05 August 2012

The Olympic ideal doesn't extend to freedom of thought

In a move that reveals the true nature of political oppression in the world today, the German Olympic Committee is to send German rower Nadja Drygalla home because it is alleged that her boyfriend is an official in the German political party NPD (National Democrats) -- a party considered by its opponents to be "neo-Nazi".

Read the full report here:
http://www.smh.com.au/olympics/off-the-field/german-rower-sent-home-due-to-neonazi-links-20120803-23lbd.html#ixzz22Uo8gkIV

We draw readers' attention to the following statement from German Olympic Committee official Michael Vesper: "If she confirms that she has nothing to do with (the far-right), why shouldn't she continue (to compete for Germany)?"

Attentive readers will notice that implicit in this statement is the simple fact that if she does in fact have any involvement personally in the "far-right", then her career is over.  This should surprise no-one.  The SMH article also mentions that her relationship was the reason for her resignation from the German police.  We might conclude that the resignation was not entirely a matter of choice, but the article does not specify.

Michael Vesper, incidentally, was until 2006 a German politician representing the far-left party Alliance 90/The Greens.

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