Friday, April 11, 2008
Boycott, Scmoycott
Great. Now Dr. Z on SI.com is suggesting countries boycott the Olympics because of China and Tibet...blah blah blah. Again, how about we blame the folks who picked China? If I was an Olympic athlete (and I could have been....is toenail clipping a sport?) and my country canceled because of the host county's human rights record, I would go ballistic. All the hours of training? All the dedication? I'm not saying it's not a good cause and I'm not condoning anything. I'm saying there are other ways to get them to stop abusing peeps. Don't take it out on the athletes. They are going to end up getting the short end of the pole vault stick. Can't we just intercept their satellite TV signals after the Olympics and make them watch nothing but Rosie O'Donnel reruns? Can't we block their radio transmitters and jam them with nothing but Creed? Did the last boycott work? I think not. Stop making the Olympics political.
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2 comments:
I'm totally with you on this one. The Olympics are about sports and bringing people together, NOT about politics. It's a time to forget about each country's foreign policy for just a few days and focus on sportsmanship.
I'm not saying I don't care that China is in Tibet, but they've been there for 50+ years and I don't think I should decide what's best for them. I don't know that I agree with how China is handling it all, but you know what, I'm not always particularly proud of what our govt does in foreign policy situations either. And then we wonder why people aren't cheering because we're still in Iraq.
As you might suspect, I have a soft spot in my heart for China. It's been there for about three years and it will be there for the rest of my life. I can't wait to watch the Olympics this year, and I can't wait to be proud of China as they host it all. I saw a lot of the new construction (mostly hotels, roads, and a quick drive past the Olympic stadium) last year. If the wee one weren't so young, I'd already be planning my next trip. I can't wait to go back again. I look forward to a few more trips there in my lifetime.
Too late to make the Olympics non-political I'm afraid... about 30 years too late by my recollection.
I agree that we should have sporting competition for the sake of sport and not political agendas. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way... anymore.
If the Chinese are smart they'll abort this stupid 'torch around the world' thing before it blows up in their faces.
China lobbied hard for the Summer Games to showcase the advancements in their society. This torch protest has merely focused attention on their continuing human rights violations.
But seriosly folks, did you think human rights violations in China had stopped just because your kid's lead paint encrusted toy was stamped made in China?
There's good and bad in everything. (Shit, the Chinese ought to realize that. Didn't they invent the Yin-Yang thing? Or was that Tibetan monks?) China has been trying hard to focus on the good. But there is another side to this coin. I just hope the athletes do not suffer for it. Boycotting is not the way to go.
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