April 1, 2008
Activists to White House: Skip Beijing's Opening Ceremonies
Activists gathered at the White House yesterday alongside more than 1,500 Tibetan refugees to protest the Chinese government's crackdown on Tibetan demonstrators, according to the Washington Post. Buddhist monks were joined by a few American sympathizers in their efforts to persuade President Bush to boycott the opening ceremonies at the Summer Olympics in Beijing.
Tibetan sympathizers have a powerful ally in U.S. House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who yesterday urged President Bush to consider a boycott. The opening ceremonies (and the Summer Olympics more broadly construed) have been a subject of increased attention, both in Beijing and in the West. France President Nikolas Sarkozy threatened a boycott last week. (Explicitly disinvited to the games: Björk.)
Two protesters were arrested after the DC demonstration moved to the Chinese Embassy, where an object struck a Secret Service Agent. It's not the first time activists and security have clashed near the Chinese Embassy, but it seems to be the first instance of violence in a number of recent Tibetan independence rallies.
Image by carlweaver
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I think Bush's claim that he's going as a "sports fan" and not as President of the United States is utterly ridiculous. The Games shouldn't be illegal but the Chinese government has been using the Olympics as a political prop from the moment Beijing was announced as the host.
The Chinese leadership has been touting the Olympics as a way to show off their economic progress and international prestige. If leaders decide not to support the Chinese government and actually boycott the opening ceremony it would be a black mark for China. Luckily for Bush, he can still go as a sports fan; there are no athletic events held during the Opening Ceremony.
Correction: The Games shouldn't be *political*
(They shouldn't be illegal either.)
I wonder whether all the anti-protest commenters will chime in here like they did for the recent war protest. Or is this one okay?
The US will not officially boycott/protest/speak out against these Olympics in any fashion, we're too dependent on lead-based toys and small novelty items.
Also, why was this post one place then another? Are we starting to see the ramifications of no Sommer?
The Olympics are about the athletes and should not have a political agenda. Focusing on politics and boycotting the opening ceremony undermines all of the effort and training these athletes have accomplished, and is sure to sour their experience.
Regardless of where the Olympics are held, the purpose of these games is to allow these athletes to compete with other world-class competitors. This is their chance of a lifetime.
While I understand the issues surrounding China and how this may seem a prime platform for being heard, it overshadows the reason the Olympics exist. This is one opportunity that does not deserve to be used as a protest platform for other causes.
"The Olympics are about the athletes and should not have a political agenda."
Been seeing this a lot lately, and I may have said it myself.. but I'm thinking now that it's an absurd thought.
If the Olympics are really about athletics and politics is verboten, then why is all of the competition done under the banners of political entities? It's silly to think you can remove politics from an event where everyone is classified by political boundary.
I wonder whether all the anti-protest commenters will chime in here like they did for the recent war protest. Or is this one okay?
There's a big difference between the POTUS boycotting the opening ceremonies of the Olympics as a gigantic FU to the Chinese gov't and a bunch hippies skipping a Widespread Panic show to do performance art in Union Station.
Once you start boycotting Olympics, you just have to give up most large nations, they are always doing something horrible at one time or another. Personally I am fine with the Olympics always being in Greece, Switzerland, Holland, etc. maybe a few little ex-colonies here and there that pass a strict ethical check. But it seems to be part of the point every now and again to pick a place that badly needs a neutral event. I am not a sports fan myself, and could really care less about the athletes (lots of energy wasted on 15 minutes of ego, fame and vanity if you ask me, so boring- if your gonna work that hard cure cancer or something for gods sake), but the Olympics should not be political. This is China's re-unveiling in a way, and getting them out of Tibet is probably best done through other channels Besides do we really want to go there? Just because the US is finished exterminating it's native population and rivals by now? I mean, we're done, so you should be too right? We just finished most of the Native American genocide by the 1904 games which we hosted, Then there was that unfortunate "segregation" thing going on during the 32 and 60 games, at least in 80 we were in the clear (whew that apartheid is finally over and we look good), 84... etc. I mean it seems sort of hypocritical at best. We should go, and while there just point self-righteous fingers and laugh at them with deft and skill while we wear the reflective sports attire they made for us.
Anyone could see that this was coming from a mile away. If it wasn't Tibet, it would've been Taiwan. As the most populous, and fastest growing country on Earth, it is obvious to see why the IOC awarded Beijing the Olympics in the first place.
While there are calls on the President to boycott the opening ceremonies, joining Prince Charles and Angela Merkel, it really only carries weight in political circles and not athletic circles.
Until now, I didn't realize that the President (or other world leaders) attended the opening ceremonies.
Now, if a country's athletes boycott the Games, that would be an FU to the Chinese.
Can someone remind me what the U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics in 1980 accomplished? I mean, apart from helping get Reagan elected. I'm sorry, but I was high on airplane glue most of that time and my memory fails me.
Boycotts are effective; the Soviets did withdraw from Afghanistan after we boycotted the 1980 Moscow Olympics. It took them 9 years to do so, but we sure showed them.
I’m starting a boycott of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics to get Canada to stop the little baby seals from being clubbed to death. Email: Pierre.Trudeau@primeminister.canada.gov.
Next, I’m going to boycott the 2012 London Olympics. I haven’t figured out a reason yet, any suggestions?
politburo: thanks for pointing that out. people who keep claiming that the olympics are "pure" and all about the athletes have the wool pulled over their eyes. it's an inherently political showcase. if they would strip all the political out of it, it would just be "athlete x" winning "event y", and there'd be no national anthems, no flags, etc.
and that ain't never gonna happen. 99.9% of the people in the world don't know who to cheer for in a race between tim smith and yuri kostrovich. but when it's US v. USSR, they sure as hell know who to root for.
Next, I’m going to boycott the 2012 London Olympics. I haven’t figured out a reason yet, any suggestions?
Supporting the war in Iraq?
I find it morally revolting that a so-called civilized nation like Canada continues to use baby seal skulls to break firewood. Don't they know forests are a limited and inefficient fuel source? Didn't they see Al Gore's Powerpoint slides?
"I am not a sports fan myself, and could really care less about the athletes (lots of energy wasted on 15 minutes of ego, fame and vanity if you ask me, so boring- if your gonna work that hard cure cancer or something for gods sake)"
Then don't watch the Olympics or any sport, or even compete in a thumb-wrestling match. The majority of these athletes want nothing more than the chance to compete and push themselves to their very limits. This is their chance to accomplish a goal many of us respect and admire, and perhaps secretly wish we could do, as well.
I am awaiting an emergency bill introduced by Marion Barry renaming the street outside the Chinese Embassy after the Dalai Lama.
[snip] As the most populous, and fastest growing country on Earth, it is obvious to see why the IOC awarded Beijing the Olympics in the first place. [end snip]
I think the IOC awarding the Olympics has more to do with bribes--an historic entitlement of IOC members--than with population growth or political realities.
[snip] Next, I’m going to boycott the 2012 London Olympics. I haven’t figured out a reason yet, any suggestions? [end snip]
How about their inability to provide basic dental services, or their insistence on naming a dessert "spotted dick"??
Sorry to be the Grammar Police, but it's Nicolas Sarkozy not Nikolas Sarkozy. I'm only posting this correction because the opportunity presented itself.