MegaSteve
Tour Winner
Personally not fussed either way... 'Sport' visits plenty of parts of the world with similiarly poor history on 'human rights'... Lets face it 'we' went to China for the Olympics...
Should Formula One be in Bahrain?
- Thread starter MegaSteve
- Start date
freddielong
Tour Winner
China is to big a problem to sort out via a boycott in fact one day china will kill us all but that's another story
no we should not be in bahrain people who say sport and politics shouldn't mix are hiding there heads in the sand politics incorporates everything
no we should not be in bahrain people who say sport and politics shouldn't mix are hiding there heads in the sand politics incorporates everything
Andy
Tour Winner
Its boring who cares.
MegaSteve
Tour Winner
Judging by the press coverage quite a few do...
Andy
Tour Winner
Their loss then.
DappaDonDave
Journeyman Pro
Yes it should...
Mr_T
Challenge Tour Pro
The only reason they are there is money, imo going to a certain place poses a bigger security risk than it would travelling to another place then they shouldn't go, security should always come first. Force India had petrol bombs thrown at them, does that not say it all?
User20205
Money List Winner
I think they just got caught in the crossfire, those petrol bombs were meant for someone else! (maybe Bernie Ecclestone)
If I was a democracy protester in Bahrain, I'd be pleased that F1 were there. It puts them back in the spotlight. they had been forgotten about about after Libya & Syria
USER1999
Grand Slam Winner
No. F1 should not be there. Or china. Or any where where there are human rights issues.
HomerJSimpson
Hall of Famer
I think Ecclestone has got it wrong this week. All that guff he came out with saying all the teams would be safe was bunkum and unmangeable and proves he'd do anything to make his next buck. Hate the bloke and all he represents about F1. I think (HOPE) the race will pass off without incident but I dont think it'll be on the calendar next season.
The only thing that's more boring than politics is motor racing.
^^^
Sorry. Meant F1.
Sorry. Meant F1.
DappaDonDave
Journeyman Pro
Like Britain? Speak to the home sec about human rights. They are bs!
jammag
Challenge Tour Pro
Yes it should be there. Sport cannot control what these people do. Listening to the sky team today they had Damon Hill who was massively against going there last week coming out and saying that they had every right to be there and it had nothing to do with F1. Brundle also saying he has seen no trouble and doesnt understand why all his family are so concerned about their safety.
The Bahrain prince or what ever title he holds gave a brilliant line yesterday and said that the same happened in the UK last year with people rioting against police. Now if we think this about their country then surely they should be saying we shouldnt be having no Premiership football and rugby, County Championship, Superleague and the olympics.
Sport should stand alone and actually provide something away from politics.
The Bahrain prince or what ever title he holds gave a brilliant line yesterday and said that the same happened in the UK last year with people rioting against police. Now if we think this about their country then surely they should be saying we shouldnt be having no Premiership football and rugby, County Championship, Superleague and the olympics.
Sport should stand alone and actually provide something away from politics.
Chrimbo
Head Pro
And the rioting in this country was because their human rights were being oppressed and their political leaders and family members being tortured ........ I think not.
Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa came out with one of the most pathetic arguments ever for holding an F1 event whilst his people are being killed .............. Sport and politics have and always been linked, look at the East Germans during the 70's & 80's along with Russia and USA.
F1 and FIA should take a long hard look at themselves and realize sometimes it not just about the money.
User20205
Money List Winner
Brilliant really, sounded a bit contrived to me. To compare non political unrest in the UK to a democracy movement in Bahrain is a nonsense. One is motivated by the need for political change, the other motivated by the desire to nick stuff from Argos.
Sport and Politics can never be seperated, when it is used to legitimise certain regimes & used to underpin national identity.
That said if sport didn't happen in those states with a question mark over human rights, it would only occur in a handful around the globe.
Also as, said before, the F1 going to Bahrain gives the protest movement a higher profile in the news agenda.
level5s
Head Pro
I am sure there was plenty coverage of last years riots linking them to government spending cuts and lack of jobs etc etc, yes plenty of bandwagon jumping as well. The strength of cause in both cases are poles apart but relevant at the time for those involved.
munro007
Tour Rookie
The only reason F1 SHOULDN'T be there, is that its a rubbish circuit. So boring. Oh and as far as them folk over there are concerned, let them dad-on.
User20205
Money List Winner
I have it on good authority it was just to get some free Elizabeth Duke jewellry
if you asked some one smashing up cut price booze in Warrington why they were doing it, do you really think they would say' because I feel disenfranchised and alienated by the govt cuts'
the_scrambler
Club Champion
I agree with therod. Let's face it, up to the the race going to Bahrain, how many of us gave any thought to what is happening there. The F1 event has moved the struggle for democracy onto the front page.
Given what happened in Iraq, Libya and now Syria, I imagine King Hamad must be creating a few explosions of his own!
Change never comes quickly but he is going to have to get a move on if he wants to avoid a syrian-type situation developing.
I think part of his reluctance to move forward with democratic change is the possibility of an al-Queda presence in the country driving this unrest.
He's going to have to find a solution quickly though or he will soon be sharing the same hole Assad's dug for himself.
Given what happened in Iraq, Libya and now Syria, I imagine King Hamad must be creating a few explosions of his own!
Change never comes quickly but he is going to have to get a move on if he wants to avoid a syrian-type situation developing.
I think part of his reluctance to move forward with democratic change is the possibility of an al-Queda presence in the country driving this unrest.
He's going to have to find a solution quickly though or he will soon be sharing the same hole Assad's dug for himself.
