delivering it to them via your Adsense blog.

You should not forget to realize that this article can cover information related to political blogging but can still leave some stones unturned. Head on over to the search engines like Google for more specific political blogging information?

Setting up your blog to target a niche market is one of the best things you can do with your blog, provided you know the craft and have the requisite skills to run it successfully to start generating instant traffic (through syndication or RSS) and possibly start earning as well.

This really is a general overview of web logging for money, which is a big picture. However, do be reassured of its relative ease. The most important thing is just to make a start. Identify what you wish to write the blog about, register a free web logging account at BlogSpot or Word press, and then start posting! After that, you will surely pick up hints and tips about monetization and driving traffic along the way. Many internet marketers will confirm that blog optimization is a lifelong learning process, so do not feel you have to get it right first time. Web logging for money should be fun, so ensure you enjoy the process.

If you run a business site, but do not currently have a blog, there is a great chance that you are leaving money on the table. Regardless of what kind of business you are in, a dynamic and interactive web log will improve customer response and add profits to your bottom line.

We were thrilled to know that many people found this article about political blogging and other love blog, whole language learning, and even web logs search helpful and information rich.

Related Political News Articles