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China’s iron Olympic grip starts to slip
Times Online ^ | 2008 Aug 17 | Michael Sheridan

Posted on 08/18/2008 8:20:12 AM PDT by Wiz

The mystery of the half-filled stands at many events at the 2008 Olympic Games has been solved, according to Chinese internet users, who say it is the result of a policy to prevent the gathering of large and possibly uncontrollable crowds.

They claim ticket sales to the public were secretly restricted. Blocks of tickets went to government departments, Communist party officials or state-owned companies, which have quietly obeyed orders not to hand them out. “People are so angry because they slept all night outside ticket booths and got nothing and now they see this,” said one blogger, Jian Yu.

Official explanations eroded swiftly because internet insurgents have rapidly identified cracks in the perfect facade constructed for the Olympics.

In the nine days since Chinese leaders presided over a grandiose - and, it turns out, partly faked - opening ceremony, one fact after another has eluded the censors and fuelled public indignation at the costs and the charade. Protected, they hope, by online anonymity, some of China’s 1.3 billion people are daring to wonder where it will all end.

(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: chicom; china; olympic

1 posted on 08/18/2008 8:20:13 AM PDT by Wiz
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To: Wiz

Communism - “don’t believe the hype” (phrase used on a Raymond episode)


2 posted on 08/18/2008 8:23:44 AM PDT by princess leah
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To: Wiz
They calculate that the total costs may exceed £30 billion, more than the Chinese government will spend this year on education or public health or relief for the Sichuan earthquake. These are questions that would make any ruler nervous.

This is going to hurt their economy for quite a while.

3 posted on 08/18/2008 8:33:22 AM PDT by BigBobber
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To: BigBobber
This is going to hurt their economy for quite a while.

So, something good did come from China hosting the Olympics after all!

4 posted on 08/18/2008 8:45:30 AM PDT by Tatze (I'm in a state of taglinelessness!)
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To: Wiz
Blocks of tickets went to government departments, Communist party officials or state-owned companies, which have quietly obeyed orders not to hand them out. “People are so angry because they slept all night outside ticket booths and got nothing and now they see this,” said one blogger, Jian Yu.

Communist China projects an image of nationalist unity which cannot be validated. Underground Christians, Falun Gong, invisible minorities whose costumes were worn by "loyal" children, democracy advocates, and Islamists are all tearing at the fabric of unity. Other than the Islamists and some fanatic Maoists, most would be "friendly" to the West. All are viciously and successfully oppressed.

5 posted on 08/18/2008 8:53:56 AM PDT by JimSEA (just another liberal-bashing fearmonger)
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To: JACKRUSSELL; indcons

Made in China Restricted Ticket Sales Crowd Control PING!


6 posted on 08/18/2008 9:16:49 AM PDT by Virginia Ridgerunner ("We must not forget that there is a war on and our troops are in the thick of it!"--Duncan Hunter)
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To: BigBobber

This whole thing was promoted as China’s coming out party to the world. All its ended up being is a costly attempt by the communists to prop up its image with its own people.
Its a “singing to the choir” moment.
Nothing about China’s image has been changed by all this. What most people are going to remember is the images of polluted skies, 12 year old gymnists and the tainted judging, empty seats in the stands, and how their own countries athletes performed.


7 posted on 08/18/2008 10:43:10 AM PDT by Proud_USA_Republican (We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good. - Hillary Clinton)
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To: Proud_USA_Republican

BUMP!


8 posted on 08/18/2008 12:11:03 PM PDT by Publius6961 (You're Government, it's not your money, and you never have to show a profit.)
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To: Wiz
Happy 8/8/8, China!

FWIW you should know that 1777 was a very hard hard year for the fledgling US of A. And yet '7' is as lucky to us as '8' is for you. And we were very superstitious in those years -- much less so now. Some years are learning experiences.

9 posted on 08/18/2008 12:16:22 PM PDT by bvw
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To: bvw

There were several cases in recent months when individual numbers of the date add up to 8, bad things occur for China. This was discussed by the Chinese on their website. The Earthquake in recent months was one of the case. Lucky charm is full of phenomenom, and not a guarantee for resistance against bad luck.


