Anti - Olympic Protestors.
- Thread starter lSHaDoW-FoXl
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I got ninja'd in a good way. I totally agree. A coming together of all the nations is something to be celebrated, why people are protesting it is beyond belief. Also the sales of tickets raises the funds needed to put on the show. Hosting the olympics in your country brings in much needed revenue to that locales hotels, restaurants, shops, etc etc. It actally can make a city richer. Why in the hell does everyone think some countries get upset if they don't get selected to host?Endocrom said:
Don't know. If I had to guess, it would be because the host country usually ends up 6 billion USD in the red in terms of costs.
I'm amazed that not a single person is aware of why these people are protesting the Olympics - I suppose it really is a local issue.
Although I'm no expert on it, I do have a fairly good idea. As some of you may know, Vancouver has one of the WORST homeless problems in North America. The Downtown East side of the city is an extremely impoverished, drug-riddled area, and it's been like this for a long time. The idea that the government isn't doing enough to help this problem has long been a contested issue, but it's really been brought to the forefront in the years leading up to the Olympics. The city has poured hundreds of millions of dollars into projects being built PURELY FOR these two weeks in February, yet when it comes to helping people who actually LIVE in Vancouver, the government always seems strapped for cash.
There a number of other factors too - in a recent article, it was revealed that Vancouver has the most expensive housing market in the entire fucking world. With housing costs already at all-time highs, people are worried about the additional price increases the games may bring, not to mention the tax hikes which are likely to follow the games, considering the MONSTROUS debt the city has taken on. To give you an idea of how huge the debt is going to be, Montreal, who hosted the games in 1976, just finished paying off their Olympic debt two years ago. So yeah, as you can see, there are a shit load of reasons why people are against the games being here, and I personally feel the protestors are fully justified in their opposition.
Although I'm no expert on it, I do have a fairly good idea. As some of you may know, Vancouver has one of the WORST homeless problems in North America. The Downtown East side of the city is an extremely impoverished, drug-riddled area, and it's been like this for a long time. The idea that the government isn't doing enough to help this problem has long been a contested issue, but it's really been brought to the forefront in the years leading up to the Olympics. The city has poured hundreds of millions of dollars into projects being built PURELY FOR these two weeks in February, yet when it comes to helping people who actually LIVE in Vancouver, the government always seems strapped for cash.
There a number of other factors too - in a recent article, it was revealed that Vancouver has the most expensive housing market in the entire fucking world. With housing costs already at all-time highs, people are worried about the additional price increases the games may bring, not to mention the tax hikes which are likely to follow the games, considering the MONSTROUS debt the city has taken on. To give you an idea of how huge the debt is going to be, Montreal, who hosted the games in 1976, just finished paying off their Olympic debt two years ago. So yeah, as you can see, there are a shit load of reasons why people are against the games being here, and I personally feel the protestors are fully justified in their opposition.
This,troth said:
this,chozo_hybrid said:
this,Rex Dark said:
and this.SonicKoala said:
Seriously, as a person who lives in BC (and grew up in northern BC for that matter) the amount of money shoveled into the Olympics utterly disgusts me. All those billions of dollars (the Vancouver Sun estimates that more than $6 billion, with $1 billion just for security and the new trade/convention centre EACH, will be the total cost) would have been better spent almost anywhere in the province (say, perhaps, in the north). Let's not forget that millions were paid to already-billion-dollar corporations for advertising. And the whole thing with Vancouver passing bylaws making it illegal to place any advertisements near the game venues that are anti-Olympic, then later altering that bylaw to simply make it illegal to "interfere with someone's enjoyment of Olympic entertainment".
Gross misspending of tax-payer money during economic recession.
More tax money given to billionaire private corporations.
Plans to recoup by cutting social programs, education, and jobs in the working class.
Infringing our freedom of speech.
Yep, nothing to protest at all.
tl;dr The four people quoted above know the score. Everyone else, apparently not.
[edit] And Akalabeth. Nice to see people that actually are at least semi-familiar with the situation are appearing in the topic now.
troth said:
I think that's probably why.
In London the olympic park was built over a poor area of the cities east end, and when the London 2012 olympics are over, the parks, stadiums and extensive sports facilities will provide jobs for local people (as does the building work itself, many of the construction workers were recurited from the local area, while also offering numerous apprentiship opitunities for local young people wanting to get into construction) as well as being a place where the locals themselves can use the sports facilities as a form of physical recreation.
