Reading this article today made me think that people who write about and think about doping are not considering this topic in a really rational way:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/26/AR2011022604083.html
Especially this comment in that article:
"I am disappointed greatly that the anti-doping is not making more progress," the Montreal-based lab director, Christiane Ayotte, said late last year. "We still have a subculture of doping in certain sports, certain disciplines. We still have not been able to solve the problem. We are not a deterrent enough."
Here's my statement: deterrents DON'T WORK. Any deterrent only has a temporary effect and usually means that the larger body affected by this (in this case cyclists) have to give up some basic human right- take a look at pro cyclists now- they are prisoners within a 24 hour reporting system, their entire lives sacrificed.
In the 80's we all lived with a lack of a basic human right not to be afraid of dying by nuclear holocaust so that we could live with deterrents.
This is a competitive system. Competitor's entire lifeblood flows around pushing limits with everything around themselves in an attempt to control outcomes. Especially in mature systems, but it's a fallacy to think that doping hasn't existed before- take a good look at Fausto Coppi or Jacques Anquetil. No, really take a look. Anquetil had no qualms about talking about doping whatsoever and he didn't have to give back HIS Tour de France jerseys.
Within a competitive system, you will NEVER be outside the fundamental structure that encourages doping. It's often misunderstood that doping comes from an ethical problem on the part of the athletes. I disagree, and I think it's inherent in the system of competition. We do very little to educate athletes that they are entering into such a system and that the rules (which they are duty-bound to push against) say x, y and z. If we're to have a competitive system, this is the only way to fight doping, but it will NEVER go away completely, especially as our culture becomes less and less ethical over time.
I also have some books to back me up, but if you're going to comment on this, then I suggest you read them before flaming me. Punished by Rewards by Alfie Kohn, and Without Guilt and Justice by Walter Kaufmann.
As long as there are rewards, punishments are there. As long as punishments exist, there is it's flip side, rewards; and simply put both are violent actions that create a pendulum that swings back and forth between them. It's a system, and inside that system, there is literally no way to get around it.
Let the flames begin.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/26/AR2011022604083.html
Especially this comment in that article:
"I am disappointed greatly that the anti-doping is not making more progress," the Montreal-based lab director, Christiane Ayotte, said late last year. "We still have a subculture of doping in certain sports, certain disciplines. We still have not been able to solve the problem. We are not a deterrent enough."
Here's my statement: deterrents DON'T WORK. Any deterrent only has a temporary effect and usually means that the larger body affected by this (in this case cyclists) have to give up some basic human right- take a look at pro cyclists now- they are prisoners within a 24 hour reporting system, their entire lives sacrificed.
In the 80's we all lived with a lack of a basic human right not to be afraid of dying by nuclear holocaust so that we could live with deterrents.
This is a competitive system. Competitor's entire lifeblood flows around pushing limits with everything around themselves in an attempt to control outcomes. Especially in mature systems, but it's a fallacy to think that doping hasn't existed before- take a good look at Fausto Coppi or Jacques Anquetil. No, really take a look. Anquetil had no qualms about talking about doping whatsoever and he didn't have to give back HIS Tour de France jerseys.
Within a competitive system, you will NEVER be outside the fundamental structure that encourages doping. It's often misunderstood that doping comes from an ethical problem on the part of the athletes. I disagree, and I think it's inherent in the system of competition. We do very little to educate athletes that they are entering into such a system and that the rules (which they are duty-bound to push against) say x, y and z. If we're to have a competitive system, this is the only way to fight doping, but it will NEVER go away completely, especially as our culture becomes less and less ethical over time.
I also have some books to back me up, but if you're going to comment on this, then I suggest you read them before flaming me. Punished by Rewards by Alfie Kohn, and Without Guilt and Justice by Walter Kaufmann.
As long as there are rewards, punishments are there. As long as punishments exist, there is it's flip side, rewards; and simply put both are violent actions that create a pendulum that swings back and forth between them. It's a system, and inside that system, there is literally no way to get around it.
Let the flames begin.