I just read Sarah's blog about the Olympics and found some resonance with my own thoughts lately.
My issue is this, should we boycott visits and events in places with unpopular politics?
To me, it seems that more visitors and global public scrutiny would highlight the good and bad of any particular place, promote understanding of other ways of living, other ways of running a government, maybe even create a positive change.
Am I crazy?
My issue is this, should we boycott visits and events in places with unpopular politics?
To me, it seems that more visitors and global public scrutiny would highlight the good and bad of any particular place, promote understanding of other ways of living, other ways of running a government, maybe even create a positive change.
Am I crazy?
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Allentown
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Re: to boycott or not?
Sat, April 12, 2008 - 12:31 PMI don't think visitors would see many of the negatives that China is using to get ahead in the world. One example is prison labor, which we even use here, but China seems to use with even less care for its prisoners. Also the 'other ways' are assumed to be socialist, yet there is less and less socialist infrastructure for the people in that country. Rather since Tiananmen Square, China has slowly privatized its systems and those who were given ownership are squeezing as much money from it as possible.
I think we would be more effective in our actions if we chose to purchase things we knew did not come from China, but with out global economy, it is harder and harder to tell. Not shopping at WalMart would be one step.
As for the Olympic Games, I think it would be even better for them to make a policy of choosing host countries by that country's efforts to preserve human rights. -
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Re: to boycott or not?
Sun, April 13, 2008 - 4:55 AMI'm probably a bad peson for saying this but I'm sick of hearing it all. I just want to see some people running and jumping and then some shiney medals. I don't want to see the olympic torch being thrown about, find a better way to protest. Yes there are huge problems but this just ruins it for the atheletes who train hard for FOUR YEARS. It's a blight on their careers and it's a real shame. -
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Re: to boycott or not?
Sun, April 13, 2008 - 5:41 AMSo then don't you think it would be even better for them to make a policy of choosing host countries by that country's efforts to preserve human rights?
Really, I love the whole athletic quest for greatness, but to hold that over the loves and liberties of others by legitimizing a totalitarian government through holding this apex event to me taints the event. 'Yes there are people being swept away into prisons, but I want to watch the games.' Doesn't that sound a little creepy? -
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Re: to boycott or not?
Sun, April 13, 2008 - 8:48 AMPaula asked: So then don't you think it would be even better for them to make a policy of choosing host countries by that country's efforts to preserve human rights?
I think they are two different things altogether. Every single country has done something or is doing something that someone can disagree with, yes there are the economies of scale but at the end of the day the olympics is its own entity and I don't think that they should be ruined by protests against China. I think it would be a different story if the olympics were being held in America and there were protests against our involvement in the Iraqi war and our treatment of "prisoners" at camp x-ray etc etc etc. We can all find something to protest against but at what cost?
I don't pretend to know what is really going on between Tibet and China and I don't really want to know either, my participation wouldn't help solve any international problems so I choose not to get involved in things that I can't change. I'm sure there will be backlash at that statement but I think a lot of people feel the same way.
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Re: to boycott or not?
Sun, April 13, 2008 - 7:13 AMI don't think you're a bad person, Elizabeth. I agree with you that the protesters could find a better way to make their point than to disrupt the carrying of the torch. There is a time and place for everything, and I think that attacking the torch is in the wrong.
It is a terrible loss to the athletes who begin training long before they know where the games will be held. The article that I mentioned also discusses this point and how previous Olympic boycotts have not resulted in any positive change in the host countries and have done little more than make those who boycott look bad.
I'm not sure how I feel about the idea of choosing Olympic host countries based on their human rights, or other political issues. Should we boycott those with bad environmental records? How would the US fare in that case? What other positions would be considered, where would we draw the line.
And, again, going back to my original point, doesn't the experience of having thousands of visitors from around the world help these nations to learn about other ways to live, and to see that those who are demonized by their government are just normal people like themselves?
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Re: to boycott or not?
Sun, April 13, 2008 - 7:07 AMInterestingly, I just saw an article on msn that addresses the issue - travel.msn.com/Guides/article.aspx
I think they phrase the question better than my clumsy attempt. They open the article asking: When you travel to places that don’t respect human rights, are you supporting an authoritarian regime, or fostering the free exchange of ideas?
There is also a mention of one suggestion for heads of state to boycott the opening ceremonies, while still allowing the athletes to compete and the games to go on.
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Re: to boycott or not?
Tue, April 15, 2008 - 1:23 AMC'mon now. The time for sportsmanship, athletics between all nations, fair competition, the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat ended a long, long, long time ago.
The Olympics have nothing at all to do with people who have trained long and hard for 4 years (or more) to compete in their sport of choice. It's all tainted with enhancement drugs, corporate sponsors, mainstream media, greedy sports agents and managers, addiction to fame, political agendas, whacked out nut jobs looking for a spot light for their place in the history books............I could go on and on and on. The Olympics haven't been special since they were first televised in 1936.
Let's get real about it. It's about making money. Period. It hasn't been about anything else for a very long time. Let's stop fooling ourselves and call it what it is. Then maybe, just maybe we can see it for what it really is instead of pretending it could ever be anything else.
Should we boycott China? Sure. And not just for what they are doing in Tibet. Let's start with what they are doing in Darfur for crying out loud. And while we're at it - let's boycott ourselves for what we are doing in Iraq. How about we boycott Mardi Gras in New Orleans too? Because all the beads that are given out every year in New Orleans for Mardi Gras are made in slave warehouses in China. How about we boycott Walmart too? The list goes on and on and on and on.
If you are going to wear a t-shirt saying China is evil for what they are doing in Tibet............you better get a pretty big t-shirt or a bunch of t-shirts for all the evil that is going on day in and day out. -
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"Let's get real about it. It's about making money. Period."
Tue, April 15, 2008 - 5:46 AMFor the sake of at least some athletes, I would disagree. I can only call one alternate and a couple hopefulls as personal friends, but I have been around some others who have gone to the Olympics and what I have seen are people who have pushed themselves for the sake of greatness, damn the financial consequences. Money is not even a sure thing if you win a medal in the olympics, as you may not be marketable or have that 'wheaties' look.
I don't think that being an athlete, coach or support staffer automatically makes one pure of heart, but neither does it make one about money. I would agree that corporate sponsorship has tainted the Olympics, which is really about the IOC.
As for having a really big t-shirt, well I know that even some of my closest fiends can find me a little irritating for my attempts to do what I see as the right thing and being a party pooper as a cansequence. Nobody can move through life perfectly and never indorectly support some evil in the world, we can only try. -
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Re: "Let's get real about it. It's about making money. Period."
Tue, April 15, 2008 - 11:03 AMGuilty as charged...............I do have a strong opinion or two. And my statements are for the most part generalizations not directed at any specific people who do participate in the Olympics in the spirit that they are intended. I just had to talk about the elephant in the middle of the room.
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