Sounds like Vancouver should have done what London is doing now.
Since the actual reason- Tax dollars for an area with an already thin budget - has been given. I'm going to throw out my own wackass reasoning.
Because they want someone to think of the children.
Because they want someone to think of the children.
"It's just a bunch of jocks playing games".
Its actually pretty political. They're supposed to represent world unity and what not by everyone competing fairly, etc. etc.
Which is why they're always worried about terrorist attacks on it (bar the vast amount of people and important officials present).
Its actually pretty political. They're supposed to represent world unity and what not by everyone competing fairly, etc. etc.
Which is why they're always worried about terrorist attacks on it (bar the vast amount of people and important officials present).
I live in Vancouver.
I will start out by saying I think all athletes deserve an opportunity to fulfill their dream after years of sacrifice and work. In fact, anyone who chases after their passions deserves this opportunity. I think the olympics should be held to give the ATHLETES a chance.
But I completely agree with olympic protesters. The olympics are a gigantic waste of taxpayer money and a huge charade. I don't understand the people that get inspired by the torch relays, etc.
In BC, my taxpayer dollars are going toward a ton of crap for the olympics that I will NEVER reap the benefits of. A great example is that MLA's from across this great nation are being flown down to BC first class and put at 5 star hotels for 2 weeks and given ticket to watch the Olympics.
MY TAX DOLLARS.
I don't even have a ticket to a single event because I can't afford it.
How is that fair?
Sponsors and fundraisers and tax dollars - all held in order to raise money to host a 2 week party in our city. Meanwhile less than 10% of that money goes towards the athletes, most of whom have to pay their own way. Complete and utter shenanigans I call.
I believe.
That is the motto for the 2010 Olympic games in Vancouver.
Well I believe that the olympics should not change cities every year, that they should stay stationary so that all this money isn't wasted. As the OP said, there are much better issues to focus on out there - hunger, poverty etc. Do you really think that we should be spending BILLIONS of dollars on this 2 week party when the unemployment rate is the lowest ever, BC has the highest cost of living per capita in the country, and we are in an economic recession?
I say BOO URNS TO THE OLYMPICS.
GO PROTESTERS!
(not that they will ever accomplish anything)
/end rant
I will start out by saying I think all athletes deserve an opportunity to fulfill their dream after years of sacrifice and work. In fact, anyone who chases after their passions deserves this opportunity. I think the olympics should be held to give the ATHLETES a chance.
But I completely agree with olympic protesters. The olympics are a gigantic waste of taxpayer money and a huge charade. I don't understand the people that get inspired by the torch relays, etc.
In BC, my taxpayer dollars are going toward a ton of crap for the olympics that I will NEVER reap the benefits of. A great example is that MLA's from across this great nation are being flown down to BC first class and put at 5 star hotels for 2 weeks and given ticket to watch the Olympics.
MY TAX DOLLARS.
I don't even have a ticket to a single event because I can't afford it.
How is that fair?
Sponsors and fundraisers and tax dollars - all held in order to raise money to host a 2 week party in our city. Meanwhile less than 10% of that money goes towards the athletes, most of whom have to pay their own way. Complete and utter shenanigans I call.
I believe.
That is the motto for the 2010 Olympic games in Vancouver.
Well I believe that the olympics should not change cities every year, that they should stay stationary so that all this money isn't wasted. As the OP said, there are much better issues to focus on out there - hunger, poverty etc. Do you really think that we should be spending BILLIONS of dollars on this 2 week party when the unemployment rate is the lowest ever, BC has the highest cost of living per capita in the country, and we are in an economic recession?
I say BOO URNS TO THE OLYMPICS.
GO PROTESTERS!
(not that they will ever accomplish anything)
/end rant
I think it is because some people are very flawed. They either simply want to mess with the establishment, or more likely, they desperately wish to feel as though they are contributing and making a difference to the world, and are choosing to do this through protest. However, they are also content with their lives. They don't wish to try and protest against something important (Climate change/Deforestation/other important issues) because protest and campaign into these subjects would probably involve a certain degree of personal sacrifice, which might disrupt their contented lifestyle.lSHaDoW-FoXl said:
