Should the US boycott the Olympics?

[elizabeth]

Given the human rights situation in China, and the current protests surrounding Tibet, among other reasons, should the US boycott the Olympics.

[cinnamon]

My gut says Yes (which is how I voted). I know there are a lot of very compelling reasons for not boycotting. I know that Olympic athletes put 500% of their bodies, minds, souls into this competition.

But when I think about the human rights violations.... I just can't ignore that.

[jump4joy]

I think we should definitely boycott the opening ceremonies. I'm of mixed feelings on boycotting the games because I know how much that hurts the athletes. I had a very good friend who made the Olympic team for track on the year of the last boycott and I'm not sure he ever got over it.

[aleutsi]

Given the human rights situation in China, and the current protests surrounding Tibet, among other reasons, should the US boycott the Olympics.

My question would be, why the olympics and not all their imports?

[cinnamon]

I think both would be valuable. :)

I have no stats to back this up, but I would be willing to bet a lot of money that boycotting all of their imports would have a MUCH, MUCH, MUCH, MUCH greater impact. It would also have a huge impact on *OUR* economy (think about all of the products and stores that are China-dependent), which is why I doubt a widespread economic boycott of China will ever happen.

HOWEVER, I do think that boycotting the Olympics would be a huge diplomatic statement- "peer pressure" if you will. Which the Chinese government may or may not care about anyway, so who knows?

This thread is making me realize that I'm a hypocrite and maybe I should think more about putting my money where my gut is. :(

[Sarah]

My question would be, why the olympics and not all their imports?

at a guess, because it would show the whole world where the US stands. A very, very visible statement as opposed to a financial situation with a long term trickle effect which won't be 'seen'.


(not American, not voting -- but I kind of hope Canada skips the opening ceremonies at a bare minimum)

[~PQ]

That'd be hypocritical considering our love of all things cheap and chinese.

[aleutsi]

at a guess, because it would show the whole world where the US stands. A very, very visible statement as opposed to a financial situation with a long term trickle effect which won't be 'seen'.


(not American, not voting -- but I kind of hope Canada skips the opening ceremonies at a bare minimum)

I agree.. I was kinda half asking rhetorically toward myself, yk? I want to say yes, but if we boycott the Olympics, it just seems so hypocritical. I know it would be a great public thing to do, but will it be taken seriously? Everyone in the world knows the US is a major receiver of china imports. (there's a better way to say that, but I'm missing a lot of my vocabulary today - I'm dizzy/fuzzy headed due to seasonal allergies)

[~PQ]

at a guess, because it would show the whole world where the US stands. A very, very visible statement as opposed to a financial situation with a long term trickle effect which won't be 'seen'.


(not American, not voting -- but I kind of hope Canada skips the opening ceremonies at a bare minimum)I just don't get the value in "showing" the world where we stand, when our economic policy makes that a big lie. The amount of US goods that are now made in China is staggering. Try finding a coffee mug made anywhere else on the planet for example. The Olympics is all about show, and that show is pointless at best, dangerously deceitful at worst, if it's a lie.

[Bonny]

I'm the lone "no" vote. Unless I'm willing to completely change my shopping habits (which, while it sounds good and right, I have not completely done so) I am not willing to suggest that others give up their life long Olympic dreams.

[jump4joy]

My question would be, why the olympics and not all their imports?

Yah, I'd love to see a far different trade status with China, and I think that would send an even bigger message. My mom has not bought anything made in China since the Tiananmen Square massacre. I'd like to say I'm as good as her, but I cave on running shoes and fireworks for my kids. In general though, I pick things up and if the label says "Made in China" I don't buy. I've also written letters to running shoe companies asking them to move their business elsewhere.

[aleutsi]

Yah, I'd love to see a far different trade status with China, and I think that would send an even bigger message. My mom has not bought anything made in China since the Tiananmen Square massacre. I'd like to say I'm as good as her, but I cave on running shoes and fireworks for my kids. In general though, I pick things up and if the label says "Made in China" I don't buy. I've also written letters to running shoe companies asking them to move their business elsewhere.

Yeah, I don't strictly boycott all of made in china products.. but when I have an alternate choice - or if it's an impulse buy, I'll choose the alternate or dismiss my impulse.

[mudcreekmama]

I'm not American but I fel the same way as Robin wrt Canadian involvement.

I really hate the Olympics - not the international competition for athletes, but the politics behind choosing cities/countries to host it.

I smiled when I heard that protestors were able to extinguish it, and at the same time, felt bad for the runners who faced the protestors.

[mudcreekmama]

And not just the US PQ, Canada too, I don't know about other countries but the trade issue is HUGE in lots of countries.

[Brenda]

I'm the lone "no" vote. *snip*

I voted no too. It is hypocritical to encourage our country to boycott the Olympics without a similar push to boycott imports from China.

Personally, I do not like the spectacle that the Olympics are. It seems to me that it is about the dollars, not about the sports. The amount of money spent on building the colossal infrastructure somewhere new every four years feels so wasteful to me.

[Tracy]

I'm fine with boycotting the Olympics. I'm also fine with the fact that I try very hard to make sure I don't buy products made in China, even checking my juices to make sure they aren't imported apples etc.

