Should we boycott the Beijing Olympics 2008

[Davey]

China has been a rising country for years now, and this will be their year especially now they will organize the 2008 Olympics.

All eyes will be on China this year, in a lot of good ways but of course also in it's bad ways. A lot of stories show up on the internet about this stuff and if we should actually boycott the Olympics because of these things, the things China should change:

Freedom of speech
Human rights
Internet censorship
Environment problem
Freedom of Tibet
Illegal property seizures
(and I'm sure that some of you can come up with a lot more. )

Here are some links about happenings/ video's regarding these matters and the Olympics:

FREE TIBET: Boycott Olympic Games in Beijing 2008
China's YouTube: Trouble for Beijing
Dutch Irk China With Debate on Olympics and Rights
U.S. should boycott Beijing Olympics
Beijing Olympics Boycott: A Wake-Up Call

Any opinions? Should we boycott it? Should our national teams not go to the games, should the tv channels not air it, or should you not watch it.

I myself will watch the games, but do think that this is the year that the international community should put pressure on China to change certain things.

 

[Goldiegirl]

That's a tough question. I think that boycotting would just insure to the Chinese that they should distrust the world, and encourage there buildup of weapons and their military. I agree on the issues you brought up, but why don't the people stand up for themselves? It seems to me they are happy with out having control of their lives or destiny. I will watch the games, well parts of them. i am more curious to see how the competitions that require judging turn out. The Chinese judges are enormously biased judges....

 

[Davey]

I agree on the issues you brought up, but why don't the people stand up for themselves?

Maybe because of things such as this:

http://www.stage6.com/user/alex857/video/1452500/Tiananmen-Square-documentary

 

[Goldiegirl]

If everyone is China who wanted freedom stood up and fought, things like Tieneman (sorry bout the spelling) Square would end. That was a small stand, there are more people. Other countries and people have fought harder and longer for their freedom. I get a sense of complacency, because heck, life ain't that bad their for them...they are the worlds largest exporter and their people now have more than they ever did. They don't want to rock the boat so to speak...as long as they get a little they seem to be pacified.

 

[Mars Man]

I voted no. The reason I chose that was given, was because the Olympic games, in principle, for sure (though not so much in practice, to a degree) should not have anything to do with political in/out-groups, or ideologies.

However, another reason why I would yet say no, would be because by joining in and sharing the experience with people in China, we could plant the seed in their minds that we do, in fact, consider them as much a part of the world as the rest of us. Thus, there may some degree of 'breaking the wall' between us conceptually.

I just cannot, at the moment, see any really more productive outcome in choosing to boycott the games. It would surely just make things worse.

 

[kameron]

Even if millions were to boycott the Beijing olympics, chances are it'd still be busier than the 2004 Athens olympics XD

I voted no and I have to agree with the above poster. When it comes to the olympics, politics should always be put aside.

 

[Half-n-Half]

I voted no, /agree with Mars Man. Also, it would be selfish and unfair to our athletes who have been training four plus years for the Olympics.

 

[Elizabeth]

That's a tough question. I think that boycotting would just insure to the Chinese that they should distrust the world, and encourage there buildup of weapons and their military. I agree on the issues you brought up, but why don't the people stand up for themselves? It seems to me they are happy with out having control of their lives or destiny.

So the people of Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Burma and probably 40-50 other countries with extreme or partially despotic rulers are also happy even though they have many fewer freedoms with much lower economic growth ? It's pretty hard to stage a large-scale uprising with your leaders constantly being arrested ...although violent clashes between villagers and officials in rural China is an everday occurance. Problem is, anyone who attempts to film or otherwise document it is usually killed.

 

[Half-n-Half]

So the people of Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Burma and probably 40-50 other countries with extreme or partially despotic rulers are also happy even though they have many fewer freedoms with much lower economic growth ? It's pretty hard to stage a large-scale uprising with your leaders constantly being arrested ...although violent clashes between villagers and officials in rural China is an everday occurance. Problem is, anyone who attempts to film or otherwise document it is usually killed.

Oh man, I wish I could link you a really good documentary on North Korea. It shows what REALLY goes on in there. The people who filmed it were supposedly only supposed to film certain things but somehow were able to "sneak" in other footage. Also, I think another problem with starting an uprising (other than the one of constantly changing leaders like you said, Elizabeth) is that a lot of these people are brainwashed, at least in North Korea. Maybe I'm putting all my eggs in one basket, but the documentary I saw was a real eye opener. The documenters went to a North Korean school where they talked with schoolchildren. All of the children thought America was their enemy. There were billboards all over the place advocating using nuclear weapons against the "Evil America." They even got to talk to a military official on the De-Militarized Zone. He believed that America started the Korean War and was using South and North Korea as a stepping stone to conquer Asia.

So you see, it is difficult for a people to revolt against their nation when they are brainwashed and told their country is a "paradise" from the day they are born. However, this is only just one incident from what I saw on the documentary in North Korea. This may not be so in other countries like China.

 

[Elizabeth]

The documenters went to a North Korean school where they talked with schoolchildren. All of the children thought America was their enemy. There were billboards all over the place advocating using nuclear weapons against the "Evil America." They even got to talk to a military official on the De-Militarized Zone. He believed that America started the Korean War and was using South and North Korea as a stepping stone to conquer Asia.

So you see, it is difficult for a people to revolt against their nation when they are brainwashed and told their country is a "paradise" from the day they are born. However, this is only just one incident from what I saw on the documentary in North Korea. This may not be so in other countries like China.

I'm not saying they are necessarily big supporters of America, but I wouldn't give any credence to these type of obviously coercive public comments either. Defections, after all, still do occasionally succeed even as the adjustment to freedom can put the survivor that has barely eeked out a living under extremely repressive and primitive material conditions in an equally desperate psychological bind.

 

[Elizabeth van Kampen]

Me too, I voted NO.
The Olympic Games this year in China are about young people from all over the world who will go in for SPORTS, not for politics.
Let us just hope that all the young sporters will become friends with the young people from China, they are the future.

I will watch the Olympic Games on TV because Sport and Music can bring people together, and I have always loved both.
Why do some countries want to boycott China all of a sudden?
We all knew about the Human Rights oppression in China.Then why did we all agree that the Olympic Games were going to China in 2008??

Ah well, maybe I am too old to understand all this tricky business.

 

[Haruspex]

A thing that China IS can only be overcome from inside, whether we drool, howl or boycott them, it won't matter. Anyone who's willing to boycott China has too much, way too much time to think about pointless things.

 

[sabro]

I would have to vote no... we didn't boycott Hitler's Olympics... and Jesse Owens had his moments. We should not have boycotted the Moscow Olympics.

 

[EvilCowSlayer]

No. Boycotting the Olympics would close more doors than it would open. Also, China's politics have nothing to do with the Olympics.

 

[Chi65]

Well, I voted no, because it will not change anything, right.
I have been in China, have lots of friends there, some friends of friends died at the Tian An Men, some became dissidents and could not go home for long, etc., etc., and I know, how the locals really are and how the backstreets look like. . .

This means, whatever we do, it will not really change much in the wanted directions by boycotting, right.

It may be better to give chances for communications, any which way.

In our countries we also have quite a mess, and even the last Football Worldcup did not change anything here, except having a lot of empty pockets and some full pockets left behind. In fact, its almost forgotten again.

But if it comes to new friendships there, we should give it the chance, especially, since the internet is severely restricted to my knowledge. Lets talk about things then instead and open as many windows, as possible. Thats the way, informations can flow in, and will. The usual Chinese is very chatty and curious, particularly, if you can speak a few words Chinese, which is relatively easy! Writing some kanjis into your hand, may already work, by the way. They are still very trained in "bushfunk", passing on from mouth to mouth immediately.
And the general Chinese is very friendly!

It would be extremely unfair, to put them all into one bag.

 

[centrajapan]

i voted yes.

the chinese government is not very nice. had china been a smaller country i think alot of countries would have put pressure on china but china being such a big powerful country they can do whatevere they want and get away with it. kind of like usa which tramples all these international laws but no one can do anything about it.

in an ideal world where we cherrish human rights and free speech countries should have boycotted china in the olympics. like how the world did against south africa and yugoslavia. but there is too much money to be made from china so other countries look the other way.

its the good old double standards.

in general i think the olympics is really boring. i hate being in norway during the winter olympics because everyone is so crazy about it here. it makes me dislike the olympics so much more. the summer olympics too is really boring. i think we should boycott olympics all together. put an end to it.

 

[MadamePapillon]

I voted no. Like many other people said, the Olympics are a place for sports, not politics,, besides, it's a global event, just because it's held in China that doesn't mean that it doesn't mean a lot to other countries and people. Besides, I think it would just make the situation worse.

China seems to be going through great pains to try and boost it's global image though the Olympics and put itself out there. You almost get the impression of them trying to make the world like them, though I think they could do away with the over-extravagance and showiness...the Olympics aren't about showing off how much money you spent building that new, artsy arena.
But both the Government and the people of China seem to be taking a huge step forward in trying to clean up it's image and build ties with other countries. After all that effort (no matter how flamboyant I may find it) a boycott would seem like a real slap in the face and only serve to further distance China from the rest of the world.

The Olympics aren't going to make all the bad stuff go away but I think it's giving China a much needed moment of self-reflection and an opportunity to begin addressing it's own issues. Plus a boost in self-esteem.

 

[centrajapan]

Sports and politics have always been mixed. South Africa was not allowed to be in any international sporting competitions and the same with Yugoslavia.

It is hypocritical when Olympics is supposed to be some peaceful humanitarian thing yet it is in a country with one of the most brutal regimes in the world.

It is not about making things better or worse it is about taking a stance against government tyranny. By boycotting it it would have sent a clear message that human right abuse is not tolerated. But aparently human right violations is not enough of a reason to boycott the games.

 

[made of stone]

Despite it's lofty, proclaimed ideals, politics rather than anything else dominates the heart of the Olympic movement, imo.

Ideally, I do wish these games were boycotted by nations unless real evidence of certain changes within China was evident. Realistically, though, there are few nations left able to take the moral high ground here (why did the US and other countries boycott the 1980 games - oh yes, because of an illegal invasion of Afghanistan!!)

I find it all quite sickening, and though my country cannot boycott the games, I won't find it palatable to watch them myself.

The latest news about China's preparation for the games:

Olympics clean up Chinese style: Inside Beijing's shocking death camp for cats

Well, I voted no, because it will not change anything, right.

Chi san, are you aware of the huge galvanisation of world opinion against the apartheid regime of South Africa through the international sports boycott?

 

[Grandpa Frank]

Different angle.

There was a piece on the news saying the atheletes should avoid going to China because the air polution was so bad it would affect their ability to breath and therefore compete at their best. It hinted that taking in large quantities of air during activities would do long term damage to their lungs. It mentioned that many factories in the surounding areas would be shut down for weeks before and during the games.

Uncle Frank

:?

 

[Goldiegirl]

But what about the toxins in the food supply already? How do they feed the athletes food that isn't toxic and contaminated. They just filmed a farm in China irrigating the fields with water from the rivers that is red and bubbling. I don't think boycotting the Olympics is a way to show goodwill between nations, but I also don't think putting poison in food is either.....

 

[MadamePapillon]

They probably should have given the Olympics to India first then worked up to China...I think India would probably handle the Olympics with a little more maturity and civility and give China a model to fellow as a fellow developing nation.

 

[made of stone]

They probably should have given the Olympics to India first then worked up to China...I think India would probably handle the Olympics with a little more maturity and civility and give China a model to fellow as a fellow developing nation.

The aforementioned politics meant that would never have happened, alas. I wish they'd given it to Tibet or Taiwan, but of course those would have been even more unlikely than India!

 

[iwuvvleskaylee]

I havn't read much of this aside from the first post. I think we've forgotten the purpose of the olympics. The original purpose i recall was religious, that was for the Greeks. Later it was revived to promote a tradition that would bring the countries together for peace.

The idea would be that everyone would set aside their differences to share a sporting event that would hopefully remind us that we can compete without war and that we do have things in common. Think of the athletes as ambassadors. If anything, the Tibet issue would be grounds to ban china from the olympics, but other than that, china should host the olympics. Correct me if anyhting is wrong here.

I did, however, read the last few posts. I'm sure that the food would have special care involved, especially to show hospitality to political figures, the atheletes.

 

[made of stone]

I havn't read much of this aside from the first post. I think we've forgotten the purpose of the olympics.

I think that we, the people, have a pretty fair idea of what the 'Olympic spirit' is, or at least what it should be - I just think the IOC have lost sight of it entirely. The games were awarded to China for political and economic reasons, and that is the last thing we, the people, believe in, I'm sure.

I did, however, read the last few posts. I'm sure that the food would have special care involved, especially to show hospitality to political figures, the atheletes.

Absolutely! And I'm pretty certain the richest national Olympic committees will have a very efficient (but costly - which is no doubt the best kind in their eyes!) system in place to ensure the finest local produce reaches their tables. It will probably be cooked by their own exclusive chefs, actually. No cost spared in gaining a little 'prestige' with the rest of the world (i.e. a precious medal or two!!) But as per usual the poorer countries will be at the mercy of whatever system is put in place by the hosts...

China may be just in time manage to kill off all of the political dissidents; the wild dogs that plagued Beijing (and likewise the beggars); the apparently diseased cats (read the story I linked to above); etc etc, but it cannot turn off all of the eyes of the world, even if many do turn that blind eye (and perhaps a majority will).

What has any of this to do with the supposed 'noble spirit' of the olympics? And what does it say about us all living here in, perhaps notionally, better nations that we are prepared to forget this all in order to enjoy a few exciting events?? :?