[mobglob-discuss] Justice.bc-- Olympics and war

[Jay Spark]

I would appreciate it if readers could forward this to people who are
involved in the Vancouver Olympics Bid debate.

Al Rycroft, Editor
Peace, Earth & Justice News

rycroft at SunshineCommunications.ca
http://pej.ca
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Activist News, Links and Tool Kit at www.pej.ca
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I apologize if someone has already commenced discussion about the security
parameters of an Olympics during, or immediately following the kind of
global conflict anticipated in the Middle East.  It is one thing to have
increased security issues and costs, but quite another to invest in an
olympics if the world fears air travel, or where a large proportion of the
world's population boycott the games, or if people avoid the games because
of rascist militarism or religious fanaticism.

Global air  transportation is already in an economic meltdown because
people are afraid to transit the United States. The fact that Vancouver is
within sight of the US will surely deter many "profiled" visitors from
countries with muslim populations (some of which, I might add, are affluent
enough to be statistically significant).  Isn't this a factor which might
radically skew the optimistic data presented by our fair weather "business
as usual" planners?   Has anyone actually polled people outside of Canada,
to see how they would feel about coming here if the present geopolitical
tension is exacerbated?  Does anyone really believe that it will disappear?
  What do other Canadians who will share the costs and risks of the games
think about this?

This olympics is a very risky proposition for public investment, and a
rather grotesque denial of the present bellicose climate in the world.  The
"winner takes all" competitive attitudes reflected in today's olympics is
especially ironic, given the results of that kind of thinking in places
like Iraq, Palestine, and parts of Asia and Africa, to say nothing of
fortress North America.

Just thought I'd pass this along on the off-chance that it might further
the debate, in the wake of the unfortunate Vancouver plebiscite.  I plan to
encourage the Austrian applicants.  That may be a potentially safer and
more accessible venue!  Regards,

Jay Spark
Victoria, BC

jspark at telus.net



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           Rycroft & Pringle, Sunshine Communications.ca
        Canada 250.592-8307 phone/fax
     Box 8307, Victoria, BC, V8W 3R9

     rycroft at SunshineCommunications.ca
        kealey at SunshineCommunications.ca
           http://SunshineCommunications.ca

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Activist News, Links and Toolkit at www.pej.ca
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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