"Protesters" aim to disrupt the olympics

[High_Side]

Living my sheltered life where working hard for what I have and not harming others is a way of life, I could not understand wtf the reasons would be to destroy private property to "protest" something that encourages friendly competition between the countries of the world. The overall effect of the Olympics seems to be a positive between nations which should really be a good thing. So I'll admit having to "google" for a reason why someone would want to riot to disrupt the olympics. The first thing I found is below, but it is a common theme in a few of the results:

"There are many reasons to protest the Olympic Games. It is a multi-billion dollar industry run by an elite clique who sell the five rings to the highest bidder, using sports as a commodity and a platform for corporate advertising. Their main goal is profit, in collaboration with their partners: government, local organizing committees, and corporations (construction, real estate, tourism, TV, and media, as well as sponsors).

The Olympics have a long history of association with fascists, colonialists, and authoritarian regimes (i.e., the 1936 Hitler Olympics, the 1968 Mexico City Olympic massacre, and the 2008 Beijing Summer Games). Since the 1980s, they have displaced over three million people and contributed to massive increases in homelessness (as we’ve seen in Vancouver). "

Now if I was raised as a spoiled brat who never had to work for anything, or never held a serious job I likely would not understand the need to make money to make an event successful. If the so called "elite" were not there trying to create something these brats would have to come up with the work product of someone else to try to destroy. Thankfully for them there is more creators of things than anarchists so there should be lots of "job" security for those in search of something to destroy.

As I right this these so-called "protesters" have just smashed the windows out of a department store downtown as well as spray pointed cars and closed the main bridge downtown. The reports are they have their faces conceilled while doing so (you wouldn't want the world to see you self rightious faces now would you?). My bet is that if ANY of these useless baztards held down a job (vs. living on social assistance) where they either had to clean up or face a loss of a job because of this, they would thnk differently about what they are doing. RIght now howver, all they have convinced the world is that they are the useless spoiled brats that we all suspected that they are (identities conceilled of course).

So to be clear - feel free to protest - this is one of the great things about our country. However, destroy things or hurt people and you are nothing but vandals and need to be treated as such.

Rant over

[Triumphgirl]

Always someone trying to ruin a good parade. I do however find a difficult pill to swallow is the money the goverment can spend towards such things as the olympics and for some reason, not have enough money to keep things open like...hospital beds?
But I enjoy the Olymics, its all about, like you said bringing the world together in friendly competition...well unless your Tonya Harding.
I think it all comes down to that fact that humans are strange creatures.

[HYPERR]

The reports are they have their faces conceilled while doing so

I always say if you got something to say or something to prove, show your face. Otherwise shut up as you are nothing but a POS coward.

[ceemes]

I'd say if you lived in BC in general and the Lower Mainland/Whistler in particular, you would have damn good reason to be completely browned off at this five ring circus that is currently going on. While the athleticism of the games cannot be denied, nor can the costs that we are currently paying and will be paying for the next three decades.

Road closures, road blocks, inspection on demand, troops in the streets are just some of the downsides to the games. Then there is VANOC and the draconian measures it has used to protect its and it corporate sponsors brand names. It is so bad that if you are a volunteer at one of the events and are wearing the wrong brand of shoes, they will force you to cover the offending logo with tape.

VANOC and it Provincial Partners in Crime aka the ruling BC Liberal Party of Gordo "When in Hawaii, lets drive drunk" Campbell have attempted to push through some very questionable legislation that would of restricted our rights of free speech and freedom of moment.

Then there is the price of a ticket to most venues and events. The majority of us cannot afford to buy tickets, even though in the long run we the tax payers of BC will be footing the bloody bills. So yes, it is a big assed party for the "Elites", many of which will right off their game costs as "business travel expenses".

