Below is a letter which Gerald Giam wrote to My Paper in response to the paper’s article on politics and the Olympics by its sports editor, Chia Han Keong.
Gerald’s letter has not been published.
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Dear Editor,
I was disappointed to read your sports editor Chia Han Keong’s commentary, “Keep politics out of the Olympics” (my paper, August 4).
Mr Chia said that activists who “plan to protest and disrupt” the Olympics are “no better than” the Munich Olympics terrorists.
This is an insult to both human rights activists as well as the families and friends of the eleven Israeli athletes and one German police officer who were massacred by Black September terrorists in 1972.
Does the mere act of planning a protest by, say, unveiling a “free Tibet” banner at an Olympic event equate to murdering a dozen people?
The Olympics always have been, and probably always will be, a politicized event because of its sheer scale and the fact that its main organiser is usually the national government of the host country.
If it were not political, the Chinese government would not be going to such lengths to put on an excellent show, both on and off the field, to demonstrate its emergence as a world power.
Many activists have sincerely-held opinions of what they see are the Chinese government’s violations of human rights. Obviously it would be wrong for anyone to disrupt the Games. But not everyone who stages protests is necessarily disruptive.
In any case, Mr Chia has gone against his own advice by using the sports pages of your newspaper to write a political commentary. He would have achieved his purposes better by interviewing a star Olympian and getting readers more pumped up about the greatest sporting show on Earth.
Gerald Giam
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A lot of our writers and journalist have a very childish view of certain things.
It is because ALL of us (generally) are very limited and not exposed to many many things in the world.
Human rights to many of us is something very new….how much do we know about it?
Little (as reflected in the editior who wrote that piece in the paper).
We should break away from our mountain tortoise behaviour.
Things which are new to us….we shouldn’t give comments or opinions like as if we are experts.
Kevin
Let’s see how this govt and its boot-lickers respond should a similar situation occur when Singapore is hosting the Youth Olympics. I sincerely hope that the foreign activists will do it on a larger scale in Singapore. LKY did mention that China should loosen up and he should be given the chance to prove he walks the talk.
Chia Han Keong’s gross exaggeration of activists being no better than the Munich Olympics terrorists will give Chua Lee Hoong a run for her money!
Both editors are “fine” examples of boot-lickers having no credibility.
The most worrying thing is that most boot-lickers are incorrigible, just like their political masters.
But some politicians and some in the higher echelons of the political machinery do think they have a God complex. And for them, ‘good’ means efficient. Naturally anything like that would be seen as activism, a cardinal sin in Singapore. Nevertheless, accepting that there are insane people who would write such stuff is also essential to a freer blogosphere discourse…just that we can take their arguments apart and should as well. After all, someone said some people must be insane enough to vote for the Opposition, but he hasn’t persecuted them yet.
Or has he?
“The Olympics always have been, and probably always will be, a politicized event “.
Hmmm, I disagree.
The role of the Olympics is to uphold the role of sport in human development. In simple layman english, it is to promote sports, not politics.
Indeed, the role of the IOC (Article 10 of its role and mission) is precisely to prevent the political abuse of sport. In other words, to use sport to further political aims eg free tibet which has absolutely nothing to do with sport whatsoever.
Like the treatment of religion, there are some who think (and are entitled to think) that politics has no boundaries. Thank goodness the IOC still disagrees with this.
Rule 51 of the Olympic charter is clear:
“No kind of demonstration, or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any olympic sites, venues or other areas.”
http://multimedia.olympic.org/pdf/en_report_122.pdf
Indeed, I think the Straits Times probably spared the author, embarrassment in not publishing the article. Whilst I agree that unfurling a flag on “free tibet” is not akin to the munich massacre, it nevertheless misses the point of the Olympics.
These activists just chose a bad time and location to voice their opinions – they attempted to speak to what they thought is “the mass” and in a time they thought was a “golden chance”. If they understood the law better, they could have used that knowlede to their advantage.
