The irony relay
Sport - - Posted on April, 25 at 2:43 pm by Ken L
The Olympic torch relay has provided so much innocent fun for students of the irony of modern life that it’s difficult to know how to describe it all.
First and foremost of course are the Olympics themselves: bloated, commercialised, irrevocably tainted by the endless stories of drug use and super swim suits and all the other ways in which the ideals of amateur sporting competition have been hopelessly compromised since the days when the playing fields of Eton were sufficient to found an empire. The Olympics, where there are more national flags and banners than at a Nuremburg rally circa 1938 and the air resonates with national anthems and mindless screeching of jingoistic slogans and television commentators wetting themselves as they cry ‘gold gold gold for [insert name of favoured country here]’ … and we are assured solemnly that it’s all about the yoof of the world gathering together in peace and harmony and politics should never ever be allowed to play a part.
They say, as they usher another head of state to the VIP lounge.
So there are several months worth of immense enjoyment right there, just in watching what the Olympics actually are and contrasting it with the enormous guff that erupts from politicians and the media pack and the global entertainment corporation labelled ’sport’ and all the rest of the gravy train that feeds in such luxury on the whole corrupt machine.
But the torch relay has given us a nice little taste of the joys that await us later in the year. First we had prominent people in the Free World (like Hillary Clinton) demanding that heads of state like George W Bush boycott the opening ceremony. This from someone who voted in favour of waging aggressive war against Iraq, but I guess the Iraqis’ human rights have never figured much in Washington considerations of the Middle East. Then we had the IOC tying itself in knots trying to explain that while the Olympics have nothing to do with politics, Beijing had in fact been granted the 2008 games on condition China improved its human rights record. No politics there then …
Not to be outdone, Australians have jumped into the fray boots and all. It’s an article of faith amongst us free democratic nations that the oppressed masses groaning under the yoke of authoritarian governments in places like China and Iran are just busting to be free. They hate their governments and are only kept under control because the tyrants who run their countries have all the guns and secret police and other tools of a dictatorship at their disposal. At least that’s how it’s supposed to be.
But what actually happened was that by far the most numerous and vocal protestors in Australia when the torch arrived were Chinese people supporting their own government! Maybe the bastards back in Beijing are holding their parents hostage or something.
And to round the affair off with one last twist of irony the ‘Free Tibet!’ mob, many of whom are accustomed to being part of small groups protesting about all kinds of issues and being contemptuously dismissed as ‘rent a crowd’, are now using the same language in an attempt to discredit the Chinese.
‘Chinese embassy helped get ‘rent-a-crowd’ to relay‘ runs the headline:
ACT Chief Minister Jon Stanhope confirmed the Chinese Embassy in Canberra was closely involved in helping transport up to 10,000 Chinese students, ensuring pro-China demonstrators vastly outnumbered Tibetan activists.
Bob Brown was keen to get into the act:
“It was highly organized,” Free-Tibet supporter and Australian Greens Senator Bob Brown told Reuters. “Australians will feel a little bit uncomfortable by the fact that communist China came to town and just showed it can buy anything.”
Hehe when the Greens start sharing ‘communist’ with the neo-cons as a pejorative term you know we’re fortunate to be living through the birth of a new comedic paradigm.
And what exactly did the awful Chinese Embassy do?
Mr Stanhope said he was not aware of the fine details of Beijing officials’ involvement but he was certain they played a role.
“I have absolutely no doubt,” he said. “In fact the ambassador has indicated that he was in contact with representative Chinese organisational groups, (for the) most part in Sydney and Melbourne.
“I don’t know the nature of the links or the organisation but I know there was contact between the embassy and Chinese representative groups.”
Well there you have it and the jury need not bother to retire. Recall our ambassador NOW I say.
There’s going to be lots more of this kind of thing between now and the closing ceremony. I for one can hardly wait. It’s much more entertaining than the stupid corrupt rigged events in the stadium.
Posted in Sport |
April 25th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
The biggest and most poignant irony of all is that the very same Chinese national protestors who so avidly support their government over Tibet, are doing so using the freedoms available (to all) in this country to express an opinion (including a dissenting one) that they do not have in their own country.
(For the record, I have no problem with them peacefully doing so.)
