Why the -08 Olympic Boycott is Absurd

First of all, the last thing you want to do when confronting a nation that acts "bad" is to lock them out and isolate them. If you do like that, why the hell would they care to make any changes? When the rest of the world turns their back on them they can all "go Waco" and say: "There you see, they are all evil! They don't even want our nation to exsist, so why would we bother co-operating with them?"
We need dialogue. The more we trade and do business in these states we can get more insight, put more demands and get more influence. We can say: "Ok, we will trade with you and by so pump in lots of international currency in your land, BUT then you have to respect human rights (and so on)". This is much better than sanctions and banning that eventually just hurts the civilian population.
I do see that this is a sort of "hen and the egg" type of problem; what do you do first, give demands before trading or trade and then give demands?
Well, most of us trade, in huge quantities, with China and so far very little has been done on the human rights front, but if we cut all bands and leave them to it, do you sereiously think things will improve? Show me one example where sanctions worked. Iraq? No. Myanmar? No. And those two examples don't match the super-power that China represents anyway. If we are operating with an active and aware mind in China we will have much more possibilities to make change. This nation has such massive internal efficiency, both economy- and resource wise as well as consumers and producers that they don't even need the outside world.
We have to show them that we are willing to support them, but not if things stay the way they are.

As I write this, I see how poorly I get my point through... Quite distressing accually, but what the hell, the next point is so much more important!

POLITICS AND SPORTS DON'T MIX!
The wonderful thing about sports is that nothing else matters. People come from all corners of the world and play fair. No matter race, religion or poltical views they get along just fine, side by side like true sisters and brothers. All differencies put aside, just plain sports.
The discussion of boycotting the olympic games of 2008 is sickening. Let this moment be a short breather, a moment of clarity when we can all forget about the crazy macro-politics that inflame the world and watch our heroes go for the gold. Sports will be sports, without politics, hate and discrimination. Please!
If it is such a crime that China holds the olympics, why the hell were they nominated and selected in the first place? And why the hell was there no fuzz until just recently?

I don't get this. I feel sick when even sportsmen themselves say that they will boycott the event. Have they no idea what unifing force such a massive event has? These three weeks, let it be peace, let us think of something completely different than politics.
Damn it, I am getting upset here!

Well, personally I have a hard time enjoying watching the olympics when I know that innocent people get tortured and murdered for practicing Falun Gong...

I guess not hearing their screams makes it easier to forget them.

Some stories and pictures of people who has been tortured to death here. Any country who does this to its citizens should not be allowed to have the Olympics. That event should be held in civilized countries only.



[edit on 22-10-2007 by Copernicus]

Ok, but the numerous Olympics in the States, last time Salt Lake City were held in a country guilty for the deaths of millions over the years in wars with or without reasons, a country that is base for many sinister corporations that cheat, lie, steal and kill without remorse, a country that also executes citizens, both guilty and innocent... Or Japan, a nation which still has not apologized for cruelties exercised during the second world war...

This is sports. Not politics or whatever. Just sports. If it is such a crime that China hosts the games, why were they elected and why were there no immideate outrage? It is just US-China rivalry.

When people go there during the games I sure hope that the Falun Gong movement makes some huge public display of their misery. The police will not be able to act, at least not in their traditional fashion. I do sympathize with this group and I am very familiar with their suffering.

Originally posted by Copernicus

That event should be held in civilized countries only.

[edit on 22-10-2007 by Copernicus]

Quite an ironic statement.

Hey, you are foolishly naive at best.
Please do not call the oppression, torture, enslavement, imprisonment and deaths of tens of thousands of its own citizens in China and Burma absurd.
Read 'em and weep.
burma.newsladder.net...
The Beijing Olympics will open at exactly
8:08pm on 8-08-08
20 years to the day since the brutal massacre of over 3000 of its own citizens by the China proxy, military junta in Burma on 8/08/88.

If that is true, it is pretty macabre man...

Well, I understand, but I still stand by my point, sports are sports nothing else. Some other nation will host it next time, so what. We shall continue to fight oppression in China, of course but the right thing to do is not boycott the games.

I vote for sports!