How Long Must One Study to be This Idiotic?

In its infinite wisdom, VANOC included bits of Leni Riefenstahl (yes, that Leni Riefenstahl) in its promotional videos. Awesome - now all we need is bits of 1984 in there, and we'd have the perfect video track to what's turning out to be the largest military presence in western Canada since World War II. Fifteen minutes of hate, anyone?

In other news, almost 1000 new CCTV cameras now go live in the "Olympic Zone," and are supposedly to be turned off again after they're over. Mmmmkay. Can we at least rename call the Games the 2010 Oppression Games? 2010 Police and Military Games?

Another opinion, nicely summed up is on the Guardian.

At least we can look forward to "Olympic Oppression Done Right" in London in 2012 - they don't need to add any more cameras.

How I learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Vancouver 2010 Olympics

Just in: Vancouver Olympics Committee embarrassed to ask Vancouver Symphony to "Milli Vanilli" their music.

It's true, I read it all on the CBC (credit them for the pic on the right too).

First comes the article:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2009/12/19/symphony-olympics.html


And then their hasty apology:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2009/12/20/bc-vanoc-apology-symphony-orchestra.html

In VANOC's defense:

It is usually recommended that the performances for live television events be recorded in the event of technical difficulties. Fine - but asking a while orchestra to pull a Milli Vanilli?

You got caught, then backpedaled because you realized this was retarded.

VANOC, why stop there?

Apologize to the taxpayer who will be stuck paying for your boondoggle - in 2006 you were already 110 million over budget. How much is it now?

The apologize to the protesters, whom you want to keep in "free speech areas." Less willing to taze and pepper-spray their way to notoriety (as if they needed more), Vancouver police shoves this chief into the limelight trying to backpedal. Nobody buys this, since it'll be the RCMP doing the tazing and pepper spraying anyways.

Then apologize to the radicalized protesters, to whom RCMP have said "we're watching you!"
CBC Story 1
CBC Story 2 (6000 km away in Nova Scotia...)
CBC Story 3


Then apologize to the people that lampoon you in protest, and the copyright law abuse you attempted to have passed in Vancouver city council. (Backpedaling here)


Apologize to the future generations of British Columbians for not being able to see the pristine "wilderness preserve" blasted and bulldozed for your demanded highway improvements. Never mind the luxury homes along the route as part of the package.

And the Olympics should apologize for having become an institution in whose name human rights are suppressed worldwide. Remember the people who applied for protest permits in 2008...

Dare I say that the Olympics, as noble as their claimed intentions are, are now a world leader in causing oppression?

Oh Canada! "Free Speech Areas" to be defined for 2010 Olympics

I read this, thought about it, and after a while, wondered why nobody else picked this up.

Read it on the CBC!

I am sure they'll be near the arctic circle, if they don't arrest people for applying for a "permit to protest." Add to it the recently filed lawsuit against the RCMP going by known protesters' houses and telling them "we're watching you" and this is taking on a whole new dimension. Tasering with abandon is nothing new, but the subtle intimidation has eluded authorities in Canada for some time. Now they're brazen enough to flaunt it on the CBC.

Jokes aside, this paints a frightening picture of the "authorities" and their opinion on what criticisms they should face.