What could have worked better was a banner supporting so-and-so sportsman/sportswoman and distribution of their name cards re-directing visitors to their political website. This way, NO ONE can say they disrupted the peace and joy of the Olympics. haha
Somehow I don’t like it when people use the word “activists” in bad light. Blood donors, volunteers and philanthropists are also activists, but they are not in the category of “extreme activists” like Osama bin Laden and do not need to be put down.
At this point in time, the Tibetans probably view politics as being related to sports. Hong Kong has been given a certain degree of autonomy and their sportman/woman are competing in the Beijing Olympics under the Hong Kong flag. China could have allowed Tibet to do the same.
The activists involved in unfurling the “free Tibet” banner were just using the games for maximum publicity. They are not a threat to public disorder and I hope the Chinese govt will show restraint and common sense in handling the matter.
Chia Han Keong should have been able to make a reasonable assessment and not come up with such a ridiculous and offensive comparison of the activists with the Munich Olympics terrorists.
I hope Chia does not stoop any lower to that of Chua Lee Hoong, blowing the master and his propaganda !
I think Chia was “out of ideas” for what to write! lol
“What could have worked better was a banner supporting so-and-so sportsman/sportswoman and distribution of their name cards re-directing visitors to their political website.”
That at least is a more imaginative way of “policitising” the issue (not that I agree that the olympics should be politicised).
Nevertheless, sportmen/women nowadays tend to look for the advertisers and sponsors rather than the “free tibet” movement so I doubt if anyone will gain much traction.
lim:
Yes, that is the role and that is theoretical. But any country hosting the Olympics has a huge opportunity in politics, as the world’s eyes and ears converge on that particular country. Is it any wonder why Singapore has been trying to host a world sporting event? So yes, in practice, politics is one major aspect of the Olympics. Probably not for the countries taking part but look at the Tibet crisis – how many countries considered not sending their teams to China?
It probably is not the aim of the Olympics, but it sure does happen. Ideally, there should be no politics in the Olympics. But it goes on and happens anyway.
Last I heard, as a result of the olympic spirit, the Beijing Olympics hosts the most number of participating countries ever .
I’m not claiming the world is perfect. But I think there is a right action for the right occasion. Turning the Olympics into a political arena happens not to be one of them, imho.
The word “crisis” is used very regularly. We have claims of Georgia carrying out ethnic cleansing in Ossetia. We have a conflict involving Russia, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, genocide in Darfur, the UN security council has been convened and heads of state cutting short their trips in Beijing.
There are hundreds or thousands of political issues that can be aired and can be argued to have equal or much more importance/urgency than “free tibet”. As mentioned, my view is that the Olympics is not the right forum for such actions.
I agree with you LIM. The activists unfortunately, did not consider their plan to be a ‘bad’ move (even if they had no ill intentions at all).
In simplest and crudest terms…
Taking a dump is incredibly important to me. Just because it is important to me doesn’t mean I should do it anywhere other than in the toilet.
The Olympics is not the toilet where political issues are aired. Sure, there’s a billion people watching and that’s the greatest publicity one can get. But these billion people aren’t watching for the toilet drama.
lim – I am not suggesting that activists are doing the right thing by disrupting the Olympics for their political causes. But if they choose to unfurl a flag, that is their right, as long as it doesn’t actually cause a disruption to the Games. But they should not be equated with terrorists, and the My Paper sports editor did.
And yes, of course the IOC rightly says that Olympics should be non-political. The Chinese, former Soviet Union and Singapore Constitutions also guarantee freedom of expression. Some things are quite different in practice than in theory.
Obviously IOC’s perspectives aren’t the same as the Tibetans’; they saw it as a probable cause for potential disrupt and riot (unfurling a flag). [ I reminded of the stupid law that a group of more than 5 in public without license is considered "illegal assembly". ]
In “practice” there is no freedom of speech without responsibilities attached to it. heck…our freedom of speech is already limited when SPH chooses what not publish in the New Paper/Straits Times.
Are we generally country bumpkins?Small country mentality?
Suaku??
Thanks for the responses. Tot I better clarify first that in whatever I said, it does not in any way demean or denigrate any cause that people support.
