10 reasons to boycott the 2008 Olympic Games in communist China
From Lesh Donlup, a human rights volunteer in the UK
- Human rights are practically non-existent in Communist China Religious persecution, imprisonment and murder of non-violent political dissidents, torture, organ harvesting and sentences to hard labour are widespread.
- The lack of freedom of the press and safety risks for foreign reporters Many foreign websites are banned from being visited within China, foreign reporters are prohibited from interviewing anyone without previous permission from the government, and the content of all broadcasting is severely restricted. Foreign news media reporters have been arrested and sentenced to prison under vague and wide-reaching security laws.
- The 1980 Olympic Games in Communist Russia were boycotted by 64 states, under the leadership of the U.S. Beijing is not any different from Moscow in 1980, which was also the capital of a Communist police state.
- Communist China constantly threatens to attack Taiwan China's government passed a law that explicitly calls for military intervention in response to any intention by the democratic government of Taiwan to declare independence. Military manoeuvres indicate that the Communists' military is preparing to enforce this law.
- Beijing has the most polluted air in the world Studies and satellites photos have proven that Beijing suffers from extremely high nitrogen dioxide levels, vitally dangerous to the health of the athletes.
- China is plagued by widespread social, political, and economic unrest A surge in huge land grabs and forced evictions by the Chinese government for reasons of economic expansion and Olympic Games preparations have sparked thousands of protests. The government has murdered hundreds of protesters.
- The Chinese have been bribing and threatening large numbers of members of the International Olympic Committee A number of U.S. Representatives, for example, Congressman Tom Lantos, have stated this on national television.
- A boycott has some potential to serve as a strategy to encourage human rights in China Only the greedy and foolish global elite think this is true the other way around.
- Holding the Olympic Games in Communist China contradicts the Olympic Charter The Olympic Charter defines the philosophy of Olympism as the "respect for universal fundamental ethical principles" and its goal of promoting "a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity."
- Don't repeat the errors of 1936 when Nazi Germany was allowed to host the Olympic Games The Olympic Games will give Communist China the same propaganda tool Nazi Germany enjoyed. Not since 1936 have the ideals of Olympics been so trampled upon.
Comments
2. We boycotted 1980 because Russia invaded Afghanistan! Please be consistent and organize a boycott of all NATO countries that now occupy Afghanistan. At the same time please point out a country that China invaded during that same time frame.
3. You weaken your arguments when you mix criteria. If air pollution becomes a deciding factor then it must pertain to other cities as well (mexico city, LA, London, Athens)
4. Perhaps the reason that PRC has not attacked Taiwan for these 7 years is because of the olympics. If so maybe they should also get the 2012. (Sorry for the saracasm, but really think of the improvments since 1970 in the PRC).
5. You sight unrest. What other alternative do you offer that does not result in a massive increase of unrest?
6. Most experts (including all dem and rep presidents since 1970s - Clinton perhaps the strongest) have insisted on constructive engagement with China. Hard lines have worked no where. Even in Russia where it looked like the hard line worked to bring down communism, Russia's current authoritarianism belays the theory.
7. In your cultural studies, have you come accross anything that stresses the essential nature of face for collectivistic cultures?
8. Did you boycott the SLC winter olympics after bribery was proven?
Many Tibetans are holding their own boycott for different yet more pertinent reasons. They need more recognition.
Their treatment of animals is horrific.
Till these days, it is the greatest wasted chance for improving China citizens human rights.
And last question: would anyone go to visit some neighbour and have a coffe with him knowing he is torturing his own childs? Certainly not. And difference?
BOYCOTT BUYING CHINESE PRODUCTS!
write letters to our congressmen,to the United Nations and to the Chinese Embassy in Washington DC. these addresses are easily found on the internet. We must take ACTION! A proposal has been sent to congress to boycott the olympics in China. Write your congressmen to support H. Res.610.
