I know next to nothing about drones, whether they be the small recreational type or the substantial and lethal military models. My brother-in-law got some impressive drone footage when we were hiking in Israel last year. We know that both Russia and Ukraine use armed drones to wreak havoc on each other. I do know that drones employ gimbals and stabilizers for directed flight and for gathering images that aren't juddering all over the place. They are compasses of a sort and the drones wouldn't function without them.
The Canadian Olympic women's soccer team could use a compass of the moral kind these days. We've all heard that team officials were attempting to spy on the New Zealand squad prior to their first match in Paris,using a drone. It's become clear that the players weren't aware of the cheating but the coach and some assistants were sent home in disgrace and their future with the team is in doubt.
I listened to a soccer/football expert who conceded that cheating is fairly commonplace in soccer with spies literally hiding in the bushes in some cases. He doubted that there is much is any benefit to these tactics and was baffled given that every game the other team plays at this level is readily available on film. Added to this, New Zealand wasn't considered much of an opponent. The Canadian women won that game and a much more challenging match against France, but these Olympics are tainted and their reputation is in tatters.
The Olympic Games are considered the apex of excellence in sport, so how does this disgraceful behaviour fit and why stray so far from the ideal with so little possibility of gaining a competitve edge?
I was brought up with the expression "cheaters never prosper" which is manifestly untrue. Cheaters benefit in a variety of ways and at times it seems that those without gimbals and stabilizers, rule commerce and politics and just about every sphere of life. It's deeply disheartening. Have I ever cheated or veered toward questionable behaviour? It's hard to imagine who hasn't in some way or other (I have) but I've tried to change my ways, make amends, even seek forgiveness for my transgressions. I'm grateful that I never crash-landed but my I've had a few speed-wobbles through the years.
As a Christian I consider honesty a virtue to which I must aspire, even though I fall short along the way. I am concerned that as a society we've lost our moral compass in different ways, and perhaps this incident will invite some soul-searching, although I'm not holding my breath.
Canadian Women celebrate win against France
3 comments:
It is very confusing , trying to imagine why the Canadian coaches would even think this was necessary, let alone that they might get away with it. It is disheartening to know that our country has a few cheaters amongst those in the front lines of these games !
I find these things to be a little eerie. Occasionally, I'll come across a drone with no one nearby, and you wonder who it belongs to, what they're observing, and why. Just another reason I listen to my 70's and 80's music and think about those times that seemed so much less complicated.
Baffling and eerie. That about sums it up. The drone as definitely a high-risk, low-reward, foolhardy gambit. They are spooky when they float around up there and way too noisy. Thanks for your responses...look up, waaay up...
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