I do however find that it is definitely difficult to draw the line on where politics end and sports begin. Today, it is ok to unfurl the flag, then tomorrow 2 flags. Then the next day, every issue that should be entitled to global coverage gets aired from Darfur to global warming to everything else non-sport related. The next week someone unfurls a bigger flag saying Tibet is part of China.
The final day, one complains that the flag saying Tibet is part of China is a bigger one than the one from Tibet and should be the same size. Despite contentions that it’s harmless, it may end up disruptive however good the intentions originally are.
To be fair, I do not think Mr Chia equates the unfurling of the flag (since he didn’t mention it) to terrorist actions. He does equate unspecified activist actions to terrorist actions which I have stated that I do not agree.
Nevertheless, it still does not mean that the Olympics should be politicised. That’s how actions like the unfurling of the flag will be regarded by the ordinary observer. That’s just my opinion.
@lim
Nevertheless, it still does not mean that the Olympics should be politicised.
Like what guojun says, this is only in theory but not in practice.
Look at Moscow 1980 Olympics and Los Angeles 1984 Olympics: They were all caught up in Cold War politics.
And guess what? Singapore was one of those countries which joined the USA in boycotting the 1980 Moscow Olympics in protest against Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, which was clearly a political move.
To preach to others about not politicizing the Olympics is as good as the pot calling the kettle black.
@lim
The Olympics is not the toilet where political issues are aired.
And even the host China, tried to politicize the games for political mileage. Some Chinese officials tried to name the Taiwanese team “Taipei, China” instead of the usual non-controversial “Chinese Taipei” in an attempt to make a point about their territorial claim over the island. They only backed down after the Taiwanese side protested and the higher levels intervened in order not to derail the recent thaw in Cross-Straits relations since the inauguration of President Ma Ying-jeou.
Just because some nations or people choose to politicise the Olympics doesn’t mean that the Olympics should be politicised.
That Singapore chose not to participate in the Olympics in 1980 for political reasons is a regrettable decision. However, that does not mean Singapore was right to do so.
Imho, a mistake in the past does not justify carrying on the mistake in the future.
Just because the US had slavery in the past does not mean slavery is right today or that the slavery proponents are justified to carry on slavery or that the US can’t protest against slavery.
Just because some nations or people choose to politicise the Olympics doesn’t mean that the Olympics should be politicised.
My friend, i admired your ideals but a non-political Olympics has never happened and it will never happened. States and activists groups all see it as a tool for their political objectives and it will be that way in the years to come.
Once someone started the vicious cycle to use it as a political tool, it automatically becomes a free-for-all. You can’t simply put the genie back into the bottle.
We all had wished that the United Nations can maintain international peace and security. But that is not going to happen because the reality is power politics. Why would you think that the Olympics can be miraculously be spared from world politics in this case? It should not be politicized, but is it possible to expect it to be non-political when other states and actors have used the games for their own political ends before in one way or another?
Reality check.
“20) lim on August 13th, 2008 10.55 am Just because some nations or people choose to politicise the Olympics doesn’t mean that the Olympics should be politicised.”
A lot of things are not so simple but are inter-related in some sort of ways. Each party will want to define their own rules of engagement in a way that is not messy to them.
Well, aggrieved parties also have their own rules, not to play by the rules of others which are not to their advantage. Let us put in another way, sometimes by virtue of following the rules set by others, they may very well be disadvantaged.
That is life and there will always be competiting ideas and approaches as to how each party sees and deems fit.
@ lim
“Taking a dump is incredibly important to me”
“The Olympics is not the toilet where political issues are aired”
“But these billion people aren’t watching for the toilet drama”
Care to elaborate how you come to have this idea of relating political issues to a toilet and what toilet drama are you talking about ? LOL
Its a crudest and simplest way I could think of to get the message across.
I would highlight there are 2 issues here.
1) Whether or not the Olympics has been politicised; and
2) Whether or not the Olympics should be politicised.
I think many are reading that just because 1) has happen justifies 2) <- scenario A.
There are also people that believe that regardless of 1), where 2) is concerned, the olympics should be politicised <- scenario B.
For me, I am not so naive to think that the Olympics has never been politicised in the past. The munich massacre is a prime example.