True, the US (for instance) doesn't have the rampent sweat shops and horrible working conditions that China has.... we just fund them from afar, all across the globe. Weapons trafficking? That happens in the US both illegally and legally, through government deals. Black market pharmecuticals containing fake and dangerous ingredients? A significant percentage ends up being resold to US citizens by US citizens. As for the consumption of dogs and cats, thats a cultural difference (and narrow world-view) which is no more appauling than our own cattle/poultry industries. (yes, beef comes from dead cows and McNuggets from dead chickens)
Its easy to make blanket statements about a country being ass-backwards and "barbaric" when you've never been there and never befriended the people of that country. When I go to China in 08 I'm going to enjoy and support the culture and people of China. I'll leave the politics at home.
China has been closed off to the world for most of its incredibly long history. As world trade becomes more and more essential for its survival, they have begun to open those doors. The olympics will provide unpresidented exposure between China and rest of the world. China wants more than anything to draw business from around the globe. Have you not seen the efforts they have gone through to impress the pending public eye?
It will be up to the business and government leaders of the world to send China a message of change. We and the rest of the world have what China wants - tourists with money and a global marketplace large enough to significantly impact their economy. Thats probably the best leverage to forcing long-term change in the government. Boycotting the olympics is merely a short-term slap on the wrist since most of the money spent will go to the hotels, restaurants, shops, taxi's, etc.
As for my trip to hell, I haven't yet died so that would be difficult. Besides, I know exactly where I'm going when I do die and hell isn't on the itinerary. (but I hear its lovely in the winter)
Mind you these would be reasons to boycott the Olympics in the USA too:
"respect for universal fundamental ethical principles" and its goal of promoting "a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity."
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You can say it as been since the start of Social Security. It's been progressive since the Great Depression, and picked up steam with the "Counsel on Foreign Relations" or CFR since WWII especially. J.F.K was taken out by CFR because J.F.K. was the only one that stood up against the Federal Reserve and Communists moving into Cuba, walla!
Besides, from 1917-1990 -communism in Russia was hell and the Stalin era alone killed much more than any other society, besides the Ottoman Empire. Not to mention all the Christians the reds slaughtered during their so-called "revolution." Get your facts straight New Communism, which is code for New World Order using the U.N. has an b.s. outlet for peace, "deceiving" peace.
China is like a big bully; large, but weak of heart. They have made themselves the laughingstock of the world from their fear; fear of individual freedom of speech, fear of individual freedom of religion, fear of every neighbor they have. How timid this blustering bully is.
Steven Spielberg is a new true American hero. I would hope the U. S. Olympic Committee would refuse to allow its athletes to compete under Hitler-style ground rules, and/or that individual Olympians will distinguish themselves as heroes who cannot be bought by medals, and will ut aside their desires for glory and boycott the "games".
However, found the following URL to contact all the Chinese staff working on their Olympic games. Let them know how you feel, but be respectful, or you will lose credibility that your opinion has merit and they will write it off to political emotion. Remember, they don't know better unless we gently teach them.
http://en.beijing2008.cn/bo...
Yet I also am convinced that the human rights abuses in Beijing, the atrocities in Darfur, Burma and Tibet and the myriad of horrific and sometimes macabre incidents that occur in china reach FAR beyond the restraints of politics. Surely the difference between war and peace, comfort and torture - even life and death are enough to call a halt to any international celebratory event, no matter how good its intentions?? Of course it is easy to label such atrocities as "political matters" and glance over them like they are something from an " la carte" menu. But the world needs to take a real look at these issues and then decide why we should boycott.
It is my view that the olympics promoting peace and human dignity is an excallent idea, but would it not be better to show our suport in a country whose government actually shares the beliefs of the olympic charter?? therefore I loudly and proudly say Boycott, in the hopes that it will motivate the world and we will someday be truly ready for something as inspirational and breathtaking as the olympics.
And Beijing is polluted?! If you ever checked yourself, US contributed to most CO2 pollutions. If pollution is counted as a reason to boycott the Olympics, then i guess US should've been boycotted already years ago..
And also comparing China to the German Nazi is absolute nonsense.
Every country has their rights to host the Games regardless of their current situation. And if the city is already approved by the olympic committee, and they've already prepared 7 years for it,
WHY RUIN IT NOW?!!!!
