The old bait-and-switch trick duped protestors in San Francisco yesterday, where the Olympic torch was unceremoniously cruised around town in an unmarked white van when it wasn’t being jogged along an improvised back route. The “Journey of Harmony,” as Chinese Olympic organizers call it, quickly became the “mystery of the missing flame,” as the Post calls it, while protestors and supporters mingled relatively mildly, excepting a few scuffles with police, on the streets where the torch was supposed to have appeared. San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom cancelled the closing ceremony, citing potential security difficulties. San Francisco, a city with a substantial Chinese-American population, was the only North American stop on the torch’s global tour. The Globe’s two-page spread, entitled “Beijing’s Olympic Troubles,” features a mini photo-essay depicting the event and the puzzled, face-painted frustration of its attendees.
“The disruption and sabotage of the torch relay is a challenge to the spirit of the Olympic charter, the world laws, and peace-loving people around the world,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said, as quoted in the Citizen (not available online). Despite such appeals to the suffering Olympic spirit, many world leaders have decided to boycott the opening ceremony of the Beijing Games, among them German Chancellor Angela Merkel, South Africa’s Desmond Tutu, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and our own Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Meanwhile, the US continues to urge China to talk with the Dalai Lama. The Globe runs two short columns, from Reuters and the Associated Press, which tell of lonely athletes, yet more disruptive protests by Tibetan monks in China, and the lack of Olympic unity. On the latter subject, the Citizen’s Richard Pound makes a noteworthy account of former Olympic boycotts, drawing a parallel for today with the US-led boycott of the 1980 Moscow games, which followed just half a year after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. He points out that Canada’s participation in the boycott was nothing more than symbolic, as Canada sold more wheat to the Soviet Union that year than ever before. “[The failure to resolve the Tibet problem] should not be laid at the feet of young athletes and used as a pretext to deny them the positive international experience of the Games,” he concludes.
—————————————————————–
THE LEADS:
THE NATIONAL: “Moving Target: The Olympic torch hits the streets of San Francisco”
CTV NEWS: “Chasing the Flame: Demonstrators derail an Olympic tradition, cut short and filled with detours”
news Tibet | China
Obama urges Bush Bejiing boycott
Sunday 13 April 2008 Chinese Canadians conflicted on Tibet
conflicted over human rights. "They just dont want a boycott of the Olympics,"
Many Chinese Canadians condemn China's human rights records yet support its iron fist on the Tibetans, and loathe the worldwide protests along the Olympic torch run.
Thursday 10 April 2008 TORONTO: PROTESTERS DEMONSTRATE NEAR CHINESE CONSULATE
About 125 protesters demonstrated near the Chinese consulate on Wednesday, a demonstration that coincided with the arrival of the Olympic torch in San Francisco. The demonstrators urged a boycott of the Summer Olympic Games in Beijing in August to protest against China's treatment of Tibet and also demanded that the torch not proceed before the opening through Tibet for fear of provoking more bloodshed. A spokesman for the Tibetan Joint Action Committee warned that if the torch is carried through Tibet and to Mount Everest, "Tibetans are going to rise again," and the Chinese government will have an excuse again to use force. A month ago, anti-government protests broke out in Tibet in which dozens were killed or arrested.
OTTAWA: IMF FORECASTS YEAR OF SLUMP
The International Monetary Fund has predicted that Canada will see slow growth this year. It forecasts growth of just over one per cent. The IMF says that growth will stall as a result of economic weakness in Canada's biggest trading partner, the United States, as well as in the rest of the world.
OTTAWA: RETAIL ENJOYED GOOD YEAR
Canadian retailers had a strong year last year. Sales increased for all major commodities. Canadians spent $413 billion on goods and services, an increase of almost six per cent over the previous year. Almost a third of retail purchases were related to automobiles. More than half of all spending was on transportation, food and beverages.
OTTAWA: MODEST SUCCESS SEEN FOR AIRLINES
The Conference Board of Canada forecasts "modest profits" of $150 million for the country's airline industry this year. The private research group explain that despite good growth in revenue and lower maintenance costs, record fuel prices and labour shortages will cut into earnings over the next five years. However, the researchers predict that fuel prices and labour costs will abate somewhat starting later in the year.
Diana's site
Wed 02 April 2008 The first evening was much fun and the opening speeches offered many of tasty nuggets, indicating the veritable intellectual feast to come. The venue is a lovely grand building opposite a pretty manicured park in an elegant part of Athens. I spent much of the evening talking to Dr. Keilis-Borok , who is working on using mathematics for everything from earthquake forecasting to predicting the outcome of US election (with surprisingly good results).
Saw Jaime only briefly, but she looked her usual lovely self, only caught sight of Bert across a crowded room, and Kimon is a splendid master of ceremonies. Should be an interesting few days. You will be missed.
love from Cleo
Rex Murphy's
Point of View index
see also
Wednesday-Night.com MedicalNotes
BBC
 "Louise des Trois Maisons")
 "click for Diana T. Nicholson")
Wed1362 invite 
Wed1363