For myself, I think regardless of 1), 2) should not be politicised <- scenario C. I have no desire to see political statements of any kind (massacre, flag unfurling etc) in the Olympics. What I like to see are sport people performing their best in sporting events.
I have no doubt too, like many of my other statements, my opinion will be skewed and read to mean something other than the above. Already, instead of posting the full post that I made, selective references have already been made just precisely to skew this view.
“”24) lim on August 13th, 2008 1.42 pm I have no doubt too, like many of my other statements, my opinion will be skewed and read to mean something other than the above. Already, instead of posting the full post that I made, selective references have already been made just precisely to skew this view.”
Well, any difference from normal human beings like some marketers, salesmen, politicians, etc. Focus on the good points that you want to market and downplay on the good points of the other people. Do not oversell your koyok too much and people will learn how good your koyok is by themselves. Oversell it, and people will even be more suspicious because they are the ones having the pay the price.
@ 24) lim
Come on lim, enough of this BS and get going with the real explanation on how you relate political issues with a toilet and what you mean by toilet drama ?
I am only quoting you , and asking for some elaboration. LOL
lol. Uh, what is the “downplay” of the good points?
I think people are entitled to their own views. I don’t sell koyok because I don’t expect anyone to agree with my view. Feel free to disagree. Just don’t put words into my mouth pls.
Thanks.
@ conjob.
You are indeed welcome to think that my view that the Olympics is merely BS. Apparently, this is not “downplay” of any view so long as it is not posted by lim.
I have taken the trouble to explain why I wrote what I wrote.
Let me put it in another way.
I think not many people like to see my taking a dump. In much the same way, I don’t like to watch political drama in the Olympics.
There are of course people out there with a fetish to watch other people taking dumps. You are entitled to your own fetishes :-) Just don’t expect me to agree. That’s life. Thanks.
@ lim
My friend, nobody says that the Olympics should be politicised. Any normal ordinary folk would just want to sit back to enjoy the games without the politics.
However, given that the Olympics has been manipulated for political reasons by participating nations, host nations, activist and terrorist groups throughout the years, how far is it realistic on your part to expect a completely non-political Olympics in the years to come? That’s a question for you.
If history serves as an accurate prediction, your ideal of a non-political Olympics is not very optimistic
1) 1936 Berlin Summer Olympics– Hitler was convinced by Joseph Goebbels to allow the games to take place in Germany, and decided to use the Olympics as a tool for Nazi propaganda. Known as “Hitler’s Games”.
2) 1972– Munich Games: we all know the Black September violence
3) 1980 and 1984: bitter Cold War boycotts
4) 1968-1988: the former East Germany made heavy use of doping on its athletes in order to top medal tables to win legitimacy for the communist regime
5) 2008: China used a grand opening to showcase the rise of its status as a world power and attempted to highlight its claims on Taiwan using “Taipei, China” but backed down later
Tell us how realistic it is to expect a non-political Olympics if host nations and participating nations have been using it as a political platform. Activist groups join in merely in this mad political orgy created by participating nations.
@ lim
Your reply was an anti-climax, where is the “interesting” elaboration ?
I love sports in general and I have been looking forward to the Olympics.
I do not wish to see it being distrupted but I can understand what the activists are trying to do. Tibet is part of China and the political issue is actually an internal matter for China. The activists are just helping the aggrieved Tibetans with a little publicity, hoping to get a more conciliatory response from their rulers. Your comments indicated quite a strong disdain for the activists doing their little mischief. Relax lah ! the games are still on and whilst typing , I am also watching the Olympics.
I assume you like sports and true sportsmen take it in their stride when their opponents and their supporters resort to a little gamesmanship. I call it a little sense of humour.
Winning and losing is part and parcel of participation in the Olympics but at the end of it , friendship and respect should prevail.
Politics can learn something from sports.
Yup. There were 9 modern Olympics before 1936 and 9 more Olympics in the years not mentioned in the above.
Perhaps there are Olympics where politics take a back seat (not necessarily disappear).
Actually I wonder what do people expect China to do. Present a small opening just to show how humble it is? Perhaps some of us may be reading too much into it as well. A grand opening is what I expect from every host.
