After winning a stage of the Tour de France, Frenchman Thomas
Voeckler was quoted as saying,
I dedicate this victory to myself.
At Least the French Are Honest
Naked Self-Promotion
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right idea, wrong sport- biking is not an individual sport- teams administer lead rotations and managed drafting intervals- tennis or golf are the correct context for this, but alas, no good french golfers/tennis?! (i’m assuming, since they can’t even win their own open!?)
@hacs
Huh!?! Two questions:
1) What in the blog post summoned your screed about winning through any means?
2) It’s been a while since I read Rand, but I don’t recall any justifications for cheating or other unethical behavior. Can you cite any passages?
Wishing you prosperity and contentment.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2009/jun/09/berhard-kohl-cycling-drugs-tour-de-france
According to this guy, it’s possible Voeckler forgot to thank EPO.
If we’re really going to be honest, we might as well admit it when we’re seeing far from the tops of syringe plungers.
It’s hyperbolic, I knew, but the point is that Rand has put that “the survival of the organism is the ultimate value to which all of the organism’s activities are aimed, the end served by all of its lesser values”, what is reasonable with some safeguards. But from that unpretentious principle she has concluded far less acceptable that “an individual’s primary moral obligation is to achieve his own well-being”. That’s one of the most reminded and quoted parts of her thinking (anti-statism is the other), a background for moral relativism and opportunistic behavior (not necessarily ethical or unethical).
The other point is the sincerely self-interested declared victory of Thomas Voeckler, something completely well-deserved for him. But, the emphasis given by “at least the French are honest” has sounded as the cry of a maxim.
Il est le champignon
Myriam Bedard, a Canadian biathlete, after winning her event at the Olympics was asked by a reporter, “Did you win this medal for Canada or for Quebec?” This sort of question is common in Canada, where Quebec has aspirations to independent nationhood. Her response – “Neither; I won it for me.”
@frankenduf: Certainly, but in this case, Voeckler was the lone survivor of a long 4-man breakaway, with, I believe, no one else from his team.
Loved, loved, loved seeing him win at last. Chapeau, Tommy.