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Menu There is no diplomatic solutionIsrael should declare three nos;
no to nuclear Iran, no to two-state solution, no to bi-national state
no to nuclear Iran, no to two-state solution, no to bi-national state
@Ted
I have to admit that I was quite certain of my opinion on this matter. It likely started with the curious early commentary that surrounded Biles’ decision to not compete, but, of course, it didn’t end there. There is no way to consider things in a vacuum, and I particularly prefer to consider things with a greater context. Still, the context that I found for this was not the historical context of her competitive record, which would seem actually quite relevant, as you noted. Rather, I saw her early statements to be related to her political endorsements and the snowflake attitudes of many in the emerging generation – all of which should have been quite remotely related to the topic of her competition or the dedication to her life’s work.
Regardless of this, though, I, as many, found these unrelated, distasteful moments to bare some point of relevance by imagining a tenuous connection between these issues and her cancelled performance. While all of this was being discussed back and forth, it seemed to have never risen to the level of relevance that Biles finally began giving a more accurate explanation for her experience specifically. There seems that there is some history, per later reports, that she actually experienced an event similar to this in 2016. The condition is related as Twisties, and her teammates have confirmed the experience is quite debilitating and potentially dangerous, and prevents the performer from having a sense of placement during their competitions, if I have come to a proper understanding of this condition as described in several reports now.
On Friday, Biles did confirm that she had experienced this condition, and as you suggest, we should accept her record as the best evidence that she would not so recklessly scuttle her career. So it is with a humble regret that I found the likelihood that she would so shatter her record by simply not competing due to her political fervors. Though it is not beyond such antics in this day an age for such event to take place, unfortunately, I do regret not having pursued the reporting more closely than her early comments, her fans’ supporting excuses and several resulting critiques.
I found Dr. Turley’s comments to bare even greater prescience after she reported the twisties on Friday. He noted that she had supported a “absolute antithetical polarizing narrative and now she is reaping the whirlwind she helped to sew. She is now finding herself on the other side of an equally polarizing narrative.” This seems to very accurately describe the roots of my own opinion on this matter. So, I while regret her inability to compete and I wish her a speedy recovery and ability to overcome what will likely never easily be forgotten as a crushing moment for this very incredible athlete. I still oppose her on many points of significance, but they really were misplaced in characterizing my conclusions on this topic rather than more relevant issues.
Here are a couple of articles discussing her Friday statements and the condition:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-57986166
https://www.popsugar.com/fitness/simone-biles-explains-twisties-gymnastics-2021-olympics-48441824
I have been reconsidering this issue. Biles has been a strong competitor all her life and withstood all kinds of adversity.. Surely if she says she can’t compete, then she can’t compete. She is entitled to our support. Based on her past performance in the broad sense we should trust her.
She did herself no good with her inane remarks when she resigned. That set me off. But she has never quit before. And she wouldn’t break that record for no good reason.
the difficulty of existing in a freedom oriented society is
enjoying the skill of all whose support goes to those whose
main objective is to kill freedom loving people ! IF THIS CONFUSES YOU
YOU ARE A PROBLEM !
Eddie
@Adam
This is very true and it could be very productive.
Dr. Turley is a genuinely learned man who is knowledgeable about many of the subjects he discusses. But he talks like a carnival or circus barker. This means that serious, influential people are unlikely to take him seriously.
So many conservative commentators don’t know how to communicate to people. Either they become so bogged down in technical details and jargon that “ordinary”people can’t understand what they are trying to stay, or they have a sensational style that they think is entertaining, but guarantees that people won’t take them seriously and will dismiss them as crude, tasteless entertainers. There should be some kind of school to train conservative commentators in public relations.
See my article in American Thinker yesterday. Totally agree with you.
Well, I am certainly not leftist.
And I am 100% ok with her dropping.
How do all critics know? Perhaps if she stayed on the team, the team would not even get a silver medal. I think that this is quite likely. Something is happening with her beyond her control, even if it is “only” mental, or only “emotional”.
I have no doubt that she’d love to win if she thought that she could.
She did say that she thought that her participation would negatively affect the team.
Don’t judge her.
Now her leftist sympathies are indeed sad. They are an expression of the popular culture today. Most young people are conditioned to think that way. But I don’t connect it with the Olympics.
A very balanced review of many topics relating to Ms. Biles attempts to worship at the alter of self-importance while ignoring a responsibility to her fans, her nation and, indeed, herself as well. It seems the more I consider this subject it relates more and more to issues that are fundamentally broken within society as a whole.
I will note the commentary that it is a racist motivation that moves to criticize her actions is actually a stark denial of the idea that all people, regardless of their skin color, owe a debt to those who sponsor their activities. I don’t mean to specifically reference athletics alone as every corner of society has its own source of sponsors, be it education, industry, or the local paper boy. It is a fundamental contract of obligation between these sponsors and the bodies or groups that they sponsor with their attentions and largess. It is the recognition of a status of a breach of this contract that is claimed to be racist. It would take someone with the intelligence similar to Simone Biles to support such a claim that is so utterly futile it takes a moment to respond, but, of course, this pause is the very purpose of the claim of racism. These villains hope to emasculate any significant discussion or render it similar to babble-talk that many of us fall back upon as we are thrown off kilter by such low tactics that this moment of pause renders our better thought processes less useful, shall we say. So, I appreciate Dr. Steve’s full and balanced description of this topic. But it really does bare a wider context than can be easily appreciated.
I posted three videos dealing with Biles. I believe that people who support her are mainly leftists whereas those critical are on the right. But their criticism of her has nothing to do with her politics.
She has done her difficult routines hundreds of time. She made a commitment to the country when she applied to be accepted on the team. She has the duty to do her best. It has nothing to do with her mood or having fun.