10 posted on 08/18/2008 8:24:41 PM PDT by Wiz
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To: BigBobber; Tatze
This is going to hurt their economy for quite a while.

So, something good did come from China hosting the Olympics after all!

Not even close. Most of the $40 billion or so was used to expand and/or upgrade the cities infrastructure. So the overall figure is a bit misleading. Beijing will continue to expand their infrastructure even more. What they've built for the Olympics isn't enough for a future Beijing.

Also, many cities, such as Athens, Syndey and Montreal, etc. are much smaller than Beijing. Montreal for example has 3 million people (which by the way, just paid off their 1976 Olympics debt) whereas Beijing has 17 million (and will easily soar past 20 million sometime in the next decade). The additional sports facilities can easily be absorbed into a city of this size.

Also, most of the funding in other parts of the world receive funding via the local municipalities. In the case of Beijing, it came from the national coffers.

There have been SNAFU's and there maybe some more before closing ceremonies. But when all is said and done, most Chinese will be proud of what they've accomplished..

11 posted on 08/19/2008 10:11:03 AM PDT by ponder life
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To: ponder life
But when all is said and done, most Chinese will be proud of what they've accomplished..

If my country was outed as cheating scumbags, I wouldn't be too "proud".

12 posted on 08/19/2008 11:26:20 AM PDT by jmc813 (Welcome to New York, Brett!)
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To: jmc813
If my country was outed as cheating scumbags, I wouldn't be too "proud".

I assume you are talking about the gymnasts. Well, time will tell. And I'm sure they will be stripped of their medals if the gymnasts were not old enough. But, if it is revealed they are of appropriate age, would you be willing admit to sour grapes?

13 posted on 08/19/2008 11:35:59 AM PDT by ponder life
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To: ponder life

” But, if it is revealed they are of appropriate age”

Not going to happen. The Chinese will simply ignore it. The ends justify the means.

The stands are still empty and it is an embarassment to China.


14 posted on 08/19/2008 11:41:24 AM PDT by AppyPappy (If you aren't part of the solution, there is good money to be made prolonging the problem.)
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To: ponder life

“I assume you are talking about the gymnasts. Well, time will tell. And I’m sure they will be stripped of their medals if the gymnasts were not old enough.”

I would be amazed if the IOC pursued this matter any further.

How do you suppose the Chinese girls will be stripped of their medals when the communist Chinese government simply says, “Look, here it says on the official Chinese passport that all these girls are 16! So of course it is true. You can’t believe the newspapers who recently printed their ages as being 13 & 14. Believe us, we’re the People’s Republic of China and we would never, ever lie about anything.”

Yea, right.


15 posted on 08/19/2008 11:49:17 AM PDT by Lions Gate
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To: AppyPappy
Not going to happen. The Chinese will simply ignore it. The ends justify the means.

One way or another, it'll come out. When she goes to college, as she travels, etc. It'll eventually come out, maybe not right away, but it'll show itself if there are people willing to follow it through the years.

The stands are still empty and it is an embarassment to China.

Embarassment in this particular area, maybe, but overall, the Chinese are proud of the Olympics. They maybe surprised, however, that there are people rooting against their Olympic moment and wishing for them to stumble.

16 posted on 08/19/2008 11:49:54 AM PDT by ponder life
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To: Lions Gate
I would be amazed if the IOC pursued this matter any further.

See post #16. As she ages and grows up, it will eventually reveal itself. If she's still not old enough to go to college in two years, well, then you will know.

17 posted on 08/19/2008 11:53:10 AM PDT by ponder life
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To: AdmSmith; Berosus; Convert from ECUSA; dervish; Ernest_at_the_Beach; Fred Nerks; george76; ...

from the 18th.


18 posted on 08/26/2008 10:15:43 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/_______Profile hasn't been updated since Friday, May 30, 2008)
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