Should President Bush boycott the Beijing Olympics?

[delldude]

Its a friggin' shame to make it political statement time via the Olympics...a friggin' shame.

:down:

 

[MMB]

No.
The Olympics are about the athletes, not political temper tantrums.

 

[Seatacus]

No.
The Olympics are about the athletes, not political temper tantrums.

Just a little note on the history of the torch run from Greece to the games venue. It was first started in 1936 to promote the Berlin olympics and the Nazi ideology. No politics there, eh?

Torch history

 

[North by Northwest]

Some Americans are so hypocritical sometimes it defies the imagination. Americans have almost single handly turned over TRILLIONS in US dollars to COMMUNISTIC China (while politely renaming it "China" to ease their conscience while buying toxic products made in SLAVE factories).

A COMMUNIST nation with the worst working conditions on the planet. NOW...they are all of a sudden "upset" over how COMMUNIST China is acting towards Tibet, and has ALWAYS acted.

You buy COMMUNIST Chinese products you support what they do in Tibet.

The Olympics needs to stay out of politics. Americans need to stop being two faced when it's convenient.

I can go on record, I DON'T buy NOTHIN that says made in "China". (primarily because I don't want to be poisoned)

 

[MMB]

Seatacus,

Hitler saw the whole of the 1936 Summer Olympics as a means to demonstrate the superiority of Aryan people, not necessarily to promote the Nazi party. While many Nazi leaders, including Hitler, did see the Olympics as an opportunity to promote Nazi ideology, much of that was hidden away during the games. e.g. the removal of anti Jewish signs, suspending the enforcement of discriminatory laws, and the outward acceptance of other races.

Even so, there are many examples of symbols that have represented vastly different things and ideas in different times and places. The torch relay was originally thought up by Nazi leaders as a grandiose means to open the games, yet it has been used at each of the 30 games since then, and always as a tie-in with the ancient games, not as a symbol promoting Nazism.

BTW, the 1936 Summer Olympics was attended by athletes representing 49 countries; more than any previous games. The 1932 summer games, for example, only had athletes from 37 countries.

The Olympics did see a massive boycott, of sorts, in 1940. Those games were supposed to be held in Tokyo, Japan, but the IOC retracted the award and gave it to the second place selection, Helsinki, Finland.

 

[tech2101]

Some Americans are so hypocritical sometimes it defies the imagination. Americans have almost single handly turned over TRILLIONS in US dollars to COMMUNISTIC China (while politely renaming it "China" to ease their conscience while buying toxic products made in SLAVE factories).

A COMMUNIST nation with the worst working conditions on the planet. NOW...they are all of a sudden "upset" over how COMMUNIST China is acting towards Tibet, and has ALWAYS acted.

You buy COMMUNIST Chinese products you support what they do in Tibet.

The Olympics needs to stay out of politics. Americans need to stop being two faced when it's convenient.

I can go on record, I DON'T buy NOTHIN that says made in "China". (primarily because I don't want to be poisoned)

You may not buy anything that says "made in China", but you are consuming and using China made products daily.

Look here

and here

FTC requirement for "Made in USA"

 

[USAir757]

You may not buy anything that says "made in China", but you are consuming and using China made products daily.

Look here

and here

FTC requirement for "Made in USA"

Good point, Tech.

To go around obsessing about not purchasing anything with "Made in China" would take an enormous effort, since a huge percentage of all products you buy were either made there, or benefit them in some way (and I'm willing to bet NxNW has a t-shirt or a desk lamp somewhere in the house from there, otherwise he'd be broke from buying only American products on his AMT salary - maybe the Dell computer from which he is posting?). China has more money invested in our economy than any other country besides Japan. So, while we may be hypocritical, it really isn't by choice in this case.

I agree that the Olympics shouldn't be a political forum, but how else can you protest what these people do? We are enslaved by their money and products, as our own economy cannot afford what we make on our own. They have a horrible human-rights record. They are secretive and aggressive towards their people, and deny them access to information to make informed decisions. Now, they have a huge vulnerability in their hosting the Olympics. This will place China on the world stage as an economic superpower... should we alone let them portray themselves to the world as they see fit? Or don't we have a responsibility to expose the truth?

 

[local 12 proud]

Now, they have a huge vulnerability in their hosting the Olympics. This will place China on the world stage as an economic superpower... should we alone let them portray themselves to the world as they see fit? Or don't we have a responsibility to expose the truth?

Blah...Blah...Blah!

B!tch and moan all you want, see what gets accomplished.

Hey perhaps the UN will step in and help!!!!

 

[North by Northwest]

You may not buy anything that says "made in China", but you are consuming and using China made products daily.

Look here

and here

FTC requirement for "Made in USA"

They will win the war with out firing a shot. Just like Mexico will reclaim the West while we feel guilty and sleep with PC. Thank GOD, I will be long gone in 50 years! (I hope)

 

[Gilding the Lily]

Although it is against every fiber in some of you guys, if you are truly concerned about individual rights in China, buying more products will help the Chinese in their quest for individual freedoms. That is what will win the day. With increased wealth comes increased awareness. Now that China has deregulated certain industries, individual Chinese citizens are becoming wealthy. Money controls. They have already started asking the gov't for more control of their destiny, including personal freedoms. Posner and Becker had interesting articles about wealth creation and rights creation.

***(Only saying that wealth creates more awareness, not trying to start an argument about whether this will help OUR country).

 

[North by Northwest]

Although it is against every fiber in some of you guys, if you are truly concerned about individual rights in China, buying more products will help the Chinese in their quest for individual freedoms. That is what will win the day. With increased wealth comes increased awareness. Now that China has deregulated certain industries, individual Chinese citizens are becoming wealthy. Money controls. They have already started asking the gov't for more control of their destiny, including personal freedoms. Posner and Becker had interesting articles about wealth creation and rights creation.

***(Only saying that wealth creates more awareness, not trying to start an argument about whether this will help OUR country).

Interesting perspective Lily...I understand where you are coming from, but why should we knowingly kill ourselves with the toxic garbage that is coming from Communist China?

I'd rather make a concerted effort NOT to buy and worry about human rights in this country. I do see your point tho. I am just sick of Americans worrying about every other country on the planet while ours rots

 

[Gilding the Lily]

I am just sick of Americans worrying about every other country on the planet while ours rots

I can jump on board with that!!