Posted by Benjamin on: 07.23.2008 /
There are 14 more days until the start of the 2008 summer Olympics in Beijing. There has been some (a lot) of talk about human rights abuses in China (cited here, for instance, are China’s relationships with Tibet, Sudan, and Zimbabwe). There has also been talk of “boycotting” the Olympics, or more specifically, the Opening Ceremonies, in protest of the aforementioned human rights abuses.
What do you think? Is it reasonable, for instance, to say that China’s human rights violations are somehow of a different order than those of western nations? An old proverb says you can attract more flies with honey than with vinegar–does this hold with regards to international relations, especially in terms of the Olympics Games? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
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Comment by: Jason Horton
1 07/25/08 6:26 AM | Comment Link |How effective do you think a boycott would be in either changing the Chinese government’s policy or raising awareness of the human rights abuses? Personally I don’t believe that a boycott with do either and may actually prove detrimental to raising awareness.
All it would take would be some clever dick to point out that America or England is guilty of similar abuses perhapt by pointing to Guantanamo Bay or the policy of “rendition” that western governments are collaborating in. We’d be better off cleaning our own houses before pointing to others.
In other words we should lead by example.
Comment by: Staci
2 07/25/08 1:50 PM | Comment Link |If one wants to choose to boycott something, the Olympics is a misdirected choice, IMO. Chinese products produced by means of such abuses would be more relevant. And perhaps we should try to see the good in China hosting an event that requires such cooperation and communication with so many nations. The Olympics will bring a focus of attention on China and, when there just isn’t enough actual Olympic things to fill the time, the spotlight will turn to other newsworthy topics. Of course they will try to put their best foot forward - as would any country - but there is only so much you can sweep under the rug or hide in the closet.
Comment by: Hannah
3 07/26/08 12:10 AM | Comment Link |People should practice what they preach, but keep preaching.
Comment by: martin gugino
4 07/26/08 2:37 AM | Comment Link |You sold me. I’m all for a boycott.
Watch the black olympics
Comment by: Benjamin
5 07/27/08 1:04 AM | Comment Link |Martin,
I absolutely love your POV–the way you see inside things.
Hannah,
When you say “People should practice what they preach, but keep preaching”, would you put some limits on that? I mean … are there some things you would rather people didn’t preach?
Comment by: Benjamin
6 07/27/08 1:07 AM | Comment Link |Staci,
I’m curious as to what you mean by this. Or … how extremely out there is this “only so much” line, in your experience? The older I get, the further I find I have to push that line. We seem to have an almost infinite capacity for hiding the truth from ourselves.
Comment by: Benjamin
7 07/27/08 1:11 AM | Comment Link |Jason,
As a bit of a prophet type, I find myself often hovering at the edges of community, too aware of the actual and potential pitfalls to fully engage. You seem to be saying you believe that it’s … possible for us to lead by example–believe in the possibility of a nation being “good”, in whatever sense you want to use that word. Am I getting that right?
What would the U.S. leading by example look like, when it comes to China? I mean they are, in a sense, following our example on some axes, such as carbon pollution and military buildup (there are the ones that spring to my mind)
Comment by: joe
8 07/29/08 1:53 AM | Comment Link |I can’t see there is any disconnect between boycotting China and speaking out against injustice in (and committed by) our own communities.
I know it sounds hypocritical, but I didn’t ask our governments to go to Iraq and kill children - and our foreign policies notwithstanding, China is far more oppressive than we might suppose to normal Chinese people wanting to lead normal lives.
Awarding China the games is few steps away from giving the Burmese Junta the crown jewels. They need to change, we need to stop encouraging the Chinese military oppression and pretending that they are a modern democratic country.
Of course, we also need to get our own house in order too.
Comment by: Liz
9 08/30/08 8:53 PM | Comment Link |and how fair do you suppose this is to the athletes who have trained and trained and trained? THEY are the main ones who will get screwed from this.