Japan Unveils Olympic Uniform Accessory

[Mulboyne]

Photo: Asahi

All members of Japan's Olympic team will be provided with face masks more commonly used on construction sites to protect them against the pollution in Beijing. The mask is a disposable type made by manufacturer Koken and has already been trialled by the cycling squad. Other national Olympic teams are taking similar precautions following reports that the air quality in the city remains a risk in particular for endurance athletes.

[canman]

I'm sure the Chinese would love to see all the athletes march into the Olympic stadium sporting one of these. I understand that it might be necessary, but when could they wear these masks without pissing off the hosts. I hope to god that the air quality indoors will be better than the stuff I saw on TV today. A neat twist would be to put your flag on the mask so everybody knows what country you are from.

[plaid_knight]

I had planned on boycotting the Olympics in order to protest China's long history of humanitarian atrocities, but I might have to tune in for a little bit just to see the attention this gets.

Between this and the renewed attention to the plight of the Tibetans, the Olympics might yet be a powerful force for social change in China. I hope, anyway.

[Buraku]

I'm surprised the Japanese, known for their anti-China stances didn't boycott the Olympics entirely. No doubt pollution in China is really fucked up but I've a feeling the Chicoms will actually get this pollution thing fixed a lot quick than Japanese bureaucracy or racist Sinophobes ever could. It's expected in the next few days the government will order 90 percent of all private automobiles off the road and order even more factory closures around Beijing.
That's one of the few good things about China, they don't have some big stupid Kyoto or Congress style debate. When the government orders something done, it just gets done because they say so

Between this and the renewed attention to the plight of the Tibetans

Social change has been happening for the past ten years in China and its got sweet fuck all to do with his divine Tenzin Gyatso. The Tibetans are a bunch of cry-wolf retards, we in the Western hemisphere of influence use the Tibetan excuse to irritate the Chinese but when you read through the hollywood BS it actually boils down to anti-Chinese racism. I only wish the likes of Gere would get off his high horse and actually give a shit about the other aboriginal peoples of this planet.

[Not Invented Here]

Social change has been happening for the past ten years in China and its got sweet fuck all to do with his divine Tenzin Gyatso. The Tibetans are a bunch of cry-wolf retards, we in the Western hemisphere of influence use the Tibetan excuse to irritate the Chinese but when you read through the hollywood BS it actually boils down to anti-Chinese racism. I only wish the likes of Gere would get off his high horse and actually give a shit about the other aboriginal peoples of this planet.

I for one think that the whole Tibet/China thing is a bunch of horseshit, at least as presented by the Hollywood cause warriors. For the most part, what these people present to the public as Tibetan Buddhism is a very watered down and simplistic image of the Dalai Lama and 'enlightenment'. Most people aren't aware of the four large sects of Buddhism there, or any of the smaller subsects, or the history of the conflicts that took place for control by the varying sects. The arguements they make don't really seem to have anything to do with the soverignity of Tibet or the Tibetan people so much as blind reverence for a corrupt old man and his temple.

That having been said, the idea of "Chinese People" in the minds of most registers images of what make up the Han people, which make up the majority of China's very large population. Ask anyone about the Hani, Miao, or any of the other 55 official minority cultures of China, and you'd get blank stares more often than not, I'd imagine.

I don't expect any popular media sentiment about China to reflect any of the deeper aspects of what's going on there socially, culturally, or even politically. Racist or not, it's ignorant to the real problems that China has and presents to the outside world, and only serves as PR for the people who make the most noise about it.

I don't like the Olympics for various reasons, mostly because it's always been a way to misuse human ideals to sell an agenda, everything from Hitler's National Socialism straight up to Nike and Coca-Cola. What I don't like the most about this one is not only that it's being used as a way to promote a country whose policies are detrimental to humanity and it's own citizens, but also that the controversy and questions that should arise are being hijacked for the purposes of ignorant people and their own agendas. If ever there was a reason for the end of the Olympics altogether, I'd say this would be it.

[Mulboyne]

Telegraph: US cyclists provoke Beijing smog row

The American Olympic team have sparked a row over pollution after some members of their cycling squad arrived at Beijing Airport with their faces covered by black respiratory masks...more...

[Charles]

Telegraph: US cyclists provoke Beijing smog row

Good for them. Cycling is all about lung capacity, if you've trained to peak levels for events that are decided by thousandths of a second, you don't want to be damaged in the least by the crappy Beijing air. Hell, I know plain old US airports that make me want to breathe through a mask, with the intense jet fumes, it can make your lungs burn.

Edit: I loved this tidbit from the article:

Professor Arne Ljungqvist, chairman of the IOC medical commission...said it was a "misconception" to believe the health of athletes and Olympic visitors could be endangered by the Beijing atmosphere and that the only hazard was to the long-term health of residents.

So it only kills you slowly, a week or two exposure will only damage you a little.