“By 1996, in big races like the Tour de France, I
think doping was very close to 100 percent prevalent. Then came the Festina
scandal in 1998 [when Alex Zulle and his Festina teammates were ousted from the
Tour de France for using EPO]. Even calling it the Festina scandal
compartmentalized it, and for the governing body, by blaming a few brazen
individuals as opposed to recognizing it was a systemic problem…”
When you see the above statement from Jonathan
Vaughters, it makes me think about the corruption and the drug-trafficking
problems in Mexico; most of the people are involved in it just by omission when
knowing who does it. Kidnappers and
robbers tell you, when they seize you, “to give them their money.” A time when we went to Valle de Bravo to a
triathlon, the police stop us outside Mexico City because we supposedly made a
traffic violation, and they asked us for $500.00 dollars because “they were
doing their job.” But they were giving
us a chance to get out of the problem by paying that amount because that was
the cost of their work. It was a
non-working day, and they could keep our car for the weekend when we live 400k
from there. We decided to pay the amount
after we spoke to the chief who made a discount! I do not see a way out unless we clean up at
the top. The cleaning up in cycling is
beginning, but I have my doubts that it will be done at the top.
Next year is to be his last as a competitor. His
team’s owners, Slipstream Sports, said last week they are “100 percent” behind
the three team members who have admitted doping and have been committed to
Slipstream’s anti-drug philosophy. Vande Velde's top two Tour de France
results – fifth in 2008 and 8th in 2009, when he rode with five broken
vertebrae – have come since joining Slipstream…Vande Velde said his attorney
used very blunt terms to make him fully aware of the legal ramifications if it
were later shown he had lied when he swore under oath to having been clean
since early 2006. He said his USADA affidavit (see "Related
Items") detailed every instance of doping. He thinks that should be
enough to convince skeptics. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-10-17/sports/chi-vande-velde-i-thought-doping-was-the-only-way-20121017_1_vande-velde-usada-armstrong-and-team-director
Armstrong is not the problem, but it could be the
beginning to breathe better; hopefully, it could be the beginning of a new
culture. The problem is education and
what I pointed out: “The loss of the
Grand Narratives.”
According to
the advocates of postmodernism, metanarratives have lost their power to
convince – they are, literally, stories that are told in order to legitimize
various versions of 'the truth'. With the transition from modern to postmodern,
Lyotard proposes that metanarratives should give way to petits récits, or more
modest and "localized" narratives.[citation needed] Borrowing from
the works of Wittgenstein and his theory of the "models of
discourse,"[5] Lyotard constructs his vision of a progressive politics
that is grounded in the cohabitation of a whole range of diverse and always
locally legitimated language games. Postmodernists attempt to replace metanarratives
by focusing on specific local contexts as well as the diversity of human
experience. They argue for the existence of a "multiplicity of theoretical
standpoints"[6] rather than grand, all-encompassing theories.
Our education is unable to legitimize itself. What we could teach as an old generation is not appreciated by the majority of
the youth. There are many versions of the truth. The way we use science does not help to legitimize
what we do. Global warming was seen as a story for many until recently when
we see some of the consequences, and it is impossible to deny it. There was a Festina scandal, but it was
treated as an isolated event and Festina team was treated as a scapegoat. Everything continued the same way after the sacrifice:
“Throughout
the year, the sins of the ancient Israelites were daily transferred to the
regular sin offerings as outlined in the Torah in Leviticus Ch 16. Once a year, on the tenth day of the seventh
month in the Jewish calendar, the Day of Atonement, the High Priest of Israel
sacrificed a bull for a sin offering for his own sins. Subsequently he took two
goats and presented them at the door of the tabernacle with a view to dealing
with the corporate sins of God's people — the nation of Israel. Two goats were
chosen by lot: one to be "The Lord's Goat", which was offered as a
blood sacrifice, and the other to be the "Azazel" scapegoat to be
sent away into the wilderness. The blood of the slain goat was taken into the
Holy of Holies behind the sacred veil and sprinkled on the mercy seat, the lid
of the ark of the covenant. Later in the ceremonies of the day, the High Priest
confessed the sins of the Israelites to Jehovah placing them figuratively on
the head of the other goat, the Azazel scapegoat, who "took them
away" never to be seen again. The sin of the nation was thus "atoned
for" (paid for) by the "The Lord's Goat" and "The Azazel
Goat".”
Scapegoating brings a relief, but it does not make a difference in the
outcome; it is just a ritual to feel better.
Crucifying Armstrong and letting the others get out of the hook is
scapegoating. The problem will continue
as it happened after the Festina team “punishment” because of our education as
human beings. We need to improve our
education at all levels. Jesus put it differently:
"Let he who is without
sin, cast the first stone."
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