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Unofficial Running Olympic Boycott thread

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by DanOregon, Mar 17, 2008.

  1. expendable

    expendable Well-Known Member

    Hey, no outing! :D
     
  2. JakeandElwood

    JakeandElwood Well-Known Member

    Perhaps we should have a running thread about it?
     
  3. spnited

    spnited Active Member


    Would that be an official or an unoffical running thead?
     
  4. Michael Echan

    Michael Echan Member

    I have every reason to expect that nothing substantial will happen to China. No major expose, not boycotts, no threats of international sanctions. Nothing. That's how much I believe there is ABSOLUTELY no one in a position to do something that actually has the will power to do anything. The world is too greedy and worried about protecting self-interests to give a damn about what really matters. I'd go on about this, but I don't want to turn into the board's version of AJ Soprano. ;)
     
  5. JakeandElwood

    JakeandElwood Well-Known Member

    Official
     
  6. cranberry

    cranberry Well-Known Member

    It's amazing that it's taking so long for people to reach this conclusion. The Olympics are just another corporate-driven sporting event and there's nothing especially wrong about that -- that's the case with all of the major spectator sports because there's money to be made. The annoying part, and the part about which Olympic (and government) officials should be called out, is the quasi governmental status granted to this particular corporate event because the athletes are "representing their country." Meanwhile, everyone should put aside genuine human rights abuses and wave a flag. Please. I haven't watched more than five minutes (mens downhill skiing) of Olympics over the past six events.
     
  7. DocTalk

    DocTalk Active Member

    Aside from the riots spreading outside Tibetan provinces, other issues may exist.

    http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/JubaksJournal/ChinasLoomingOlympicsDisaster.aspx
     
  8. alleyallen

    alleyallen Guest

    That is what this will ultimately come down to, and that is what will have the most impact.

    And if I'm an athlete who has been working ALL MY LIFE for this one moment, I'm not about to let this other crap stand in the way of a lifelong goal and dream.
     
  9. Pastor

    Pastor Active Member

    I’ll preface the following by saying that I’m in complete agreement on human rights, civil liberties and opposed to all government quashing of free expression…

    What many people outside of the country of China fail to understand is the impact of change as well as the speed of change. It is utterly absurd to expect a country to completely take its belt off letting its pants slip to the floor. We all saw what happened to Russia.

    The government is in place and will likely be in place for another 50-years. Change takes time. Individuals need to be coalesced into thinking in new ways.

    Areas of the country, mostly the middle to western regions are utterly barren when it comes education, money and resources. Sure, they are part of the country of China but they are nothing like the industrial and financial locations of Beijing or Shanghai. Many of these people do not even have the most basic of education levels (it is one of the reasons that I’m in the process of funding the construction of a school).

    Sure, hold elections. Put ballot boxes around. The result would be failure.

    China is in the position that it is in now because of the changes that their government has been making. In fact, the amount of change that has occurred is startling quick, given the circumstances.

    Yes, we all what democracy. We all want freedom of speech. We all want the elimination of oppression. Nobody wants anarchy.
     
  10. JR

    JR Well-Known Member

    As always, Stephen Brunt puts this into perspective:

    http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080317.wsptbrunt17/GSStory/GlobeSportsOther/home

    The full possibilities of the Olympic platform might not have been apparent until 1936, but since then, everyone has understood just what you can do with all of that pomp, circumstance and a really good filmmaker at your disposal.

    and

    The tit-for-tat boycotts of 1980 and 1984 were a byproduct of Cold War posturing. Now, with the ideological lines between us and them less black and white, there doesn't seem to be much chance of governmental action over Tibet. (Yesterday, European sports ministers voted unanimously to reject a Beijing boycott.) The only remaining question is whether the Olympic corporate sponsors will tolerate a little blood on their hands in order to make inroads into the booming Chinese market.
     
  11. jgmacg

    jgmacg Guest

    I'll chip in my usual here. From Reporters Without Borders:

    Around 100 journalists, Internet users and cyber-dissidents are currently imprisoned in China just for expressing their views peacefully. Journalists have been banned from visiting Tibet since 12 March and have been expelled from neighbouring provinces. The crackdown on protests by Tibetans is taking place behind closed doors.

    http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=26254

    And this from the Committee to Protect Journalists:

    http://cpj.org/Briefings/2007/Falling_Short/China/index.html
     
  12. Pastor

    Pastor Active Member

    I agree with all of this. I have argued this point incessantly with people from China and with people while in China. However…

    I asked what is reasonably expected of a government that has been in power and is moving towards change. I am talking reasonably expected.
     
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