Unofficial Running Olympic Boycott thread

The French foreign minister has suggested a boycott — of the opening ceremony. Calls it "interesting" and is open to further discussions.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/03/18/asia/react.php

 

For me, I would be very interested in hearing from NBC during the broadcast about the athletes that are not there.

Part of me would really like to go. The downside is that there would be far too many people there.

 

Read an interesting story about some "official" delegations might not attend the opening ceremonies, but won't pull their athletes out of the Games.
While I might join them, I won't want to miss the theatrical representations of the Cultural Revolution and Tieneman Square, child and prison labor, exportation of female babies and such. Should make for good TV.

 

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/03/20/asia/letter.php

 

I do find it interesting that there are so many reasons to boycott China, human rights, Tibet, lead paint in toys, child labor et. al. And what I find really odd is that the last time they were the focus of U.S. foreign policy was right after Bush took office and that sub-hunting plane was captured.

 

It wasn't captured. It was rammed by a Chinese plane.

 

That reminds me (and thanks for that) ... Hannah Montana toys are killing America's children because of their lead content! Outrage! Shame! Shock!

Yeah, they were made in China.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hannah19mar19,1,7871179.story

 

So now Nancy Pelosi is suggesting Bush should boycott the opening ceremonies. Yeah Nance, Mr. Human Rights will be in Bejing taking notes.
And did anyone see Heistand's column in USA Today where he quotes NBC saying they won't be doing any political coverage of the Games. They're just going to focus on the sports. Really? Since when does NBC ever focus on the sports during an Olympics?

Anyway, here's the Pelosi story from ABC News:
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi does not want the U.S. to boycott the Beijing Olympics, but she says that President George W. Bush should consider skipping the opening ceremony.
Pelosi
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., tells "Good Morning America" on Tuesday that President Bush should consider boycotting the opening...
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., tells "Good Morning America" on Tuesday that President Bush should consider boycotting the opening ceremony of the Olympics but also insists the games should go on.
(AP/ABC News)

"I think boycotting the opening ceremony, which really gives respect to the Chinese government, is something that should be kept on the table," Pelosi, D-Calif., told "Good Morning America" co-anchor Robin Roberts in an interview airing Tuesday. "I think the president might want to rethink this later, depending on what other heads of state do."

Pelosi Considers Boycott of Games' Opening

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has announced she will not attend the Olympic Games, set to begin on August 8, 2008. Pelosi, meanwhile, has been outspoken in support of Tibet, the site of recent crackdowns on human rights demonstrators by the Chinese government.

In a recent trip to Dharmasala, India, home of the Dalai Lama's displaced Tibetan government, Pelosi said, "If freedom-loving people don't speak out against China's oppression of people in Tibet, we have lost all moral authority to speak out against any oppressed people."

 

Good thing the Peacock wasn't on the call from Munich in 72.

 

Good thing Pelosi didn't make the remarks to the Today show. Or maybe she did....

 

Dear NBC:

You have a chance to make an enormous positive impact on the lives of millions of people in China. Instead, you keep Bob Costas in a dark studio with a green night light and claim you are helping the environment. Wake up, stop being a bunch of corporate kissasses, grow a spine and start hammering China ever minute that there's not a hot-looking female swimmer on TV.