I actually went to Beijing a few months back for a holiday prior to the Olympics. Personally the atmosphere I witnessed there was something much much more than politics. The man on the street is probably as excited over Beijing hosting the greatest sporting event as anyone else could be. It was a memorable trip (thankfully devoid of people unfurling “free tibet” flags).
Like I said, there are people (not necessarily those on the board) who would like to turn the Olympics into a political platform (and do occasionally succeed). Despite the distractions, I think this 2008 Beijing Olympics has been relatively less politicised than can be expected (at least after the games started).
I don’t think the world will ever be war-free or completely peaceful but nevertheless world peace is an ideal that I support. Much in the same way I support a non-politicised Olympics.
@lim
Much in the same way I support a non-politicised Olympics.
I hope this is your true ideal. Although you seem to be annoyed and perturbed about Tibetan activist politicizing the Beijing Olympics, it appears that you are not equally frustrated and upset with the PRC government’s bid to gain political mileage with the “Taipei, China” incident or any other participating nations attempt to manipulate the games for their advantage be it in the past or the present.
You need to realize that its not a one way street. The first step to de-politicize the Olympics, the host and participating nations must resist the temption to use the games to score political points for themselves. To criticize activists while letting states guilty of politicizing the games go scot-free gives the people the idea of double standards and hypocrisy. I for one is not optimistic about the participating nations’ in giving up the Olympics as their political platform.
And by the way even the 1968 games were politicized.
“The 1968 Olympics Black Power salute was a noted black civil rights protest and one of the most overtly political statements” — Wikipedia
I can’t possibly list every politicizing attempts here right? If you are irked by Tibetan activists, how do you feel about the Black Power salute in 1968? Care to share?
“Although you seem to be annoyed and perturbed about Tibetan activist politicizing the Beijing Olympics”
Uh, actually, that’s your words not mine. If you check, at no time prior to this post did I mention “tibetan”. I’ve already stated what I intended to state and repeated it a few times over.
I have absolutely no doubts there will be Tibetans or Tibetan students who will be arrested for demonstrating at the Olympics. It makes absolutely zero impact to me whatsoever so I don’t lose sleep over it. No point. What will happen is that they’ll get arrested and then whatever anyone says on this board is irrelevant to their fates.
If a Singaporean wishes to go all the way to Beijing to do the same, I’ll say good luck to you and as a friendly word of advice, tell that person you’re just asking for trouble. If you’re asking for my support. Sorry and too bad cause I don’t share your opinions or beliefs (see above regarding my opinion on politicising the Olympics).
I have no doubt a group of people are preparing the ground for similar action when Singapore hosts the youth Olympics. I’ll say good luck to that group of people and as a friendly word of advice, tell that group you’re just asking for trouble. If you’re asking for my support. Sorry and too bad. If get arrested, thrown in jail, don’t have to guess what I’m going to say.
Anyone can call it double standard, BS, apathetic, evil, immoral etc and I have no doubt it will attract its share of criticism even if I don’t say anything. Its only empty words to me. No doubts that there are trolls who are always around trying to pick a fight (verbal or otherwise) or in some cases, a person could have a bad day and just want to find someone on the net ie me to let off steam at.
All I will say is have a nice day :-)
As for the one way street, I do not believe anyone has the right to tell me what I should or should not believe.
In fact, I just realised I have absolutely no opinions on how to de-politicise the Olympics nor is it of any importance to me nor do I think I have the capacity (or indeed the desire) to change how the Olympics are hosted.
That too has also absolutely no bearing on my opinion on whether the Olympics should be politicised.
What I will do, is watch some of events occurring, probably support the Singapore women’s table tennis team and watch the 2008 Olympics closing ceremony (as I did the opening) and enjoy the show.
@lim
It was a memorable trip (thankfully devoid of people unfurling “free tibet” flags).
Given the above and your silence on China’s attempt to use the games to score political points, i believe readers of this thread can decide for themselves the true partiality of your opinion.
Perhaps some of us may be reading too much into it as well. A grand opening is what I expect from every host.
