TICAP, The Hague, March 15th 2010

Sunday, April 06, 2008

Olympic Splif

How gratifying to see an enormous flaming splif marching through the streets of London protected by 2,000 of our boys in blue (er..yellow). These streets lined by protesters presumably from many groups. I am confused as to what the fuss is and exactly which protesters have the biggest cause. I am perhaps inclined to support the Tibetan Smoker's Rights Group highlighting the brutal treatment of Tibetan tobacco users.

However, one has to be attracted to the Olympic Smokers Foundation's cause of unity and the peaceful ideals of the smoking olympians. Certainly, many 1,000's of people have gathered to attempt one small sniff of the passive olympian spirit, so difficult nowadays as these occasions are generally difficult to organise indoors. One can't help wandering who gave the permission for the Spliff to remain alight inside planes and public buildings.

I have less sympathy for the environmental protesters who surely can't believe this small fire is destroying the earth or that extinguishing it could make any difference. Naturally ASH were there and demanding that the torch be carried in a hermetically sealed mobile unit with a 100 mile exclusion zone, lest anyone should be able to smell the paraffin. I have to say, on balance, I see this as an excellent demonstration of the absurdity of smoking bans in enclosed public places and am very glad so many smoker's could join the combined protest and celebration.

As for Mr Brown standing shoulder to shoulder with the great weed-packed Olympic splif, one can be excused for a little confusion over his policy with regard canabis classification.

Finally, one can't help remembering that the first time the Olympic Splif was carried, was in Germany in 1937, when one Adolf Hitler instigated it's beginning. How symbolic!