April 25th, 2008 at 6:49 pm
Indeed…but also dangerous…now all we need is Pauline Hanson joining their ranks…or some clone…& Andrew Bolt can hold her hand as she screams out:
“I believe we are in danger of being swamped by Asians…just look at all those red flags”
And a few years down the road Bolty is grinning like a Cheshire cat because the relationship w/ China has soured, the QLD & WA govts are in panic mode as unemployment soars because the resource demand is drying up ’cause China has gone super “Nationalism” in reaction to the ongoing hostility towards it…decided to house its people on the cheap…& grab even more energy from every ‘bankrupt’ resource outpost…
& inflation & interest rates have skyrocketed as Aussies & Yanks & Europeans have stopped buying not only the occas. cheap, poisonous & /or badly made products from China (even Americans produce dangerous products…think Big Pharma, doesn’t mean we stop buying all their products)…but even the quality, affordable Chinese goods are put on the “boycott” list in a campaign to “Free Tibet” (title song sung by Bono & a bunch of vampiric looking record label signed artists, some shaking their booty to gain attention…the single & accompanying merchandise rake in the cash)…
the boycott is a HIT, particularly after China in late 2008 imprisons & murders thousands upon thousands of Tibetans for f*cking up its relationship w/ the West…& screwin’ up the Olympics.
And in turn, the Australian government decides to prioritise missiles & military expenditure over health & education as the revenue decreases…just in case China gets more irate.
And then a bunch of easily duped types put away their “Free Tibet” banners & get out the “no more killing machines” ones.
And by that time a Neo-Howard, or perhaps even Howard himself, has arrived on the scene, put the Hanson clone back on the “only to be used to stir up racial hatred and divide & conquer” shelf…
as he/it declares he/it will take on “the axis of Asian evil”…& “stand strong during these days of the gathering red storm”.
And Bolty shakes, trembles & spurts.
And Bob Brown goes…”oh sh*t, not again”…”want to buy a Tibetan flag anyone?…the proceeds will be used to stop old growth forest from being turned into wood chips”…sigh.
And the Gods rumble in angst…thinking:
“Wasn’t that Mandarin speaking fella Rudd created to take some of the pressure out of that particular geo-political volcano?…c’mon, own up…who created that sh*t stirrer media mogul & his minions???…you’ve really put the weasel amongst the chooks this time?
then…THE END
April 25th, 2008 at 8:17 pm
“Free Tibet!” What a giant ruse.
All this bah humbug has become so convoluted that no one knows who’s sticking the javelin up whose human rights record on behalf of whomsoever for whatsoever purpose.
But only the stark facts remain: this is all American spin from the Warnesque spin masters of the US to not only derail the Olympic games but deflect the world’s attention from America’s own human rights track & field records that are not just abyssmal, but of gold medal proportions, and thus portray China as almost the only nation of sinners.
Meanwhile,the USA holds all the olympic medals for the greatest number of their own citizens currently in imprisonment (per head) - three million. The USA, until recently, championed the execution of children (their own children), and the USA has decided that lethal injection is so cool that they lead the whole world in the number of annual executions, (again, of their own people). This is not per head of population, but in totality.
Fantastic statistics when the population of the US is just 300 million compared to China’s 1,500 million. The USA are the world’s WORST human rights abusers and should be the very last nation to utter one squawk about others. If in doubt, ask any black american about their family history.
In truth, China runs a poor second in the capital punishment marathon, but we’re of course told nothing of this by the lunatic right-wing western media whose infantile yibbering and yabbering constantly equals a convention of one-year-olds in nappies.
And all this amazingly occuring when the world’s most dangerous idiot, GW Bushit, has failed to sell his fabricated fairy tale about Iran being our greatest threat and so the China syndrome thus falls conveniently into place.
Always desperately needing a ‘perceived’ enemy, the world’s most dangerous country in the world and being led by the world’s most dangerous idiot is rejoicing in this new-found opportunity to continue the global insanity ad infinitum/olympian.
It should surprise no one, therefore, that the acronym for ‘world’s most dangerous’ is WMD.
