Has anyone seen these ads on the bus lately? 台北奧運不是夢 (The Olympics in Taipei - more than a dream). :bravo:
I can’t see the bid happening, let alone…shock! horror! Taiwan HOSTING the Olympics, but Frank Hsieh reckons it’s not impossible. (Yes, that article is over a year old. This is the most recent link I could find in the Taipei Times, from June this year.)
His own site makes mention of it. If you scroll down to the entry for September 6, there’s a link to a (Chinese) news story about it, with Hsieh announcing plans to draw up a blueprint for this ambitious bid. Seriously. :s
Hats off to Hsieh for his vision in attempting to raise Taiwan’s profile in the international community, though, even if it is an infeasible fantasy.
It’s a complete joke, a poorly thought out political stunt. Apart from Taiwan’s political isolation, it could never host such a large sports event. Taiwan is anything but a sporty nation - there are not enough facilities, the country has almost no world class sportsmen, and people here have little interest in sport.
[quote=“Buttercup”]That would be the most cretinous waste of money Taiwan has come up with yet.[/quote]Actually, I think the idea is not a bad one and not a waste of money. For one, a bid or even talk of a bid might instill some national pride with Taiwan people, something Taiwan is serious lacking. It might also help to unite part of populace which Taiwan also needs. It also makes people stand up and say, yea, sure why not? We can do it. Any sort of international recognition they attain just by even trying to make a bid for the Olympics would do wonders for their profile as most people around the world have no idea where Taiwan is or if it is part of China or not. Making commercials now around the world for the next couple of years in the runup to the Beijing Olympics also delineates the fact to the international community that Taiwan and China are separate nations, while at the same time could subdue calls by Pro-China Nationalists here in Taiwan to trick Taiwan people into accepting an invitation by China to make Taiwan part of its domestic locations for the torch relay and possibly even sporting venues for the event.
I, of course, do not think Taiwan could ever successfully win the competition to host the Olympics, for reasons not the least of which would start with the political meddling by Taiwan’s Communist neighbor China, but it is a good ploy by the ruling party to help people start to point up their chins in the air, furrow their brows and ask boldly, “why not?” Taiwan is a pitiful nation in terms of their pride or sense of even being a nation after years of colinization by the Japanese, then the Chinese Nationalists. They are confused and in need something to make them proud.
To all of the naysayers, please don’t spit at their attempt to dream a little, even if it will only even be just a dream.
Would a credible bid be good for Taiwan? Probably.
Can Taiwan make a credible bid to the IOC in which a horrendous amount of money is not lost in waste, corruption and political infighting? Not a chance.
Yeah, no need for plurals when it comes to Taiwan’s successful athletes.[/quote]Way to kick them while they are down? Coming from New Zealand one think you could commiserate somewhat in their dream to host the Olympics. Anyway, what does world class athletes have to do with a bid to host the Olympics? Greece and South Africa are not the current world leaders in Olympic sports.
Yeah, I know it’s unlikely that “Chinese Taipei” could launch a credible bid, but as a political stunt, it does seem to be some sort of attempt to instil national pride.
I don’t see how an Olympic bid could possibly instill national pride. It’s like the loner geek asking the head cheerleader to the prom. Sure, he could psych himself up, look in the mirror and tell himself “Why not me?”, maybe even promise to comb his hair in the next 15 years or so. But when the swift and inevitable rejection comes, he’ll run to his room crying, tears dripping on to his manga collection.
How about starting with some more basic goals, like getting a flag displayed and a national anthem played at the Olympics? The only way that Olympics will ever be held in Taiwan is if it’s in Taiwan S.A.R. (though you have to wonder if the mainland would use that to entice Taiwan. “Join the dark side, and we’ll twist every goddamn IOC committee members’ arm until they agree to have the Olympics in Taiwan.”)
This idea is even more stupid than the Guggenheim in Taizhong proposal.
Agreed… I can’t imagine what kind of fools think national pride is something that should be instilled and cultivated by making some woefully doomed to failure attempt at getting international recognition by bidding for an event they are utterly incapable of hosting… If they want a sense of national pride, they should get it by building a county worthy of being proud of, collectively realise and promote the need for a revamped, cleaner, more professional, more efficient, modern Taiwan physically, socially and intellectually… a Taiwan that Taiwanese could be genuinely proud of regardless of international opinion… For as long as they hide behind the usual straw man excuses of “oh but Taiwan developed very quickly…”, “oh but the mainland is worse than us…” and “It’s not a poorly built run down shithole it’s a cultural misunderstanding…” and look for their national pride and validation externally by ineffectually leaping at pie in the sky illusions of perceived recognition, they will continue to disappointedly languish in their own filth, almost oblivious to the fact that the society, infrastructure and economy of the island is crumbling and degrading around them, standards of everything in a never ending downward spiral, while they foolishly squander their time, money and energies on petty party politics and bickering…
Another good way to waste money and have parts of the budget go to someones pocket.
If Hsieh really believe that the PRC will ever allow such a thing, then he really has no idea of what’s going on in the rest of the world. Has he ever watched international news or does he stick to 民視?
[quote=“alidarbac”]I don’t see how an Olympic bid could possibly instill national pride. It’s like the loner geek asking the head cheerleader to the prom. Sure, he could psych himself up, look in the mirror and tell himself “Why not me?”, maybe even promise to comb his hair in the next 15 years or so. But when the swift and inevitable rejection comes, he’ll run to his room crying, tears dripping on to his manga collection.[/quote] That is a bad analogy in that there are always several losers in any Olympic bid, they would be in good company as the list of COUNTRIES that will be turned down for a 2020 bid is impressive. Anyway, the important point is the word country.
Plasmatron: those are some seriously strong words you use to talk about the place you choose to live in. Maybe it is time to go home, if you hate this place so much and still stay here, I think the real loser might be you.
I did use the word ‘attempt’ though. Don’t get me wrong, I like Taiwan, and would love to see it become a more professional, modern, clean, efficient country worthy of being proud of, physically, socially and intellectually (to quote plasmatron, I thought it was quite apt). But I think we all agree that there is a long way to go before this can happen.
I don’t hate Taiwan, I just hate to see the incredible potential this island has wasted by the petty bickering and infighting that defines Taiwanese politics and by extension, Taiwanese society… I also hate the “head in the sand, pie in the sky” attitude of the apologists that try to paint over the core of the fundamental, real world short comings of this island with cheap trick, feel good nationalism… admitting there is a problem is the first step to recovery, but denial and excuses is all I seem to hear from a lot of people…
Yeah, no need for plurals when it comes to Taiwan’s successful athletes.
:help:
Cruel, but sadly, quite true.