It won't happen though because we've sold our soul to them. We consume everything they send over whether it kills our pets or poisons our children's toys and then on top of that we borrow insane amounts of money from them. I would fall over backwards if the USA boycotted the Olympics because I just can't even imagine it happening. Add to that that boycotting the opening ceremonies but still attending the rest of the Olympics just seems hypocritical to me and nothing more than some type of grandstanding. Worthless, really.

As for me personally, I don't intend to watch them. No one will know. No one will care, but I'll be my own little defiant self ! *LOL*

Tracy

[bumblebee]

I just don't get the value in "showing" the world where we stand, when our economic policy makes that a big lie. The amount of US goods that are now made in China is staggering. Try finding a coffee mug made anywhere else on the planet for example. The Olympics is all about show, and that show is pointless at best, dangerously deceitful at worst, if it's a lie.

ITA, though I know a lot of people from all political persuasions who dislike the cheap goods from China for a multitude of reasons, and I kind of feel like these products have been thrust upon us more than most people really, truly want/need them. Or perhaps many people just don't think, know, or care, or truly don't have the money to buy expensive, locally made goods.

It's very complex, but I don't see how boycotting the Olympics does any good in regard to China/US relations, human rights, and the grander scheme. And I personally think it's unfair to the athletes, unless they want to boycott.

Also, I am reminded of this article I read last year during all of the recall scares:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19508453/

[Jill]

Nope, not alone, I totally agree with you.

Yep, me too.

[aleutsi]

ITA, though I know a lot of people from all political persuasions who dislike the cheap goods from China for a multitude of reasons, and I kind of feel like these products have been thrust upon us more than most people really, truly want/need them. Or perhaps many people just don't think, know, or care, or truly don't have the money to buy expensive, locally made goods.

It's very complex, but I don't see how boycotting the Olympics does any good in regard to China/US relations, human rights, and the grander scheme. And I personally think it's unfair to the athletes, unless they want to boycott.

Also, I am reminded of this article I read last year during all of the recall scares:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19508453/

Thanks for posting that, it's pretty much what I've been finding as well. It seems really useless to boycott china made products, but when given the choice - I just can't buy made in China things. I'm just going to do what I can, when I can. Like when I needed to replace my iron. I spent $40 more and bought the one made in Germany (probably from chinese imported materials) - None were Made in USA. It's really sad, because what happened to all the people who used to make those things here? What do they do for a living now?

[karunamayi]

Watching the hoopla here as it approaches for 2010, I have some serious anxieties about 2010.5, iykwim. There will be such a gigantic collapse after. Int he Vedas it says that in the future (remember it was written 5000 years ago) everyone will run to the forest and mountains to live. Maybe 2010 will kick it off for Western Canada?

Wait... every 4 years?it's 2008, right? our olympics is in 2010. Am I adding this wrong?

[sarahrose]

So while the summer olympics (and winter) are always 4 years apart from one another. They alternate every 2 years. So summer 08, winter 10, summer 12, winter 14 and so on.

[anastasia]

Watching the hoopla here as it approaches for 2010, I have some serious anxieties about 2010.5, iykwim. There will be such a gigantic collapse after. Int he Vedas it says that in the future (remember it was written 5000 years ago) everyone will run to the forest and mountains to live. Maybe 2010 will kick it off for Western Canada?

Wait... every 4 years?it's 2008, right? our olympics is in 2010. Am I adding this wrong?

this year it's the Summer Olympics. In 2010 it will be the winter. They're each every 4 years, staggered 2 years apart.

[karunamayi]

:smack:

[niteowll]

I just don't get the value in "showing" the world where we stand, when our economic policy makes that a big lie. The amount of US goods that are now made in China is staggering. Try finding a coffee mug made anywhere else on the planet for example. The Olympics is all about show, and that show is pointless at best, dangerously deceitful at worst, if it's a lie.
I agree. If we are going to boycott the Olympics, then we should all be boycotting all things made in china.

[niteowll]

I agree.. I was kinda half asking rhetorically toward myself, yk? I want to say yes, but if we boycott the Olympics, it just seems so hypocritical. I know it would be a great public thing to do, but will it be taken seriously? Everyone in the world knows the US is a major receiver of china imports. (there's a better way to say that, but I'm missing a lot of my vocabulary today - I'm dizzy/fuzzy headed due to seasonal allergies)

and I half jokingly wanted to ask if you are sure it is not a lead overdose from something made in China.

[kokoro]

I remember how upset I was at Carter for boycotting the Moscow games. It seemed so *wrong* to me as a young swimmer that the president should get to decide that although all those Americans trained most of their lives to be there, earned the place there, they wouldn't be allowed to go. Why should our athletes pay that price?

I agree about us buying Chinese goods. However, isn't it nearly impossible to *not* buy Chinese stuff? Robin said her mom hasn't bought anything from China since Tinamen. There was that family that just wrote a book about going a year without made in China stuff and it was next to impossible for them to do.