As for the profit argument, from what I have personally witnessed, they are trying to do it on the cheap, meaning they are just throwing people off the streets into positions they are not qualified for and paying them as little as possible, all in the name of maximizing their profits which for the most part will be leaving the Province. The firm that is suppose to be organizing and managing the bus service for the games is called Gameday, based out of the US. And it is a joke beyond bloody belief. They use a local temp firm to hire people for fill slots, and just place them into any open slot regardless if they have any experience, which most do not as I learned from talking to them. And they are tossed into these slots without training for the most part. They will make a tidy little packet from the games for providing sub-standard service.

There are plenty of good reasons to be protesting the games, if only for the way they have been organized and run by VANOC. VANOC has completely bastardized the Olympic Ideal and turn it from a celebration of athleticism and human spirit into a mean nasty money grubbing exercise that we the tax paying fools of BC will be paying for, for decades to come.

As for the more radical protesters, yeah I agree they go way overboard, but I also believe that you guilty of stereotyping them as spoiled lazy unemployed what evers. At least they are true to their convictions and willing to stand up and speak out, whereas the majority of us just grumble about things, shrug our shoulders and walk away saying there is nothing we can do about it.

[High_Side]

So to be clear - feel free to protest - this is one of the great things about our country. However, destroy things or hurt people and you are nothing but vandals and need to be treated as such.
Rant over

As for the more radical protesters, yeah I agree they go way overboard, but I also believe that you guilty of stereotyping them as spoiled lazy unemployed what evers. At least they are true to their convictions and willing to stand up and speak out, whereas the majority of us just grumble about things, shrug our shoulders and walk away saying there is nothing we can do about it.

I'll stand by my original statement. There may be good reason to protest, but if someone is going to damage property in the name of their "cause", don't be surprised if people figure you out for who you really are. The "cause" might even be a good one, but it does not justify the actions taken by the vandals who mask their identity and wreadk haovc to seek attention. And once the vandals get involved it becomes easier for the rest of society to write of all of them as unjustified attention seekers.

I would bet most of them (the destructive ones) were the "shoulder shruggers" when the the original campaign to get the olympics was started. Where is the attention they seek in getting involved in the political process before it is being covered on world-wide TV? Nope, there is no fun in that.

[HYPERR]

At least they are true to their convictions and willing to stand up and speak out, whereas the majority of us just grumble about things, shrug our shoulders and walk away saying there is nothing we can do about it.

Ceemes, I appreciate your personal experience input as it gives us an inside view of what is actually going on.

That being said, standing out and speaking out is one thing but destroying properties is a whole another thing. Now they are not part of the solution but part of the problem.

And I still stand by my statement of if you can't show your face, you are nothing but a POS coward.

[Theweapon52]

I know this thread is old. However i thought id add my two cents.

Although i completely disagree with why these people are protesting i believe in their fundamental right to do what they are doing. What drives me up the wall is when some individuals at these protests call Canada a "police state" due to the fact they have riot police mediating the protestors activities. When things get violent they step in, when its peaceful they stay on the sidelines, its that simple. If you are going to damage private property or become violent you lose your right to demonstrate, period. Don't get upset that the big bad pigs are infringing upon your rights when they are just doing what they are supposed to do, uphold the law.

Perhaps we should send some of these extreme libertarians to an actual police state where cops are bought out by drug lords. Yeah when cops can throw you in jail for not giving them all of your cash, or shoot you on sight for being affiliated with the wrong political party. Canada a police state....yeah ok.

[High_Side]

Perhaps we should send some of these extreme libertarians to an actual police state where cops are bought out by drug lords. Yeah when cops can throw you in jail for not giving them all of your cash, or shoot you on sight for being affiliated with the wrong political party. Canada a police state....yeah ok.

I couldn't agree more.

And when the police won't engage you taunt them until you can get your picture on TV, and then claim persecution. Unfortunately I know someone who lives her life like this, and she lives in Vancouver. Without even knowing her stance on the Olympics I would wager that she was there, taking on the man, fighting the fight. A living sterotype.