The olympics in china is a great way to introduce foreign visitors to the country so that people have a better understanding. I visited China about 3 years ago and it is not what many people think. There is a lot of bias, but China is not a terrible country.
The Olympics is a time to unite countries, and be peaceful. A boycott causes fighting and stress. Besides, I am sure other countries who hosted olympics also did unfair things, and most of the time, no one boycotted them.
to unbiased media (like soviets).
we should maintain our personal connection
through social events like olympic competitions, while
punishing chinas dictators by not attending their political showing off events before the games.
the west opened up to china with the hope that conditions there would improve.
this worked until tianamen square.since
then animal rights ,human rights and environmental protection have stagnated if not worstened .we now put up with HUGE trade deficit that costs us jobs.
soon the planet will die when every se asian drives a non pollution-controlled
car and every village is powered by eighteenth century coal .no damned wonder Tibet wants out.
Pull the plug . cut our trade with china
before it's too late. let them take back
their investment money that they should have invested in cleaner technology !
it isn't as if they have to reinvent the wheel , following the same slow, painful
path the west pioneered in our industrial revolution. what clunky soviet mentality their politicians have!
They should be begging the dali lamma
to be their secretary of state , if they
want to be admired and respected .
his holliness IS the moral authority of asia like the pope jp was to catholics .
Those pigmy minded trolls running PRC make george bush look like a genious !
but first they have to leave behind old, outdated colonial attitude towards their neighbors . they didn't enjoy ignorant
japanese nor european colonials in their past , so why look bad doing the same mistakes .even the soviets realized that
changes must be allowed to happen although
too bad they didn't have gorby follow through with a purging of all the party
hardliners who blocked small business startups . those communists are the source of russian corruption to this day .you hear all the time from leftwingers
about how bad colonialism/imperialism was but not a word on how similar communist governments behave.
Chinese nation Republic million tax!
residual Party on 1 April 2008 at 5:35
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You are not representative of 1.3billion chinese, so SHUT THE FUCK UP and stop OUR, OUR, OUR, you fool
In any case, the Olympics is about unity and nations coming together, not a form advertisement to batter political issues. I am ashamed what has happened in Tibet, but there is no reason to boycott a international SPORTS event. Sacrifices are necessary to accomplish a greater goal.
Finally, as a Chinese I am proud of my country and for all you selfish close minded Americans, you can talk to me when you guys run out of shoes.
Obviously, these tragedies happened way before my time here on earth. That and I can't return to Europe because I have not once set foot there.
There is a difference between things that happened hundreds of years ago and things that ARE STILL HAPPENING! During the time since the days of the colonies, we've learned that all people are equal. I don't see any normal person today having a slave or murdering a native for their land. [Don't get me started on that- the tribe in my town has so much control it's ridiculous. When are we going to be done paying for the sins of our great great grandfathers?] China is committing terrible crimes against their people, animals, and not to mention the planet.
I'm truly sorry for the athletes if anything goes bad for these games, but China does not deserve them.
And we also should boycott all products made in China.
It is very clear that China is only interested in economical gain.
For too any years now we had been consuming products made in China in detriment of our own countries.
We see our economies deteriorating while chinesse economy prosper with our hard earn money.
Are we ever going to wake up and take a responsible stand?
As it happens today our money is going to fund a comunist regimem what does it says of us?
1. The China Communist Party has made the China economic grow fastest in the world, which do great favour to the development of the world economic. Pls simply just look around, I am sure that almost everyone all over the world will find that they benefit great much from the three words:"Made in China".
2. I always worried about my breakfast,lunch and supper when i was a small boy. But i have my own car to develop my business, after 10 years of education and 3 years hard work.And I believe that my business will develop better and better under the current environment. I do not think i can get this kind of good environment to develop myself without the China Communist Party.
