Comments on: The Olympic Handshake – JOIN IN NOW! http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/archives/1481 This is Zimbabwe is Sokwanele's pro-democracy activist blog. It provides grassroots news and views from Zimbabwe. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 04:20:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: True Grit http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/archives/1481/comment-page-1#comment-271674 True Grit Sat, 09 Aug 2008 17:06:20 +0000 http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/?p=1481#comment-271674 Now that the big Olympic show has officially begun, and it must be said the elaborate opening ceremony was most impressive. London will have much to live up to in four years time. But at least the London games will not be mired by the kind of political controversy that surrounds those in Beijing. To award the Olympics to a country ruled by a dictatorship is to invite trouble - as was shown in Berlin in 1936 and Moscow in 1980. The Chinese government was bound to treat the games as a great propaganda exercise, and in course of events has generated a political mist as thick as the smog in Beijing that it has tried to clear. But the truth will keep shining through. It is a fact that civil liberties, as commonly understood in the West, remain foreign concepts in China. It is to be hoped that the competitors, including the wonderful and plucky Zimbabwean division of athletes, produce much to marvel at. But the games are a diversion from some terrible realities.<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('271674','True Grit'); return false;">Reply to this comment</a> --- <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('271674','True Grit','Now that the big Olympic show has officially begun, and it must be said the elaborate opening ceremony was most impressive. London will have much to live up to in four years time. But at least the London games will not be mired by the kind of political controversy that surrounds those in Beijing.\r\n\r\nTo award the Olympics to a country ruled by a dictatorship is to invite trouble - as was shown in Berlin in 1936 and Moscow in 1980. The Chinese government was bound to treat the games as a great propaganda exercise, and in course of events has generated a political mist as thick as the smog in Beijing that it has tried to clear. But the truth will keep shining through. It is a fact that civil liberties, as commonly understood in the West, remain foreign concepts in China.\r\n\r\nIt is to be hoped that the competitors, including the wonderful and plucky Zimbabwean division of athletes, produce much to marvel at. But the games are a diversion from some terrible realities.'); return false;">Quote from this comment</a></div> Now that the big Olympic show has officially begun, and it must be said the elaborate opening ceremony was most impressive. London will have much to live up to in four years time. But at least the London games will not be mired by the kind of political controversy that surrounds those in Beijing.

To award the Olympics to a country ruled by a dictatorship is to invite trouble – as was shown in Berlin in 1936 and Moscow in 1980. The Chinese government was bound to treat the games as a great propaganda exercise, and in course of events has generated a political mist as thick as the smog in Beijing that it has tried to clear. But the truth will keep shining through. It is a fact that civil liberties, as commonly understood in the West, remain foreign concepts in China.

It is to be hoped that the competitors, including the wonderful and plucky Zimbabwean division of athletes, produce much to marvel at. But the games are a diversion from some terrible realities.

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]]> By: GradStudent http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/archives/1481/comment-page-1#comment-271670 GradStudent Sat, 09 Aug 2008 02:59:51 +0000 http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/?p=1481#comment-271670 Mugabe got as far as Hong Kong before he was told by Chinese officials to stay away from the 2008 Olympics. http://www.capeargus.co.za/?fArticleId=4543651 For whatever it's worth, it was inspiring to see Zimbabwean athletes marching in the opening ceremony of the Olympics, and know that Mugabe is likely sulking at home, barred from the opportunity to display his arrogance and illegitimacy on an international stage. I hope that the courage and hope of all Zimbabweans is celebrated this week by the world. My heart continues to be with you, Sokwanele. Tariro<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('271670','GradStudent'); return false;">Reply to this comment</a> --- <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('271670','GradStudent','Mugabe got as far as Hong Kong before he was told by Chinese officials to stay away from the 2008 Olympics. \r\n\r\nhttp:\/\/www.capeargus.co.za\/?fArticleId=4543651\r\n\r\nFor whatever it\'s worth, it was inspiring to see Zimbabwean athletes marching in the opening ceremony of the Olympics, and know that Mugabe is likely sulking at home, barred from the opportunity to display his arrogance and illegitimacy on an international stage.\r\n\r\nI hope that the courage and hope of all Zimbabweans is celebrated this week by the world. \r\n\r\nMy heart continues to be with you, Sokwanele.\r\n\r\nTariro'); return false;">Quote from this comment</a></div> Mugabe got as far as Hong Kong before he was told by Chinese officials to stay away from the 2008 Olympics.

http://www.capeargus.co.za/?fArticleId=4543651

For whatever it’s worth, it was inspiring to see Zimbabwean athletes marching in the opening ceremony of the Olympics, and know that Mugabe is likely sulking at home, barred from the opportunity to display his arrogance and illegitimacy on an international stage.

I hope that the courage and hope of all Zimbabweans is celebrated this week by the world.

My heart continues to be with you, Sokwanele.

Tariro

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