U.S. Poor Image on Drug Testing & Abu Ghraib

Triathlon Forum
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Two different levels of evil here, but I just wanted to raise for discussion how the poor image of the US in terms of the recent positive drug tests from the BALCO scandal (Jones, Montgomery, White, Regina Jacobs, etc.) can be compared to the distastrous PR fallout from the Abu Ghraib abuse images.

Regarding the drug tests, American athletes should be prepared for boos and chants of “drug user” at the Olympics (let alone what Lance deals with on the Tour annually) . . . meanwhile, the Kenyan Olympic Trials are scheduled for next weekend, and guess what, they don’t do any testing… See this quote from http://www.eastandard.net/sports/sport22060407.htm:

“We discussed it at the Organising Committee level and thought of conducting tests during the National Championships and Olympic Trials but we thought the issue of drug abuse is not so major in Kenya as to warrant conducting random testing,” said Dr Kimani. .

You can imagine what the testing procedures are like in certain other countries which also produce a lot of track & field medalists.

Regarding Abu Ghraib… These events should never have occurred and what transpired was a lapse of leadership and evidence of a poorly-managed military campaign. However, how about a little PERSPECTIVE. Let’s look back at how the French handled things in N. Africa (thousands tortured to death), the Russians in Chechnya, the Israelis, South America/Asian/African nations, etc…

The U.S. media is the engine which drives the overwhelmingly negative portrayal of America these days… (of course, acting in collaboration with other nations wishing to divert attention from their own ineptitude, blaming the USA for every ill under the sun).

Thus, everyone believes American athletes are on drugs b/c a few were caught… while I am quite confident that, as a %, our athletes are probably among the cleanest on the planet… and everyone believes our military is composed of sadistic torturers, although it is undoubtedly one of the most professional & humane in the world. To test this hypothesis, go the UN or Reuters News Agency and ask one of those guys/gals if they would rather be imprisoned by the US military or by the Russian military, French military in N. Africa, Chnese military, Argentine military, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Pakistan, etc.

But the truth will always win out. We reveal our weaknesses to the world, but this action results in our correcting them. Meanwhile, the same problems (which exist to a greater degree) in other nations will just fester & worsen as they ignore and cast blame on Uncle Sam. So maybe we should actually thank those pale Nader-voting geeks at Reuters/etc. for their handiwork… :slight_smile:

Now, GO LANCE GO!!!

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I regard the media’s exposure of the drug and Abu Ghraib excesses as a positive for America’s image. We should always be willing to face up to our shortcomings. Even Slick Willy finally did it. :slight_smile:

Is the media too fascinated with the dark side of human behavior? Probably, but bad news always leads. If people didn’t want to hear about the abduction and rape of 10 year old girls then we probably would get much less of it in the news.

Would folks really listen to human interest stories about school building in Iraq? Or, are we like the guys who always complain about the human interest stories surrounding the Ironman telecast at the expense of “action”? Personally, I much prefer the human interest stories about people who have overcome problems to have a meaningful life. We don’t have enough of them.

Ditto to Lance!

-Robert

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In all fairness to the USA, you’re one country that’s always been willing to air your dirty laundry in public rather than just try to hide it under the bed as if it never happened.

IMO, you have to be admired for that.