Boycott Beijing Olympics

[IbPervert (imported)]

Repression continues in China, six months before Olympic Games

When the International Olympic Committee assigned the 2008 summer Olympic Games to Beijing on 13 July 2001, the Chinese police were intensifying a crackdown on subversive elements, including Internet users and journalists. Six years later, nothing has changed. But despite the absence of any significant progress in free speech and human rights in China, the IOC’s members continue to turn a deaf ear to repeated appeals from international organisations that condemn the scale of the repression.

From the outset, Reporters Without Borders has been opposed to holding the Olympic Games to Beijing. Now, a year before the opening ceremony, it is clear the Chinese government still sees the media and Internet as strategic sectors that cannot be left to the “hostile forces” denounced by President Hu Jintao. The departments of propaganda and public security and the cyber-police, all conservative bastions, implement censorship with scrupulous care.

Around 30 journalists and 50 Internet users are currently detained in China. Some of them since the 1980s. The government blocks access to thousands for news websites. It jams the Chinese, Tibetan and Uyghur-language programmes of 10 international radio stations. After focusing on websites and chat forums, the authorities are now concentrating on blogs and video-sharing sites. China’s blog services incorporate all the filters that block keywords considered “subversive” by the censors. The law severely punishes “divulging state secrets,” “subversion” and “defamation” - charges that are regularly used to silence the most outspoken critics. Although the rules for foreign journalists have been relaxed, it is still impossible for the international media to employ Chinese journalists or to move about freely in Tibet and Xinjiang.

For more information see this link....

Reporters with out Borders (http://www.rsf.org/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=174)

Since American leadership will not stand up to China we have to! Show the world you care about the repressed people of China and boycott this years Olympic Games. Pass this on to your friends and family.

[DeaconBlues (imported)]

I cannot believe that the Olympics are to be held in Bei Jing. Even Tehran (Iran) would be a better place for them.

I am also in a state of disbelief that the U.S. government and the governments of many other civilized countries are just accepting this. I agree, our governments are NOT representing the will of thier people on this matter. That is nothing new I guess, but it is never easy to accept that our government "leaders" are clearly not serving the people who they are supposed to serve. The U.S. is vexed with a particularly poor administration that has for the past seven years, very consistently made policy and decisions that are in the worst interest of it's citizens.

Since my government is doing NOTHING, I do what little I can. I avoid buying anything "made in China" unless it is absolutely unavoidable.

I started a thread at another website urging people to "Boycott China," I would be delighted if any EA members would pay it a visit:

http://www.say-so.org/view/2o8egmk9

[MacTheWolf (imported)]

I agree on boycotting the Olympic Games in Beijing but, why stop there. Lets put a total embargo on all goods and services from China.

[randy (imported)]

i believe the olympics should be about the athletes and not about the country they are competing in. our leadership is doing the right thing this time. why penalize a group of athletes, who poured their hearts and souls into making these games, to make a political point?

before you recommend boycotting the olympics, why dont you suggest that people stop buying chinese products and boycott companies that do business in hong kong and mainland china.

i will be watching the olympics and enjoying the spirit of the games this year and every year regardless of the crimes committed within the countries borders.

[jemagirl (imported)]

We could have boycotted the olympics in Hitler's Germany but then we would have never had the satisfaction of watching Jesse Owens (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_Owens) beat the pants off the theory of arian superiority.

[Batman (imported)]

We could have boycotted the olympics in Hitler's Germany but then we would have never had the satisfaction of watching Jesse Owens (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_Owens) beat the pants off the theory of arian superiority.

Hear Hear!!! Boycotting the Olympics isn't going to help anyone nor will attending hurt anyone more than they are alreadying suffering.

Like it or not China is our #1 supplier of everything and at this point in time we need THEM as much or more than they need us. Factor in the value of the $$$ and we aren't buzzing with a lot of opportunities here. Spitting in the face of our major trade partner makes no sense.

Batman

[nonuts (imported)]

2 points are presented here, and the should be separate and distinct:

#1 boycott the Olympic games. Such a horrible and sad idea, I remember the boycotts of Moscow and Los Angeles too clearly, political boycotts of the Olympic games only serve to make the boycotting Country look weak and incapable of voicing it's concerns and views in a more productive manner. Gathering up our toys from the sandbox and storming home is, well...childish.

#2 boycott Chinese made goods. A real issue that has many facets. The Chinese should be taken to task for the egregious patent infringement and pirating that is commonplace in the business culture. But, stopping all imports from China would cause our inflation to hit double digits if not triple digits overnight. The only thing that has kept inflation in line the past 15 years of record low interest rates is cheep Chinese imports. Does anyone remember the fix for the hyperinflation of the 70's? It was double digit interest rates in the 80's, painful huh?

Now however the growth of China's economy, it's need for industrial energy, is putting huge demands on global oil production capabilities, combined with our undervalued currency and inflation concerns should be at the top of every American's mind. Our first focus right now should be our weak dollar, it's driving the price of oil, and because China manipulates it's currency to pace ours, they end up being the only importer that can afford to do business here.

Yes this perspective is an American perspective, but that's where I live. The EU faces similar problems with China, but not to the same degree.

A lot needs to happen internally in China, and externally in the way it deals with other nations. But the Olympic Games is the wrong club to use...IMHO.

[MacTheWolf (imported)]

nonuts has changed my mind. I support his view. If we boycott the Olympics we are looking childish and punishing our own athletes who have trained so hard to get there.

[ramses (imported)]

I say no to a boycott but I'm still not going...

[karrietoBe (imported)]

My 2 cents (probably the avg. daily wage in China):

No boycott, but be in China's face regarding human rights and freedom the whole duration of the olympics (they'll only go back to their usual ways following the intense international spotlight).

Make a concerted effort to not buy items made in China, and put pressure on businesses to find other sources for products, e.g., India.