3. How many of you know the above things? What i want to say is that the International Olympic Committee have done a great decision! It will make many people to know more about the great country. It will make the great county keeping improving to affect the world. If we only want to focus on the Olympic Games, just focus on it. It has nothing to do with issues of Tibet and human rights. There are just someone doing something meaningless to against the game. Nothing to worry about. If you want to talk something about the Tibet,the human rights or the China government, just speak out pls, I believe that your views will make China government to make some improvements. The more you say, the better. Maybe your good views will make you see more good words around you some day. For example,"created in China, benefiting the world"
Sorry for my poor English, i am not sure whether i am writing exactly what i want to write. But hope that you will understand what i want to write!
Firstly,you are so ignorant that you have never been our country , to say nothing of theTibet. You know nothting about the history of the Tibet,do you want to bring the the Tibet people to the serfs ,like the medieval Europe,that the monkAthe lord own the 95 persent of the wealth,are you sure? Is that the so called ghuman righth you eagerly want?We are chinese,we never think that our human right are to be threated,how do you know?As a chinese ,I am so surprised that you are GODfs babys!If there is a GOD,HE will shamed of what HIS children have done,will do.Otherwise,there is NO GOD or you are no true Christian!GOD says:MY children,You have no saying if you donft know the whole thing and true thing.
@@
@@Secondly,you are cheaters,mostly the news makers.HOW CAN YOU DISREGARD GODfS WORD:TO BE A HONEST PERSONE.HE WILL be ashamed of what his people cheated.
@@
@@Thirdly,you are tools of some politicians.If you really want to interrupt our poltics ,I, On behalf of GOD,please to learn the true things, to see,never to hear!!!!As your old saying which I LOVE very much, Seeing is believing.REMENBER IT WHEN YOU DO SOMETHING OR SAY SOMETHING!WE ARE ANGRY !DO YOU KNOW!GOD is angry ,too.HE donft want to see the people are killing each other because of your politicians.
@@
@@In the end,you are innocent. GOD tells us ,to be forgivable.WE can forgive you ,beacause we believe that you are making mistakes not from bad heart.YOU have been cheated ,too.
@@
@@I apologizes if I offend you,but you should to be honest !
Typical Western Arrogance.
Well go on...who gives a shit about UK.
And the hatred of 1.3 will be returned on 2012, when you will see MILLIONS of protesters from all over the world.
I found it hilarious how uneducated and igorant the majority of those on this website who support a boycott of the 2008 Olympics. After reading all the posting, it is painfully obvious that the majority of you operate on stereotypes. It is sad how mob mentality operates here, especially when the mob have utterly no knowledge or understanding of world events. It is disturbing how you based your opinions on baseless stereotypes of the Chinese, i.e. they eat cats and dogs, as well as mistatements of historical events i.e. the Nazis and the Koreans. And most of all, how you misrepresent various religious political groups concerning this issue, for example, many Christian Missionaries are looking forward to the 2008 Olympics, because the Chinese Government had allow Bibles to be distributed, this is a great opportunity to outreach.
I would suggest that before anyone makes any comments, they open and book or perhaps do a little travelling, instead of being glued to your cable box, using it as your sole source of knowledge.
The Olympics is a peaceful event, dedicated to the celebration of human strength. No matter how wrong you think a country is, or how much suffering there is, it is a seperate issue, and no amount of rhetoric can reconcile the two. Those who boycott the 2008 Olympics does not understand the concept of proximate cause, the Olympics does not belong to China, it belongs to the World, it every bit the event of United States as well as U.K. or Russia or China. The world is not responsible for what is going on in Tibet, don't confuse your defendants.
We (China) are going to retaliate this.
If you want to boycott, do it!!!
We are going to boycott you too.
We are not going to free Tibet.
Everyone who has common sense and love the world should not involve in this type of crazy and unethical action.
We should dispise and boycott mass media and polictions who boycott 2008 Olympics to preserve the objectives and spirit of Olympics.
All the best Beijing Olympics !
Im still up for the Olympics!
Advice to east: China is developing into an "adult" country. Please learn how to act like one. Apply pressure internally to make China better and better.
Advice to both: Calm down and respect each other as co-humans. Try to find at least one person "on the other side" to love.
