Problem solved

I'm holding my breath through the closing ceremony.

Not sure if there are similar stories for athletes from other countries. Maybe there is?

We held a joint task force military operation and the military in both countries refused to work in the office at the same time. A scheduling nightmare but it was done.

For understandable reasons, there are bad feelings.

Yet nothing like this would ever occur between athletes from those two countries.

This is the Olympics.

The whole point is to show that athletes can get along with one another in the spirit of universal humanity in spite of what various governments might be doing.

Americans in the same situation would probably do the same thing, The US didn't even show up to the 1980 Olympics due to the Soviet's war in Afghanistan, a war the US helped provoke

Now this is something that violates the spirit of universal humanity:
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/08/israel-blocks-olympics-bound-palestinian-travel-160802202751580.html

Would you say that it would be proper to snub the fuck out of the Saudi team members because their government subjects LGBT and others to the lash and to death? Or are we supposed to 'understand' that it is 'different' when we are systemically executed and show good will toward those Saudi athletes?

Do you think Israeli athletes should even be allowed to participate in the Olympics?

Apartheid South Africa discriminated against black athletes so they ware banned from the Olympics. That should be the standard. Israel hasn't been banned at this point, and to this point, I haven't directly promote that idea.

The International Olympic Committee should make sure all nations don't violate the rights of their athletes to participate, or be banned.

The Olympics is supposed to be about. Building camaraderie through sport and competition.

I've been to the Korean border...and they are fascinated with propaganda photos. We were warned about this before getting off the bus - told not to make any hand gestures, etc., and sure enough, photographers would try to discretely lean out from behind a post, and snap our pictures.

So I don't know why I'm weirded out about this, but I'm not sure the dictator will like a photo of a gymnast smiling with a South Korean.

BTW, having been to South Korea, I don't believe South Koreans dislike or hate North Koreans at all. Its more like a family that worries about a relative that has been taken in by a cult.

with a concentration camp.

[link:http://

Is the among the highest in the world:

http://www.economist.com/node/8846631

So much so that weight loss centers are a booming business:

http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2015/03/gaza-palestinan-obesity-diseases-diet-fitness.html

I guess the evil Joooos are feeding the Arabs in Gaza to death. Just like the Germans in Dachau when they force fed prisoners strudel!

"...due to the Soviet's war in Afghanistan, a war the US helped provoke"

The whole point of the Olympics is to put political divisions aside and compete on a level playing field in the spirit of togetherness. If every country that had a beef with another country refused to travel with or compete against them, there would be no games. The loudest cheer during the parade last night (besides Brazil) was for the refugee athletes and all they symbolize by competing in these games.

Take the politics and cram them for two weeks.

Otherwise we have a games of USA refusing to play GB over the American revolution

France refusing to play Germany over WW2 invasion

China refusing to play Mongolia

you could go on and on.

standard. They can't discuss the principles involved.

Force folks to be nice to them?

What are you talking about?

Were there other athletes that this happened to?

Here is another example l.


https://m.

No stories of any problems at this point.

As another example.

to compete. It goes against the very message of the Olympics...did they not watch the opening ceremony? Why is it only Israel has to put up with shit like this?

Israel should have been banned from the Olympics. Ask South Africa why they were banned from international sport for decades.

Or just Israel?

But the apartheid of the occupation is similar to South Africa.

Or is it just Israel? Do you think that what the Saudis practice isn't apartheid against women?

but then the US should be banned for the Iraq War and Saudi Arabia should be banned for Yemen, etc.

Most nations wouldn't be banned by this standard, but it still could get ugly.

The best that the International Olympic Committee can probably do is ban nations that discriminate against their athletes, such that the wrong type of person isn't allowed to participate. That would keep the spirit of the Olympics alive.

The list of nations that commit atrocities or oppress and persecute certain groups of its own citizens is a long one.

This is not, to quote Voltaire, the best of all possible worlds. The Olympics is supposed to be about putting politics on the shelf and focusing on the universality of sport.

then the nation should be banned from the Olympics. That enforces the spirit of the Olympics. Other than that, all nations should be there.

a very small event.

You seem to not get the point of the Olympics- or know its history.

Rules never apply to all. Jimmy Carter no less spoke about apartheid in Israel. If you're friends with the powerful, you get a pass.

Politics in the Olympics is the same as all other global politics.
Is there a difference between state sponsored doping and corporate sponsored doping?

drawing the comparison between South African apartheid. But isn't what is practiced against Saudi women apartheid? Oppression on a pretty dramatic scale? What distinction do you make between the two? How about countries that persecute and even put to death through legal processes, LGBT people?

including big powerful ones would not be allowed to participate.
This rubbish about let's be friends for two weeks is a freaking joke.
I am responding to Israel v Lebanon -were I a Lebanese athlete or official, I would not be on the bus either. I buy nothing made in Israel by choice.

a reasonable person to believe that you hold some anti-Semitic beliefs.

And alert away folks. But this is not acceptable.

Enjoy yourselves.
I give no country a pass - Israel has violated UN regulations countless times. If you find that anti-Semetic so be it.
I will never assist in financing their treatment of Palestinians or the theft of their land.

and atrocities. The only ones that have to apologize are those that commit the human rights abuses and their defenders.

Could have been solved a long time ago if their Muslim brothers would have taken them in a long time ago. But of course that didn't happen because the PTB in those countries wanted a club they could they could use to keep beating up on Israel, and thus keep their people distracted from their oppressive reign.

while they consult their list of dogwhistles and veiled codewords.

Everyone has noticed that the poster who made that "highminded" statement about Israel has nothing to say to anyone who is questioning it. Shows a complete lack of convictions and courage.

There are DOZENS of countries that would qualify for banishment under your definition. And and I see you ignore that ONLY Israel is being held to this standard. It's why this bullshit will be rightfully be ignored.

"A 2014 UN Commission of Inquiry found that abuses in North Korea were without parallel in the contemporary world."

https://www.hrw.org/asia/north-korea

every non-democratic country for denying people basic civil liberties? Or just Israel?

if certain elements coughHezbollahcough found out they had shared a bus with Israelis.

They should be banned for this type of behavior.