What you see was the grandeur that the PRC authorities want you to see as outsiders. I bet you didn’t know that some Beijing residents of the old hutongs were forcibly evicted by the authorities to make way for the Olympic Games without proper compensation.
I have no doubt a group of people are preparing the ground for similar action when Singapore hosts the youth Olympics. I’ll say good luck to that group of people and as a friendly word of advice, tell that group you’re just asking for trouble. If you’re asking for my support. Sorry and too bad. If get arrested, thrown in jail, don’t have to guess what I’m going to say.
Why the worries? When the time comes, we may well fence up our city with tall iron gates like during the 2006 IMF-World Bank meeting and show them law and order in “Asian” style.
@lim
That too has also absolutely no bearing on my opinion on whether the Olympics should be politicised.
Hmm, on one hand you criticized activists attempts to politicize the games. But on the other, you have been largely silent about participating and host nations’ attempts to use Olympics as a political platform to achieve political objectives.
Sincerity in a non-political Olympics? I believe readers can decide for themselves where you stand.
33) lim on August 13th, 2008 5.37 pm
You sound so cool and indifferent over what other activists may do (It makes absolutely zero impact to me whatsoever so I don’t lose sleep over it.).
Yet you are penning down your views – if not to influence others, then for what ? (If a Singaporean wishes to go all the way to Beijing to do the same, I’ll say good luck to you and as a friendly word of advice, tell that person you’re just asking for trouble.)
“have no doubt a group of people are preparing the ground for similar action when Singapore hosts the youth Olympics. I’ll say good luck to that group of people and as a friendly word of advice, tell that group you’re just asking for trouble.”
IT DOES IMPACT YOU FOR YOU TO MAKE SOME COMMENT HERE given your friendly word of advice. So do not try to kid us.
I just like to say that I agree with Gerald’s view that TERRORISM should not be equated with Activism .
Without Activism, many species would have become extinct . For example , animal rights and protection activism.
I feel that its illogical to equate activism with terrorism. Might as well say a gun is good for you as it can protect your life so everyone should have one without permit.
In this case, the gun is both a tool to protect and a weapon to kill all at the same time. It should also not be banned simply for its ability to kill as people would not be able to protect themselves from harm. For example when you need to do research and go into a jungle to collect samples and having a gun is to protect you from wild animals and poachers.
I can only hope majority understands this simple point.
@ double standards, @ guojun, @ Conjob, @ ZERO IMPACT
Nice rebuttal to lim ! The comments show him up as “boh liao”.
His toilet drama remarks reflect contempt for activists and the contradictions in subsequent replies were accurately pointed out.
His crap should stay in the jamban with him !
Do calm everyone.
1. What the activists did, did not successfully achieve what they intended to do – to raise more global awareness of the Tibetans’ plight etc etc. Their mission was not successful, even though some do get the point.
If something does not work, isn’t it time activists stop trying to do something that doesn’t work? May be time to try ‘plan b’ or ‘plan c’ even. May be this constructive criticism sounds…well crude and offensive to some. But we all learn something from this.
2. My friends who keep a “close watch” of the Olympics are more interested in,”Miss Columbia for light weight-lifting performs better than Miss China” or Mr. xxx is slightly darker (more tan) than Mr. xxx. Most who are watching the Olympics do not care much of what activists have to say or want to say, with or without banner, with or without protests. (In this aspect, Lim is right.)
3. The IOC’s rejection for the activists’ arise out of a fear of what “might” become. In the past there are some activists (in other countries and at non-Olympic events) who lose focus on their mission and get violent when told they can’t do this or that, can’t unfurl their banners, etc. What results are beat-ups, confusion, people getting hurt IN THE PAST. (I am not protecting the IOC or their views, am not affiliated with them – I am trying to see things from their point of view.)
It is the fear, not politics, that makes IOC do what they do.
4. Although Lim’s description of it may be crude – the word ‘toilet’ does not go with the image of what the great Olympics should be about (he did say in his own words as “crudest simplest form”) what he said is not without reason.
This discussion is about the journalist’s failure to appreciate activists and putting activists down…putting activists in a bad light. It is an act that most will not respect. I don’t respect it either.