I am an unmarried white American Christian male who has lived in China 2.5 years. I have many friends/students/workers who have been teaching me the language and culture. I have a Chinese girlfriend and we'll likely marry in 2009. I have helped 100's of young Chinese learn English and currently work daily in business with them electronically from America.
Yes, I've see the problems many westerners point out. My advice to non-Chinese: Be patient with China and Chinese people. Don't boycott the Olympics. China and Chinese are changing quickly, becoming western whether they realize it or not. Boycott will destroy so much progress. OK, protest nonviolently. Sometimes it's all we can do. Have hope.
Consider this - The Chinese people are only now starting to hear the complaints of the world and they are initially sensitive to this recent "bad news". So, they are reacting badly in some situations because from the perspective of free opinion exchange they are inexperienced.
My advice to Chinese: You're doing a fine job modernizing China. As China becomes a super power, and I figure it will please learn soon to "grow up" into a mature thinking country. Become more a "world citizen" and less a Chinese person. Accept other ways of thinking. Don't get so angry. You lose face to westerners when you act this way.
Open your thoughts. Some westerners are trying to understand YOU, so do better than them and make an effort to think outside the culture you grew up in. We westerners fight for human (individual) rights. In whatever country they are violated. Tibet can stay part of China, but a system has to be set up to address their concerns. What if Tibet were a candidate for One Country THREE Systems?
THE POINT of the Olympics is UNITY and PEACE.
If people are not even giving China a CHANCE at peace and unity, than those people are AT FAULT. China has its own problems within the country, but I see no problem with the Olympics, itself.
If so many people are against the fact that China is holding the event, WHY did people VOTE China the country to hold it this year?
Before ANYONE opens their mouths and says ANYTHING against China, they should do some REAL, hard RESEARCH and get the STRAIGHT FACTS. Don't throw in STEREOTYPES and other useless facts that have NOTHING whatsoever to do with the Olympics.
I'm sick and tired of western societies trying to demonize China.
The heparin for my epo infusions is tainted.
I'm still recovering emotionally from my dog's death from tainted dog food.
It would be a big setback if I got served dog for dinner.
After sucking the lead off his made-in-china Thomas the Tank Engine as a toddler,
my kid has to repeat pre-K this summer.
And next summer.
My gas mask isn't heavy duty enough to use in Beijing.
I could use portable oxygen instead of my gas mask, but I was saving it for Tibet.
Speaking of which, I'd rather go to Everest,
but my sherpas have been killed or imprisoned by the Chinese government.
After all the Bush administration has done,
I'm kinda scared & too embarrassed to travel abroad as an American.
WE SHOULD ALL LOVE CHINA!
4EV.
: )
My Advice to Chinese: Ignore the retards and don't let it anger you
Advice to Non-Chinese: The amount of influence you have is scarce so don't talk as if you are any bit important. If you did boycott the Olympic Games all CHina would have to do is change the exportion rate. you $39 made in China Sneakers are now $250 Non-cheap labour products. The entire world relies on CHina. Take out every that is not Made and China and then come back and comment on this discussion. That is if you can without China.
so instead, i should be saying... Thank you for posting comments!
1. China is the most populous nation, with one-fifth of the world's population.Hosting the Olympic Games in Beijing will increase the popularity of the Olympic movement.
2. China is a rapid growing country with around 10% GDP growth.
3. China ranks the fourth in the number of medals won at previous Olympic Games.
4. Beijing is one of the cities with lowest crime and traffic death,it has capabilities to guarantee security of any major sports competitions.
5. Beijing has more than three thousands history with lots of scenic spots and historical sites.
6. Beijing has a wealth of experience in holding major sports competitions such as the 11th Asian Games.
7.take a look at Olympic park... the wonderful place for athletes...u will change ur mind!!
8. Beijing has 344 star hotels that can accommodate 400,000 plp. Air routes link the city with 54 cities in 39 countries.
9. we do our best, Green Olympics, one world one dream
10. Beijing welcomes u! plz come to Beijing, gives u a totally different view!!!!
1. China is the most populous nation, with one-fifth of the world's population.Hosting the Olympic Games in Beijing will increase the popularity of the Olympic movement.
