h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Gotta take issue with this SWL - "Compare today's events with the joyous flame-carrying ceremonies of past Olympics."

The concept of carrying the torch in procession from Greece was initiated in 1936. Goebbels thought up the idea to encourage a positive attitude to Germany in the Balkan states.

The torch was lit in Greece and then run up through various countries to Germany. The gygpsy musicians playing to greet the torxch bearer would be playing a different tune some years later when the Panzers rolled in.

I never knew that McKay

Hmm, two comparisons between the China Olympics and the Nazi Olympics now

I'm planning a geography unit for school and we're going to cover the Olympic flame route and protests. I wonder what the children's thoughts on the matter will be?

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True! (Whatever the reason..)

Vicky

and so it continues... the business in San Francisco yesterday seems to only highlight it still further. I gotta admit it's kind of funny to me the spectacular lengths gone to to Defend The Indefensible ( a theme which has a long pedigree) because now I here the IOC is being prompted to move make statements and world leaders are being made to mention whether they'll be observing (or not) the opening and closing ceremonies.

It'd be ironic if the only people whos actions the protests challenged and changed were the politicians of those doing the protesting.


Or perhaps that *is* the point. hhmmmm.

Anyone else noticed how many chinese have joined H2G2 in the last couple of weeks all shouting the same thing and did I hear the news correctly that those blue and white suited chinese are actually gun carrying chinese elite policemen

They apparently eat rocks and crap bullets, according to the in no way biased press release given by the Chinese in this morning's paper.

Yup, they're specialy selected Chinese special forces and what the f*** they are doing on UK soil beggars belief. Imagine that well known liberal government , the Peoples Party of China allowing the SAS to operate in Beijing. Well done Gordan, don't do anything to upset the Chinese, keep on dithering, are you going to the opening ceremony or not, dither, err maybe, err maybe the closing ceremony, errr.

Well, he's said he's definately not going to the opening ceremony, and he has to go to the closing ceremony - London's the next Olympic city.

He's not really dithering - just making choices I suspect he'd rather not make.

If he didn't want to make the choices he should have carried on screwing up the economy instead of taking the top job.

The SF people were so happy they'd "tricked" the protesters - but at the same time, they'd missed the big crowds. Which begs the question - who is this whole torch thing actually for anyway? If it's more important to avoid protesters than to let the crowd see it, it seems that the ceremony has lost all meaning.