Don't forget we will have the Games four years leater too. It's horriable if China and her alliances boycott ours.
God please keep us quiet now. Don't follow the yankee this time.

Jon McWood , Manchester, UK

There are some western people mostly white people do not like the idea of the Olympics in China. Firstly China is a poor developing country. secondly Chinese are not white. Therefore these people will find all sort excuses to infame China and take away the Game from China. Firstly it is environment issues. Western media exaggerate effect of pollutions on the athlete health and tried to allocate some events to other countries. Then it was human right issues. No body talk about boycotting London's game even UK has violated humanright by inviding Iraq. Then now it is Tibet issues. Western media lied about Tibetan rioting. It was violence riot but western media say it was peacful protest. More than 10 people died in that riot most are Han people killed by Tibetan rioters. Shops and schools were burnt by the rioters. Where is the justics? Be honest, do you guys feel jealous about China's achievement or just racist? Those people want to boycott the Game, you are against 1.3billion Chinese.

David, Sydney, Australia

Yes, Bill, it is our right to protest against China, and to boycott Coke, and McDonalds and all the other sponsors, That's what I am urging my friends to do. It's a pity that the Chinese brought in from the outlying countryside to build up Beijing can't protest...maybe they'd protest against the fact that many of them aren't getting paid, and almost none have any medical insurance.

But they can't protest because they will be arrested or slapped in psychiatric hospitals, like some journalists there. So I guess we could protest for them, too.

Diana Glass, Arlington, USA

Your comments about all the baloney connected with the Olympics and how the Olympics are really just a showcase for the host country and commercial interests are absolutely right. About watching the "best" in sports--well, that may be nice for the sports fan. BUT two things come to mind: in reality we know there has been a long history of cheating by use of enhancement drugs (think East German women's teams. And, of course, more recent scandals). And, for some of the competitors this will be an opportunity for economic gain (some have already made that gain, such as the pro basketball players who compete). But, most of the competitors spend a good portion of their teen and young adult lives training to compete to jump a little further, run a little faster, swim a little faster, than someone else. And most don't achieve the acme of thier particular sport. How much better off would they be if they had devoted all that time and energy to something truly worthwhile?

Terry L. Walker, Ladson, SC / USA

The days of the Olympics resembling "Chariots of Fire" are long gone. Now it's about quasi-professional "athletes", with wealthy sponsors and giant faceless corporations selling advertisements. And here comes China, masters of propaganda, hosting the games to advance their totalitarian agenda, while using monks for bayonet practice. Shades of Berlin, 1936. President Bush will be there, sitting with the other waxy grey dictators. I for one, will refuse to watch. Shame on companies like Coca cola and Lenova, making money while the people of Tibet cry out for justice and democracy. The ancient greeks would not recognize any of it.

Wilbur Varela, los Angeles, california, usa

Hey, in ancient Greece they called a time out on wars so the
games could be held.

J erry Scriggin, Phoenix, Arizona/USA

"the Olympic torch represents not peace, not brotherhood, but China, and the contrast between its self-aggrandising Olympic ambitions and its record on human rights."

Sure, but after the civilian death toll we have seen over the past 5 years in Iraq, we are hardly in a position to aim stones from the UK greenhouse.

With our record, let's let this one go by, and 'get precious' about the next one!!

Mike Hart, London, UK

Personally I couldn't give a monkey's for all the hyperbole, hubris, mendacity, ugly nationalism, faux-prestige and deceit that comes around every four years with the same tired message. Vast and ever-inflating expense, disruption of ordinary lives on a huge scale so that mega-stadia can be built for a small elite to line their pockets and the over-trained to have their few minutes of fame....I could bang on about drugs too, but I'm sure you get the picture. However I AM making good cynical-money on bets as to how much London will end up costing, even as funding for local communities, arts and sports for the common people goes down the toilet.

Pffill, Shanghai, China

I'm Chinese and I mildly agree... Kind of worried what will happen next.

Kent, Liverpool,

Yeah, just go ahead and protest against China. That's your right, isn't it.

Bill, New York,