2. China is a rapid growing country with around 10% GDP growth.
3. China ranks the fourth in the number of medals won at previous Olympic Games.
4. Beijing is one of the cities with lowest crime and traffic death,it has capabilities to guarantee security of any major sports competitions.
5. Beijing has more than three thousands history with lots of scenic spots and historical sites.
6. Beijing has a wealth of experience in holding major sports competitions such as the 11th Asian Games.
7.take a look at Olympic park... the wonderful place for athletes...u will change ur mind!!
8. Beijing has 344 star hotels that can accommodate 400,000 plp. Air routes link the city with 54 cities in 39 countries.
9. we do our best, Green Olympics, one world one dream
10. Beijing welcomes u! plz come to Beijing, gives u a totally different view!!!!
and again...
We are ready!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
where did u get all these news resourses?
did u do u own research about the massive improving about China's Human rights, living starands, eduction & heathly systems?
do u know China has the largeest popultion in the world?
do u know how China look like 30 yrs ago!?
do u know who made these memorable changes in China!?
no matter u boycott or not! its too late now! & china will hold the greatest Olympics ever before, as more than 86 countries leaders forecasted(ref: http://www.bbc.co.uk/chines...).
as a Chinese, tbh, i do agree 2 or 3 of ur points. but ask any Chinese ppl (i mean 1.4 billion Chinese), the rest of them r bullshit & crap.
bear in mind, nothing wrong with the Chinese people. u'd better be careful about ur tongue! Didn't u say Chinese bribing???
as a advice, for such a empty-headed kid like you, DO NOT challenge / dare a quarter of the World's population! one day it will be ended up by some serious punishment for u (or thoese anti chinese)!
finally, Olympics is not politics!
So you can list all the great tourist points about why Beijing makes a great olympic city and why China is so unique. The world is full of unique cities and countries with unique histories and circumstances. It's a shame some will die out, that governments see it as their right to weed those cultures out until not a single trace is left.. like they never existed. Imagine living with the daily knowledge that in the not so distant future, you and your people WILL NOT EXIST.
Number one, I'm in Beijing at this very second, connected to their internet, using their bandwidth and I can see this web page and all of it's comments just perfectly dandy. Don't you think if China's censoring is as extreme as everybody else says it is, this website would've been blocked long ago and I wouldn't be reading everything 2 YEARS after it's been posted? So before you post a comment, please do a little research on it?
Number two. If one of your reasons for boycotting the Beijing Olympics is that some cultures are dying out, then take a look at the Native American cultures in the US. As an American myself, I am ashamed at how the government is treating the TRUE Americans. They've been kicked out of their homes and made to trek thousands of miles into unknown territory completely unprepared because the white man was greedy. And what's happening to them now? The little money the US government gives them is hardly enough to get food and pay bills. Some of the so called "reservations" don't even have plumbing. People have to trek a long way just to bring water they can't even drink back to their families. Their culture is dying too. They're kids don't even know the language of their grandparents much less the customs. So, if its a culture dying out that's got you down, then I say boycott all Olympics in the US too.
1. I sincerely invite you to come and visit China and then tell me how human rights are "practically non-existent". Where were the human rights of all the African people when your country started enslaving them and selling them like cattle? What happened to all the people who didn't want to worship your Christian God even though you forced it upon them? Where were their human rights? Yes, I know that that was a long time ago, but keep in mind that your country's government already had a few hundred years behind it when they started enslaving human beings and killing people just for their beliefs. The current Chinese government is less than 50 years old and it has already turned itself from a bottom of the ladder country into one that is becoming a threat to already superpowers like the US and Britain. Every growing country should be given the chance to develop and make its own mistakes and instead of trying to hinder the growth, already grown countries should be helping it.
2. True there WAS lack of foreign press back when this was posted, but I would like to point out that now, China is opening its doors to the other countries and the press. If not, would Ted Koppel have been able to film his documentary "The People's Republic of Capitalism" IN China? And why, do you think, China is opening itself? One word. The Olympics.
3. What happened in 1980 has nothing to do with the Olympics in 2008. Boycott the Olympics because China is communist? Stupid reason.