April 25th, 2008 at 10:26 pm
Sadly,George does lay his words on the line so the non repatriated rapist or two will kill.Personally,though,we have been very pleasant to China,and as a citizen of the middling powers,I think some of their leaders,are in fact,complete bloody idiots.There are a whole pecking order of countries ,who would love to just ditch politeness,and say, do not let your citizens shit on us.Americans can be targets as citizens even when their intentions,are just to see,outside that country and to be sympathetic to where they go.Chinese citizens have been accosted in Malaysia,I bet Malaysians have copped it,and on and on it goes.Sri Lanka,,they would prefer to whip us at cricket than Australians sympathise across the spectrum,because that means we feel completely outside of it all,and sort of superior.India as a another example,we may both hate the telephone stuff,and ourselves in hating Indians on the blower,but,they cannot love us either,and dont pretend to,with a sickening superiority,of surviving individuals,which is OK to accept,but bloody hard to ignore.Singaporeans,well what can you say about them!Could you please remember,that I didnt know that you are superior to me,for reasons best known to yourself..which you refuse to share,on the basis,that I cannot behave according to your requirements of superiority.To say that is incorrect.. is to deny me,my chance to feel inferior,to my perceptive understanding!?You will not be satisfied,and , I am underwhelmed.Move on! Listen! Hong Kong! We are not English,but lately,your Homeland is behaving like we are a Japanese Soccer Team!? And how\’s the competition going between Shanghai and yourselves!? Yeah! I know,but dont say it too loudly,they\’ll think,you lot ,the Taiwanese,Japanese ,have all learnt how to impersonate Australians[given we are not all Anglo etceteras]!By the way,do any of you speak any of those other mainland languages we sometimes hear about!? Vietnamese I hear come up to Australians,and point out their stomachs,and laugh..got a real live Australian stomach here!? Hello Mate! Prefer us to Americans,and, because we care a bit,and really arent that offended.But could get insulted,easily.Thais can kick us in our heads.They are OK,our balls too,if need be,if child romping kids them not.Indonesians are benevolent in their attitudes too us,which is below the asking price,and,well, I just cannot stand some of the problems they have..and they dont deserve it..And I am tolerant of their old Muslim heretics.Its like having a crazy Uncle,and sometimes you understand what he is saying.Other times,just accept being completely sober for centuries,requires not even mistakenly scoffing down a crook coconut.Apologies to Bali victims…..a day like this is to be in the oven on Sunday with the beef and roasted potatoes.And I have left out a few countries,because the sport of keeping to subject matter,is functionally impossible,when the distant call,wherever it comes from..admires my tenacity,but for what I do not know.Perhaps a nightmare added to its repertoire it will cinematically suggest to me tonight..as I sleep. Eh! North Korea…are you like Scotsmen!?And do you wear underpants in your military suits!?
April 26th, 2008 at 5:58 pm
(wikipedia: Drogön Chögyal Phagpa)
Even in the worst of situations sanity can prevail.
May my predictions in comment 2 be shattered into a billion PEACE signs.
May 1st, 2008 at 8:55 am
“Chinese people supporting their own government”
The Chinese students in Australia are probably mostly from affluent well connected families who are doing well under the current power structure. How would they know what goes on in china with no free press.
May 1st, 2008 at 9:20 am
LOL as opposed to the well-informed Australian population, courtesy of our free accurate unbiased media.
Thanks for adding a little irony of your own De.
May 1st, 2008 at 11:45 am
Well Ken, going by the “piss weak” efforts of Stephen Conroy it is unlikely the bias in the ABC will change…this from a latest Crikey article really annoyed me:
But the new process for independent appointments to the ABC and SBS Boards has yet to emerge. Conroy appeared to have a genuinely open mind about how the process would work in detail when quizzed about it at Estimates in February, but in the interim first John Gallagher’s appointment expired, and this week Ron Brunton’s does as well, leaving two ABC vacancies. We’ve also yet to see the bill implementing the Government’s sublimely stupid commitment to restore the position of staff-elected director to that Board.
While this will doubtless be welcomed in the latte-littered lairs of the Friends of the ABC, perhaps we can optimistically hope that Conroy has dispensed with it, having realised it will have the Life on Mars effect of making the Government look like a bunch of crazed Whitlamites.
(Crikey: Conroy dropping the ball on media policy - Bernard Keane, 29 Apr 08)
——-
Firstly, someone in Labor needs to give Conroy an “integrity” pill. If he continues down this road many of us ABC supporters are going to consider him working for the CORPORATIONS. He bloody mentions networking sites enuff.
Furthermore, I’m sick & freakin’ tired of having to see recurrent, sneakily shot Coke signs & major media headlines from Corporate papers in so many ABC stories as it is.
Let’s get some BALANCE in there…& enuff w/ this incremental, Blair-like shift to privatisation. Sorry Ken.
And as for this dopey, condescending labelling of “Friends of the ABC” as “latte” drinkers livin’ in lairs…go stuff yerself Keane! Get an “original voice”…& BTW, I drink my coffee cold & BLACK. And I luvs my ABC. I just want it rescued from the claws of the Corporate suckin’ vampires.
If it takeas a Whitlamesque move…including the throwing overboard of Conroy politically, I’m all for it.
And as for the Chinese students…i tutored one years ago…& he was one of the nicest, down-to-earth fellas i’ve ever had the privilege to teach…and far from ignorant about the Chinese govt…so let’s keep the stereotyping to a minimum.
I can remember plenty of rampant nationalism & jingoistic chants coming from plenty of intelligent, well-informed Aussies during the Sydney Olympics…sometimes i even joined in…the fever of the moment ya see.
Little did we know the Howard government would then harnass that fever & transform it into a FEAR of “outsiders” & to promote a WAR against…well, EVERYTHING…that Howard & his mates didn’t approve of…at least in their public lives.