It isn’t about our judgement to others who care to give their opinions here. If we’ve allowed Mr Chia’s article to split us into different “divisions” then we are not in unity.
We all agree that activism should not be equated to terrorism right? So that’s the important point.
Errata: This discussion is about the journalist’s failure to appreciate activists and putting activists down. Putting activists in a bad light is an act that most will not respect. I don’t respect it either. >,<
@ kelly
Thank you Mr. nice guy !
Please read lim’s comments and his replies again.
This jamban character is shameless lah !
I call a jamban a jamban, let’s cutout the pretense.
I believe many readers can “sniff ” him out after all that has been posted.
Thank you Blowme but I am a gal. I do sound like a male I guess! :D No worries – I don’t think anyone is pretending. I did re-read what Lim said. In fact I think we (including Lim) have been honest to a fault.
If I have a wedding and I am enjoying it, the last thing I want is someone there to discuss something so serious as politics. It’s the same for the Olympics but that doesn’t mean that I support what Mr. Chia said. Actually he should be STOMPED on like a dirty mat, for trying to make the activists seem like they are in the class of horrible terrorists.
lol.
@ zero impact
“Yet you are penning down your views – if not to influence others, then for what ?”
Just expressing my support for the view that the Olympics shouldn’t be politicised. That does not mean that anyone should agree or that I expect anyone to.
That’s those who continually bombard insult just when because a person disagrees with their opinions. Don’t expect me to cave in under that pressure.
I know none of you truly believe in an individual’s right to hold a view no matter how much one might disagree with. It is not enough that you disagree but react with insults of “jamban character” and continually attribute words that I have not uttered to my statements.
Those are indeed actions of respect and sincerity indeed… lol. Sticks and stones. Carry on with your insults. Doesn’t change my stance.
The Olympics shouldn’t be politicised. That’s my view.
I can certainly guess by the reactions why some people fear this. Could it be precisely that they want to politicise the Olympics when Singapore hosts the Olympics? Doesn’t take a genius to guess…
“Don’t beat down the activists?” That’s exactly what you guys are doing isn’t it. lol. Pot Kettle Black.
@lim
The Olympics shouldn’t be politicised. That’s my view.
Hmm.. I think your view has been shown to be: The Olympics shouldn’t be politicized by activists but i can close one eye if the host and participating nations politicize it.
I know none of you truly believe in an individual’s right to hold a view no matter how much one might disagree with.
That’s your own view. If you don’t want to move on and away from your “victimhood mentality”, that’s your choice.
I can certainly guess by the reactions why some people fear this. Could it be precisely that they want to politicise the Olympics when Singapore hosts the Olympics? Doesn’t take a genius to guess…
LOL. I thought you said “It makes absolutely zero impact to me whatsoever so I don’t lose sleep over it.” Maybe you are busy guessing others’ fears in your sleep? Why not say that you fear activists coming to town? I hope these non-genius guessing doesn’t affect your sleep too much:)
“Don’t beat down the activists?” That’s exactly what you guys are doing isn’t it. lol. Pot Kettle Black.
Well, i wonder what can be worse than a toilet analogy or taking dumps for that matter. I guess flushing down the activists down the toilet is definitely a worse deed.
@ lim,
you are back from the jamban ! your toilet analogy shows contempt for activists and you are accusing other netizens of not showing respect and you are truly far from being sincere ! The beauty of TOC is many of your postings in other blogs are still on record. The readers can read all of it and come to their conclusion.
Of course you are still free to continue your postings.
Have you any more analogies for the readers or do you need more time in the jamban to come up with better ones ? The last one was mindblowing because I gather you must have got it through your toilet drama, i.e. blowing yourself ! lol
lol. Sticks and stones.
Feel free to continue your insults. I won’t stoop to your level.
I continue to reiterate my support for the non-politicising of the Olympics.
Have a nice day :-)
I repeat too..
“Don’t beat down the activists?” That’s exactly what you guys are doing isn’t it. lol. Pot Kettle Black.
@ lim
you have a nice day too in the jamban. LOL