The Greatest Games have become the biggest joke!

I'm seriously tired of this nonsense. I respect you and your father but I'm tired of this. I'm just going to let it loose.

Does it matter that it's a "Capitalist and Communist" country in China? They're hosting a SPORTS event, not a UN meeting.

because that is what America is based on the individual freedom to be able to do what you want without government control as long as it doesn't hurt or cross the freedoms of others around

Look, do you notice how many street cameras are now roaming around in public? Do you realize that the government was guilty of illegally wiretapping across the country for supposed "terrorist protection" reasons? Do you realize the push to have a chip inserted, and I mean inserted, in your body so the government can track you like a friggin GPS system? It's subtle, but slowly the freedom is being taken away.

At the same time, do you even notice that China has been the center of attention at the same time they have become a rising Economic power and are a developing into something great? This was way before the Olympics. If you only watch one source of news (I'm assuming you only watch US TV), you never get the clear view, you would swear China is the worst country on Earth.

Watch the BBC, watch a channel talking about China outside of the US media, and get multiple points of view.

And does any country, ANY country, have a right to tell another country what to do? I don't remember that being considered "democracy" or "justice". If they want to torture those in Tibet, you may not like it, but it's their government, it's their country. When is the last time you have ever seen someone try and tell any Western country what to do?

You might as well not watch the Olympics anymore until it's hosted in the US because in Vancouver 2010 there are going to be a heck of a lot of Chinese people around, and that's just terrible. In London it cost $8.50 to ride the subway and they have a large number of people from the Middle East.

Russia has the 2014 games for Winter, commies again! Heck, all of these events should be hosted in the Western rich countries, preferably the United States, and just say to the developing countries to stop developing.

Every single one of you on this site, guilty on all charges of not even bothering to witness the lengths China has gone through to accommodate 200+ countries. In the span of 7 years they have built jaw [ttp://www.techfresh.net/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/8_ptw_watercube_40.jpg dropping] stadiums, have put up their best efforts to make the air quality better, have closed smoke factories, reduced the number of cars on the streets, and have made most of their staff learn English.

That never gets any media attention, that's propaganda to me. They have put in 110% to make this the best Olympics ever, they don't want any trouble from the protesters, they want it about sport, they have made it clear before, and they have made it even clearer after the recent bombing.

I'm sorry, but I can't take it anymore, China isn't perfect, and you may think they don't have the freedoms that we do, but it's their country, they can do whatever they want, we shouldn't interfere, and let them host the biggest sporting event in the world.

This will be a great Olympics, they will open up and show what they can do to host such a big event like this, and it's actually already begun, with soccer. I don't see any big problems so far. Everything is running smoothly, sure there will be bumps, which Olympics hasn't? Stop bashing them and watch the Games for the sake of sport.

Have a great time watching everyone.

SS I do agree that we should reserve judgement till after the games. but, your rant is off the wall.

"If they want to torture those in Tibet, you may not like it, but it's their government, it's their country. When is the last time you have ever seen someone try and tell any Western country what to do?" - First of all, torture, whether we are doing it, or China is doing it, it is wrong. I don't care who's country it is. Second, it is not their country cause they don't vote. That is what you are missing. In the US, we are going to tell our country what to do in several months when we go to the voting booths and pick a president. We also elect our representatives. If you can't appreciate that, then stop typing.
"Every single one of you on this site, guilty on all charges of not even bothering to witness the lengths China has gone through to accommodate 200+ countries." - Way to lump us all in together. I for one thought that all the new facilities just dropped out of the sky. Dolt.
"That never gets any media attention, that's propaganda to me." - Really? Then how the fack did you learn about it? Have you been watching over in China or did you maybe see it on the NEWS?

"This will be a great Olympics" - It very well may be, but how exactly do you know...Ms. Cleo perhaps?

The Olympics in China is a business decision, nothing more. There are no such things as accidents anymore. Holding the Olympics here in a year where there will be a change in the White House is 100% intentional. For every Olympic medal that gets awarded, there will be just as many behind closed doors business meetings between people who have a financial interest in doing business with each other. And it's not just the US. Look at the Olympics as a company picnic.

KD, ummm... the Olympics are ALWAYS in the same year as a U.S. presidential election year. It's not that intentional.

I didn't say election year, Manny.

Well, actually, if you want to get technical, never mind.

"“The air quality, I think it’s good. It looks a little bit misty. You cannot judge the air quality by its appearance. You have to trust the scientists,” said Wang Wei, executive vice president and secretary general for Beijing’s Olympic Organizing Committee." And another gem. "Beijing officials on Friday continued to insist that the murky haze enveloping the city is not the result of pollution, but instead is fog created by moisture vapor in the air. Visibility, they say, is not necessarily an indicator of air quality."

Well, that makes sense until you realize that China's idea of air quality is conviently different from the rest of the world.
"...the official air pollution index for Beijing was at 94, similar to levels of moderate pollution recorded earlier in the week. The WHO recommends levels below 50 for healthy air, while China considers anything above 100 to be harmful to sensitive groups including children and the elderly."

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain. That is just fog and humidity you are seeing, not particulates in the air. Do the Chinese think we are all so stupid we don't know what fog and smog look like? This came from Yahoo, not BBC, but I must know, who is slinging BS propaganda here? The athletes complaining about the air quality or the chinese "scientists"?

Ladies and Gentlemen, I rest my case. Look at everything that is coming out now, under age kids not a real surprise, killings, the worst judging in almost all the sports so far. Questions without any answers and no reasons for some of the decisions. Bejing or Peking whichever you want to call it certainly isn't the best games in history by far. Only thing that is really outstanding is the food in the village with no complaints.(Not run by the Chinese). Look at some of the swimmers, not just Chinese, and it makes you wonder about steroids. Huge shoulders on very small frames with extremely large muscle groups that shouldn't be there. Remember the coaches for the Chinese swim team are former East Germans and we all know what they did. I am certainly not trying to be negative about all the parts of the games, but too many incidents have occurred over these last 8 days that need to be explained, and the Chinese will not give any explanation to anything. When you mention drugs etc... they panic and run into another room and hide and will not talk to the press or any newspaper or radio/television correspondents. A completely closed society under house arrest in their own country. I don't remember anyone from the OC in 84 that hide or ran away after something happened that didn't go the way it should have. Come on the opening ceremonies went off without a hitch, how about the wrong girl appearing during the opening ceremonies and not singing with her voice because an ugly girl had a better voice and the Chinese committee wanted her voice to sing but the other girls face to be on television. Auggie individual was pulled from the opening walk when he tried to open a banner calling China and its policies in Timbet. And the list goes on from here on let us see what happens. Yet, bombing by Muslim Chinese group killing 10 police and hurting a number of bystanders. What else has happened that the west doesn't know about? Hardly a great unbelievable games and most certainly not even in the top 5 except for looks and the playing fields etc...Not many fans is all games so far, but Chinese reported all the tickets were sold and they are having a problem with scalpers and very high ticket prices compared with the face price on the ticket. So let us all hope that the remaining games goes off better than the first part.