4. What's happening between China and Taiwan has nothing to do with the Olympics or anybody else for that matter. It's a problem between China and Taiwan and all the other countries should just butt out, and let them settle it themselves. What would Britain do if Scotland, which has a different legal system than Britain, just like Taiwan does with China, wanted to form it's own country?
5. Its up to the athletes themselves if they want to compete in the games or not. If they themselves feel that it would be harmful for them, then they can decide not to compete. It should not be a reason for the entire Olympics to be boycotted.
6. Again, I invite you to come and visit China, then tell me where the unrest is. And again, I point to what happened to the Native Americans when their land was taken away from them. And also what happened to Africa when the Europeans were land hungry and took a ruler to a map of Africa and said to each European country "you can have this part, you can have that part" without even thinking of what will happen to the people. So if you want to protest China for this reason, you have to protest the Olympics in all countries that took part in imperialism.
7. What country doesn't bribe their officials. And also the officials of other countries. Honestly.
8. True, a boycott has SOME potential to encourage human rights, but when the Olympics succeed, it will have HUGE potential. The Olympics already has China encouraging foreign influence and with that influence will come new thoughts on human rights. Ignoring and trying to humiliate China will only lead to unwanted consequences.
9. "Respect for universal fundamental ethical principles"-please look at how the US government treats POWs in Iraq, Afghanistan, and in Guantanmo. "A peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity"-There is no peaceful society in this WORLD because human beings are naturally greedy and selfish. Also, the US started a war in Iraq. Britain supports this war. That's not a peaceful society. So, should we boycott the 2012 Olympics in London too?
10. China and the Nazis have NOTHING in common! China is not packing millions of people into train cars and trucking them hundreds of miles away just to have them incinerated. China is not trying to create a "perfect" race of straight black haired, brown eye people and killing everybody that stands in their way. They're just trying to make it in this world overcome by greed and power.
Please, if you're going to post reasons on why things should or shouldn't happen, please first do your own research instead of just using Wikipedia and mass media.
Any chinese who are not like this my comment does not apply to
"i hope there is a war with china so we can wipe these cruel sadistic bastards of the face of the earth."
I'm curious as to your stance on genocide because China happens to have its own cultural values as a "backwards nation," of course we should eradicate their existence because of it, no? And whoever said the people of China wanted us to like their cultural aspects, as long as the country benefits from whatever theyre doing, theyre not going to care.
As for the crazy Pro-Animal Lovers. Horses are forced to be dragged around in carriages and rode in essentially every country. Do you see people b*tching about that on a global scale? No. The majority of Americans also eat cows, poultry, lamb, etc. Unless you're a vegetarian I don't see any point in protesting animal cruelty. So some people in other countries like 'weird' food. It's their taste, deal with it, why should you of all people impede on their cultural values. It's essentially telling people in America to stop eating cows and poultry. What if some people find that disturbing?
Ex: Cows are sacred to people of the Hindi culture; you don't see them rising up in arms.
People, you cant expect others to blend in with your own beliefs. By forcing others to convert to YOUR standard ways of life, its a step towards genocide in its own right.
The Olympics is a time of peace, good will, healthy competition and all that jazz. At times its ruptured to glorify nations and commercialize, but thats kind of the point. Why start a war and lose many, in a time of peace? A boycott wouldnt solve anything, and its already there. So relax people and quit being so damn hypocritical.
I'm sure a lot of Chinese people disagree with some of the things their government has done. Most people in the West have no problem speaking out against their governments. So why must attacks on the government be taken personally? It's not personal!
To people who are saying that it would be letting the athletes down to boycott the olympics - the athletes have known for years that the olympics would be held in China and they were free to make a personal choice to stand up against the Chinese government instead of aiming for personal glory. Some of them have done just that, but in my opinion not nearly enough.
There is a word for not speaking up for what you believe in - apathy. I don't believe the athletes deserve the media attention, corporate sponsorship, and hero-worship that they are receiving. In my opinion they are selfish sell-outs.
#2 China a big cesspool of bird flu
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