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China:Beijing has high hopes for Olympic flame on Everest
Reuters ^
| 05/26/05
Posted on 05/26/2005 5:57:55 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
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To: TigerLikesRooster; maui_hawaii; tallhappy; Dr. Marten; Jeff Head; Khurkris; hedgetrimmer; ...
To: TigerLikesRooster
"In Nepal there is an ethnic group for whom climbing Mount Everest is as easy as eating breakfast. Maybe we'll go up with them."
There is no such ethnic group on Earth. The Sherpas are the best, but summiting Everest is grueling and dangerous even for them (and at first they considered the Europeans mad for suggesting it).
There are, however, numerous small ethnic groups whom the Chinese government considers expendable.
To: TigerLikesRooster
Eurocopter has a helocopter that could just fly the torch to the summit. It's easy.
4
posted on
05/26/2005 6:13:39 AM PDT
by
monday
To: xenophiles
"There are, however, numerous small ethnic groups whom the Chinese government considers expendable."
?????.. I doubt even the Chinese would expend them on live TV. Wouldn't be good public relations at all.
5
posted on
05/26/2005 6:16:30 AM PDT
by
monday
To: TigerLikesRooster
This is a political ploy...
The actual aim is to consolidate China's claim that Tibet is part of China..
6
posted on
05/26/2005 6:17:11 AM PDT
by
Drammach
(Freedom; not just a job, it's an adventure..)
To: xenophiles
"There are, however, numerous small ethnic groups whom the Chinese government considers expendable." Well so does everyone else who pays for their services. I think taking the flame to the top of Everest is a pretty cool challenge.
7
posted on
05/26/2005 6:18:00 AM PDT
by
TBall
To: Froufrou
Wanna "Free Tibet" ??
Ping to this...
8
posted on
05/26/2005 6:19:51 AM PDT
by
Drammach
(Freedom; not just a job, it's an adventure..)
To: Drammach
Re #6
I agree. Chinese regime never fail to make a political point.
To: TigerLikesRooster
Maybe they can enlist a group of Maoist rebels to temporarily shelve their terrorist attacks and instead carry the torch to the top of Everest...
10
posted on
05/26/2005 7:10:40 AM PDT
by
The Electrician
("Government is the only enterprise in the world which expands in size when its failures increase.")
To: Drammach
I'm sorry. I'm new here. Can you please tell me about 'pinging?'
11
posted on
05/26/2005 7:17:43 AM PDT
by
Froufrou
(Froufrou Loves The Spurs!)
To: Froufrou
That torch was outfitted with a special oxygen tank to keep it burning in the thin air and an igniter to re-light the flame when gusting winds blew it out, but the experience showed it could be done.Isn't re-lighting it basically defeating the whole point?
12
posted on
05/26/2005 9:09:57 AM PDT
by
mvpel
(Michael Pelletier)
To: monday
I doubt even the Chinese would expend them on live TV. Wouldn't be good public relations at all.
I agree. But a live TV broadcast from the summit wouldn't show anyone dying on the way up or (more likely) on the way down.
To: mvpel
"Isn't re-lighting it basically defeating the whole point?"
What is the point of the stupid torch anyway? It isn't like we lack fire starting technology these days. I fail to see the purpose of the whole exercise.
14
posted on
05/26/2005 10:40:22 AM PDT
by
monday
To: TBall
"There are, however, numerous small ethnic groups whom the Chinese government considers expendable." Well so does everyone else who pays for their services. I think taking the flame to the top of Everest is a pretty cool challenge.
Any respectable group leaders (and that's most of them) will treat the Sherpa (or whatever) guides with respect and guard their lives as carefully as their own or more so.
Taking a flame to the top of Everest is a pretty cool challenge, but there's a fundamental problem with trying it with the Olympic flame: political pressure to succeed. When you climb any high mountain it is vitally important that you be ready and willing to abort if things turn bad. On Everest it takes very good judgement to plan a course that will get everyone not just to the summit but back down alive, and a wise leader will sometimes abort when the sky is clear blue and everyone feels relatively good, simply because there isn't enough good weather/daylight/oxygen/stamina left. Just climb back down and you can try again next year. With the Olympic torch there is no second chance. How would the leader of this expedition feel about having to explain such a decision to Beijing? Would the Chinese government necessarily appoint a leader who firmly stated "I will abort if things don't look good to me"?
To: mvpel
I don't know. But I do know that Tibetan monks create sand mandelas with tiny grains of sand in many colors using straws...and then it is to be dispersed to the wind. Something about carrying the prayers that are chanted over it while they create it. They preserved one for the museum of art in San Antonio. It'c totally not the purpose in having constructed it.
16
posted on
05/26/2005 11:10:26 AM PDT
by
Froufrou
(Froufrou Loves The Spurs!)
To: xenophiles
With the whole world watching, I doubt an attempt at the summit would be made if conditions were less than ideal. Even if there was no window for a summit push, it would still be neat to follow the torch as far as it could go up the mountain.
17
posted on
05/26/2005 12:17:04 PM PDT
by
TBall
To: TigerLikesRooster
Awesome! I hope this effort succeeds and is seen as it really should be, a human triumph, instead of being unjustly labeled as a political tool.
To: Froufrou
Ping is "shorthand" for, "I am calling this aricle/post/etc. to your attention, as I think you might be interested.."
Also, "HEY !! Over Here !! " ;o)
19
posted on
05/26/2005 6:42:18 PM PDT
by
Drammach
(Freedom; not just a job, it's an adventure..)
To: mvpel
Actually, I did not post that. However, I see your point and I agree with you.
20
posted on
05/30/2005 7:17:54 AM PDT
by
Froufrou
(Froufrou Loves The Spurs!)
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