The Guardian 7 May, 2008
Olympic accolades and gongs
Accolades:
To the Australian Olympic Committee which remained steadfast in its support of the Olympic ideals and Australia’s Olympic athletes.
To the selected torch-bearers drawn from different personages in the Australian community who were also not intimidated.
To the Aboriginal community that welcomed the Olympic torch in a dignified ceremony and wished it well on its journey of peace and harmony.
To Canberra citizens who joined the crowds watching the torch relay together with the thousands from the Chinese community who took to the streets to support their country’s honour, dignitary and rights.
To the Canberra police and the Federal Police who successfully protected the torch-bearers in a relatively incident free event and thereby helped to maintain Australia’s Olympic honour.
Australia is one of only two countries that have participated in every Olympics since the modern Olympics commenced in 1896. The AOC and the torch-bearers upheld that tradition.
Gongs:
For all the miserable and cowardly politicians, (including Kevin Rudd) who did not turn up to welcome the Olympic flame to Australian soil or at Parliament House as the torch-bearers — Robert de Costello, Ian Thorpe, and many others — honoured Australia and upheld Australia’s and the Olympic traditions.
For Bob Brown, a near hysterical supporter of the Free Tibet movement. He even threatened the Chinese government. "Just you wait", he angrily declared at the successful torch relay.
For the Tibetan protesters who in many cases have never lived or visited Tibet and have little or no knowledge of the many changes for the better that have taken place since Tibet was reunited with the People’s Republic of China.
For the Australian mass media which has consistently pedalled lies and deception to brainwash and keep the Australian people in dark ignorance of today’s realities.
A clanging gong for SBS and the ABC for their distortions and outright lies of every episode.
Where does this group think their anti-China crusade will lead? The real truth will eventually come out. The emptiness of Kevin Rudd’s pretensions of friendliness has been exposed and extends no further than China’s huge purchases of Australian coal, iron ore and natural gas.