Boycott the 2008 Olympics?

[Pasi Nurminen]

Okay, in 1984, the Soviet Union and much of the Eastern Bloc boycotted the Los Angeles Olympics. The question is should we, in a similar freedom loving fashion, boycott the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, based on the PRC's horrendous human rights records? They quash separatists, cults, and kill tens of thousands a year in "judicial" killings, so should we boycott the Olympics to avoid giving the PRC any more legitimacy?

 

[atreas]

Somehow you forgot to mention that there was also a boycott in the Moscow Olympics in 1980. Is this an accident?

 

[Pasi Nurminen]

No, that was entirely intentional.

 

[ComradeDavo]

No boycott, because it's better to have all that media and so on in China meaning that that they have to shap up in the international spotlight.

 

[Xenocrates]

There's a lot of work going on in China now, and the Olympics have encouraged the Chinese to reform.

These olympics will showcase solar technology as well, so I feel a boycott would be crazy.

 

[Pasi Nurminen]

No boycott, because it's better to have all that media and so on in China meaning that that they have to shap up in the international spotlight.

But all that's resulted in so far has been the Chinese authorities sweeping out the "undesireable" elements of society from the spotlight to make way for the new, modern China. They level entire swathes of cities to make way for high rises and modern buildings but never provide the poor people they evict for such programmes with much (if any) compensation. They're not shaping up so far, and I don't think they will at any time during or before the Olympics.

It would be my hope to have massive hundreds of thousands strong demonstrations in Beijing during the Olympics to cause the government to lose face.

 

[Xenocrates]

OK Pasi, make a list of all the countries that you would be happy to host the Olympics.

 

[ComradeDavo]

Boycotting would have an opposite effect though, it would make the Chinese more hostile to the West and allow their government to claim that the West hates China and so on.

 

[Pasi Nurminen]

OK Pasi, make a list of all the countries that you would be happy to host the Olympics.

Meh, Canada, USA, anywhere in the EU, and so forth...

 

[aaglo]

But all that's resulted in so far has been the Chinese authorities sweeping out the "undesireable" elements of society from the spotlight to make way for the new, modern China.

Yeah, like this hasn't happened before...

They level entire swathes of cities to make way for high rises and modern buildings but never provide the poor people they evict for such programmes with much (if any) compensation. They're not shaping up so far, and I don't think they will at any time during or before the Olympics.

Yeah, this is new idea from them...

It would be my hope to have massive hundreds of thousands strong demonstrations in Beijing during the Olympics to cause the government to lose face.

Let's just hope it won't become new Tinamin Square then... oh. You mean demonstrations by everybody else than Chinese? That doesn't sound very secure place to have demonstrations IMO. (China & Olympics, that is )

 

[ComradeDavo]

Meh, Canada, USA, anywhere in the EU, and so forth...

So basically rich white western countires?

 

[Pasi Nurminen]

So basically rich white western countires?

Stable countries that don't have extensive human rights violations records, at least not when held up next to China's.

 

[Xenocrates]

I know too little about Canada to dispute, but the US? Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, refusing to sign up to international criminal court, massive pollution, human rights abuse etc. etc. What about Europe: Unfair trading practices, human rights abuse, corruption etc.

So, Olympics in Canada every 4 years?

At least the Chinese are responding to the Olympics positively. The point of the Olympics is to improve the host country. It's working.

 

[Rambuchan]

I voted "No" because ostracising China will have the reverse effect that is intended in the OP. I also voted "no" because people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

 

[Swiss Bezerker]

This has nothing to do with the olympics.

 

[aaglo]

Stable countries that don't have extensive human rights violations records, at least not when held up next to China's.

*cough*Guantanamo*cough*

 

[Pasi Nurminen]

I voted "No" because ostracising China will have the reverse effect that is intended in the OP. I also voted "no" because people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

I'm sorry, could you highlight Canada's systematic suppression of religious and ethnic minorities, as well as separatist movements? I don't remember the last time China held a referendum on Tibet independence.

I know too little about Canada to dispute, but the US? Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, refusing to sign up to international criminal court, massive pollution, human rights abuse etc. etc. What about Europe: Unfair trading practices, human rights abuse, corruption etc.

So, Olympics in Canada every 4 years?

At least the Chinese are responding to the Olympics positively. The point of the Olympics is to improve the host country. It's working.

I said when held up next to China, and no the point is that the Chinese are not responding positively to being an Olympic host country. They're clamping down on dissent even harder than before, and they're committing even worse human rights violations in the name of "modernization." That's not improvement, that's just the same old crap with a new wrapper.

 

[ComradeDavo]

Stable countries that don't have extensive human rights violations records, at least not when held up next to China's.

Well, to state the obvious, you named the USA as a suitable place to host the olympics - many people including myself believe the US government is violating human rights at Guantanamo Bay.

 

[Rambuchan]

I'm sorry, could you highlight Canada's systematic suppression of religious and ethnic minorities, as well as separatist movements? I don't remember the last time China held a referendum on Tibet independence.

Don't insult your own intelligence. You know I'm not talking about Canada. Anyway, you seem keen to return to a Cold War state of diplomatic relations. I'm not.

 

[Steph]

I What about Europe: human rights abuse

Care to elaborate on that?