In Sydney, protesters scaled a wall surrounding China's consulate and removed the Chinese national flag and tried to replace it with a Tibetan flag. Four people were arrested when police used pepper spray to disperse the crowd after a plain clothes officer had been attacked.What do our readers think? Should America boycott the games over these violations of human rights? Or would such a move be counterproductive... or simply none of our business?
Tibet's government-in-exile urged the United Nations to intervene to end what it called "urgent human rights violations" by China in the region.
18 Mart 2008 Salı
Should the USA boycott the Beijing Olympics?
The news is out that China is cracking down on Tibet, and there are reports that between 30 and "hundreds of people" have been arrested and killed as protesters and dissidents. Now, protesters around the world are calling upon nations to boycott the Olympics being held in Beijing. The USA is caught between a policy of engagement - and the fact that China has a significant trade surplus - and the desire to support the peaceful protests in Tibet.
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I don't think boycotting the Olympics would accomplish anything. The IOC knew what the situation was when they gave China the Olympics.
YanıtlaSilAs I said to Nomad last night, I think China was trying to calculate how far before the Olympics they needed to do this crackdown on dissidents so that most countries would forget about it by the time the games began. They decided that it was now or never.
I won't say if we should or shouldn't, but I do PERSONALY know potential olympians that were hurt by the last boycott against Russia. Most athletes, runners especially, have only one chance to be at the top of their performance level for the olympics. Four years are a long time and this can cause an athlete to be too old or too young when there is no olympics for eight years. I don't know if a boycott is effective or not but I do know that many of my track coaches were effected personally and did not get to compete in an olympics because of this. (even though one of them had a gold medal from worlds competition he was too old when the next olympics rolled around)
YanıtlaSilMy father was unable to compete in the Olympics (long jump) during the depression due to lack of funds. (There was no one to pay for the trip, othere than the athletes at that time.) So I know how not going can change a person's life. Still, I tend to think that a strong statement should be made and our government seems unwilling to make it in any other arena. I don't know if a boycott of the Olympic games is the place. And, as CRChair says, the Olympic committee knew "the lay of the land" when they chose
YanıtlaSilChina. The choice upset me at the time and I do feel it was wrong. Still, whatever the decision of the US team is, I will be OK with it.
I tend to agree with the general sentiment. I think we DO have a duty to stand up to countries that violate human rights. We have a history of doing so, and the whole American Experiment is based on freedom of religion (it is the basis of all the other basic freedoms).
YanıtlaSilHowever, as is said, I don't know that boycotting will accomplish anything, and boycotting is detrimental to the interests of the athletes.
If enough countries came together and denounced this action by the Chinese gov't, and then said they would not participate unless things changed in some visible way, it might have an effect. But I think the effect would be lost if it was just a few countries, even if the US was one.
Be honest, people. If the USA, all of Europe, and Israel didn't show up, China would feel the hurt. The lost money from hotel visitation alone would leave them in a deficit from the spending they did to prepare.
YanıtlaSil"Accomplish nothing." Sheesh.
Glen, what are the odds that all or most of Europe would boycott the Olympics with us? I tend to think we are pretty much the only people who would care enough to boycott. News reports have already said that the British athletes have been instructed strongly not to speak about anything political while they are at the Olympics and had to sign agreement stating they would comply.
YanıtlaSilIf it is just the USA, then it will accomplish nothing on the world stage.
crchair, You don't know if you don't try. If the USA don't lead, no one will follow.
YanıtlaSilYou fail to underestimate the attention span of the public. By the time olympic fever hits, noone will remember the... something... was tibet involved?
YanıtlaSilAND YOU CALL YOURSELVES AMERICANS'.....
YanıtlaSilIt is a question of honor and
integrity! Do any of you know
the meaning? Or were you not
brought up with any?
Prior to the early
90's America would have nothing
to do with Communists! Than we
became politcally correct and
sold all our dignity for hard
cash!Is sucks that our olympians
will miss thier opportunity but I
guess they didn't mind that the
olympics were being held in a
inhuman country!
Even if we are alone in
standing up for whats right we
should do so because it is what
is RIGHT and not what is POPULAR
or what other countries are
doing! Let the other countries
stand by and wait for others to
saysomething, It shows what they
really care about!Besides we are
the most influencal and
the richest nation in the
world , I know it will
count somewere!
Stop going on , " well it
doesn't effect my bubble
that I live in, and poor
olymians." Hey ask an
olympian why they didn't
stand up and protest four
yrs. ago when they found
out they were headed to
China! Ill Tell you why,
BECAUSE THEIR CAREER IS MORE
IMPORTANT TO THEM THAN HUMAN
RIGHTS!!
God , where has the American
spirit gone!