Additionally, I know someone who owns a shoe company. He has his stuff made in SE Asia cheaply and it is all done but one seam. He has it sent this way to the States and people here sew that last seam and it gets the 'made in the USA label' because of this so I don't think there is a good way to know something for sure *isn't* made in china.

I think any boycott would only hurt the Chinese people anyway. China is large and it has enough natural resources. They won't just cave to a boycott of their products.

[kathy caribe]

Mexico had little to no Chinese imports until 2 years ago. Import taxes were 50% or more. Now they've dropped to 17% and this country is a GLUT of Chinese goods. I specificallly seek out "Made in Mexico" because I don't trust the "Made in US" label. If it says, "Made in Mexico" I have a larger belief that it is. Luckilly, it is really easy to get just about anything custom made (locally) and buy in season as our produce is year round.

[Gargoyle]

I'd feel really bad for the athletes who've trained so long and hard for the Olympics. Plus, how we could boycott the Olympics or even opening ceremonies, and still have so much crap from China being sold her, is beyond hypocritical to me.

[candeo]

But it seems to me like the time to decide not to have the Olympics in China is when you're deciding where to hold the Olympics in the first place. Couldn't the committee take things like human rights records into consideration?

[Amylita]

They had to know this would be controversial. Not AS controversial but still, there were serious ethical issues from the start. I wish I knew more about the Olympic Committe and the whole choosing process. I'd be very interested in how these decisions are made and who makes them.

[kokoro]

I was so surprised when they decided to have it there!

I am hearing what the gov't there is doing in Beijing to get ready. It is pretty amazing. They are doing things that could *never* happen here with the gov't the way it is in the USA. Only half the people can drive cars each day depending on odd and even license plate numbers, apparently. There are a lot more things that really surprised me but can't think of any just this moment. We get updates from DH's family sometimes.

The pollution is Beijing is so bad that you can't see from one side of the street to the other so that's why they are having the rules about cars. They want to clean up the air and everything before the games.

[serialmom]

On one hand, I fully understand what Lisa is talking about. Why deny someone who has trained for years? But on the other hand, I can't see any positive outcomes, nothing like a Jesse Owens-style sweep in the face of another Hitler. If anything, I cynically anticipate more doping controversies, and is it even healthy for athletes to elevate their heart rates in one of the most polluted cities on earth? I'm not a fan of the Olympics anymore. I'm not seeing the mission as a positive event. It's more about endorsements and sketchy judges.

We're hypocrites if we officially denounce or boycott. Pot, meet kettle. Our record of murder and abuse is growing quite comparable to that of China. Still, when do *we* start to change? Now would be a great time. I can't enjoy games hosted by a country that treats their people like expendables. How many more will die before the party begins?

[zoya]

and immediate is necessary to get not only China's attention, but to create a global wake up call which is long overdue. The publicity and attention these Olympics have brought to the forefront are priceless and my hope is it will be the catalyst for positive change in this world.

I know it's difficult for the athletes, but I'm still trying to figure out why they didn't protest loud and clear when the IOC chose China for these Olympics. There was enough reason to believe that what is happening now was a very real possibility, even many warnings to this effect. This is no surprise.

1936 Dispute over boycott of the Olympics in the U.S. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1936_Summer_Olympics#Dispute_over_boycott_of_the_O lympics_in_the_U.S.)

International political unrest preceded the games. It was questioned whether the Nazi regime could really accept the terms of the Olympic Charter of participation unrestricted by class, creed, or race. There were calls for a U.S. boycott of the games. The Nazis guaranteed that they would allow German Jews to participate. The boycott did not occur.

China agreed to the terms put forth in order to host the Olympics, so far they have not lived up to their commitments making it impossible for them to do so at this point in time unless they turn their Government upside down. I think they assumed that once it was a go, and the Olympic stadium and Beijing Olympic Village were in progress the IOC or anyone for that matter would never try to take it away. Even though the IOC has not changed their minds, they may have cleared up some of the confusion in regards to mixing politics and the Olympics

Mr. Rogge also made commendable comments regarding the athletes' freedom of expression. It is also necessary to specify that expressing support for human rights in a peaceful way at the Olympic venues cannot be in any way misconstrued as "political, religious or racial propaganda" and thus does not contradict the Olympic Charter. Human rights is not politics, it is a universal concept endorsed by the Olympic Charter. Olympic Watch (http://newsblaze.com/story/20080410180448tsop.np/newsblaze/SPORTS01/Sports.html)

During our recent trip to Vietnam it hit me hard, the reality of how we live on this side of the planet affects the lives of people who make our quality of live that much easier to bare. China is seen as a role model for other developing countries.. they are a strong force to emulate. Do we want this style of governance to duplicate many times over? What is happening in China in regards to Human Rights in particular, is something we need to stand up and take credit for because we have let this happen. IMO boycotting the Olympics sends a direct and swift message to the Government of China that change is necessary now. Boycotting goods made in China might be the next step, but should be done carefully as it will affect the poor and vulnerable citizens of China long before it will affect it's Government. The atheltes will incur a loss that will be difficult for some to understand, but I feel strongly that it's for the greater good and sometimes life is like that, we make sacrifices to help others in a time of need.