Boycott Beijing Olympics

[kristoff]

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.

Don't even do India if you can avoid it. They are, essentially, doing the same as China economically, and are just as draining of our economy - not only in product manufacturing, but also jobs such as the call centers, programming, and so on.

[Riverwind (imported)]

Should we boycott the Beijing Olympics? NO

Those that would talk about there human rights violations but consider this, the first modern Olympics was held in Grease in (if memory serves) 1896. Had the people running the games looked at our human rights violations they may not have invited us.

As for not buying stuff made in China, thats not going to happen because most of the stuff we buy is in fact from China. This is a good thing, capitalism changes the thinking of the people and government where it is allowed to flourish.

As for the Olympics, I stopped watching that years ago. The reason is simple, the modern Olympics was to be for amateur athletes and that held true until some time in the 50 or 60. Then one by one each event was being filled with professional athletes, this is true with each and every event by every country including ours and the TV coverage is a joke.

Boycott the Beijing Olympics NO

Boycott goods from China NO

Boycott the Olympics Yes

River

[kristoff]

Should we boycott the Beijing Olympics? NO

As for the Olympics, I stopped watching that years ago. The reason is simple, the modern Olympics was to be for amateur athletes and that held true until some time in the 50 or 60. Then one by one each event was being filled with professional athletes, this is true with each and every event by every country including ours and the TV coverage is a joke.

River

I usually make certain to selectively watch. I just adore watching men's gymnastics - nothing comparable! Reminds me of one of my old college BFs - boy could he ride the horse!

[Kortpeel (imported)]

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.

One of the things that has always puzzled me is why some regimes should be so oppressive and impose unnecessary restrictions on people's personal freedom.

It's not just China. Burma too is an unnecessarily oppressive regime, so are many African states. At least Cuba seems to be gradually liberalising itself. The Christian church when it held temporal power was arguably the most oppressive of all. Religion still is oppressive in some Islamic countries like Iran.

Could it be that the populations in those oppressed countries are such an unruly bunch of trouble makers that they need to be kept down in order to maintain law and order? Or is it that the people in power are just a bunch of ruthless sadistic bastards?

Why can't the whole world be free? Any thoughts on what's stopping freedom?

Regards

Kortpeel

[IbPervert (imported)]

If successful then boycotting the Beijing Olympics will show the government and big businesses that the American public will not put up with human rights violations in China. China is so desperate to show a good positive face that they are going to extreme lengths to sensor anyone that contradicts the positive imagine. They have spent billions in constructing new buildings meant to WOW the world, and show that they are number one in the world.

Boycotting Chinese goods is a good idea, but due to the way laws are constructed in the United States it is totally impossible. Why? The country that puts the final piece in place becomes the country of origin. That means if a shirt is sewn together in China, and then shipped to Mexico where they put the buttons on then Mexico gets to put country of origin on the item. U.S. laws do not care how much of an item is assembled in any one country. This means that your dress shirt has most likely been to more countries then you ever will.

Also, are you prepared to pay fine, ten or maybe twenty dollars more to purchase something made someplace else? Because that is what it would take to successfully boycott China made goods.

[kennath7 (imported)]

The best way to boycott the Olympics would be to hit them in the rear at the sponsorships

If the people of the world was truly pissed off at china or any other country that abused it’s citizens then they would be willing to send a stern message at any price

Yes in the long run we might pay moor for things in the stores or other places

Let’s look here in the u.s. if for instance a place of busies Berger king, mc. Donald’s ect… mistreated it’s employees based on being gay and yes there are laws that are supposed to protect us from that but it happens would you not stop buying goods or services from that place

The same thing for sponsorships stop buying goods and services from those that sponsor the Olympics and everybody will have to stand together for it to work

Some times one just has to stop and think at what price are we willing to pay for change in this world look at the times that we as a nation went in to other nations and tried or did use force thinking we would bring peace through armed conflict a life is of moor value than an inconvenience or money

There’s an old saying “ money talk’s bull shit walk’s “

There are things that we can do in a peaceful way if one was willing

[nonuts (imported)]

Don't even do India if you can avoid it. They are, essentially, doing the same as China economically, and are just as draining of our economy - not only in product manufacturing, but also jobs such as the call centers, programming, and so on.

Actually India, while yes it is a third world country with competitive advantages globally in terms of wages, it is still not motivated by a central committee (IE communist party) focused on becoming the new world super power.

Take the automotive industry as an example. The Chinese have built full "replicars" of existing models from other manufacturers. I was in a BYD (google it) car that was a complete rip off of a Toyota Corolla right down to the power mirror control switch. The Indians don't do that. They take pride in their engineering and design, and have honor in seeing their own ideas through. The recently introduced Tata Nano (google it) is a perfect example. A totally new from the ground up car design, priced at the equivalent of $2,500 (even with the worthless dollar), it stole no one's designs, and in fact turn the automotive world upside down in terms of how to develop a cheep car for the masses. I think motive is a very important distinction.

When it comes to lost jobs here, I think the more telling and amazing story is how do so many people in "third world" countries have educational levels that ALLOW them to take our jobs? How is it that right now only 50% of OUR children even finish high school.

I think before we blame the farmer next door for having fatter cows, we should perhaps focus on feeding our own cows??? Just a thought.

[The Lurker (imported)]

The only true way for the Chinese people to be free and control their own destinies is for them to to take action themselves. This will REQUIRE that more people in their country will be arrested, tortured, and killed.

The Chinese government DOES NOT CARE about world opinion. They DO NOT CARE ABOUT civil liberties. They DO NOT CARE about the rights of man. They are a communist nation. The RIGHTS of THE STATE supersede the rights of the individual.

In order for this to change several things must happen:

The Chinese people (and only them), must be willing to sacrifice EVERYTHING to be free. This will require that many will die. This will require that many more will be imprisoned and tortured. Freedom comes at a HUGE cost.

Attendance(or lack of) at a glorified track meet will have no effect on the situation.

This very website would not exist in China as it would be considered immoral and subversive. The differences between communism and democracy are GREAT and VAST. Discussing China like it is a western democracy is pointless...

[coinflipper_21 (imported)]

The Chinese government DOES NOT CARE about world opinion. They DO NOT CARE ABOUT civil liberties. They DO NOT CARE about the rights of man. They are a communist nation. The RIGHTS of THE STATE supersede the rights of the individual.

The Lurker brings up the point that most people organizing protests or suggesting punitive action against other governments fail to take into account. The other government HAS TO CARE ABOUT WORLD OPINION...they HAVE TO CARE WHAT THEIR PEOPLE THINK or none of this has any effect except to annoy them.

The Strategic Bombing Survey after WWII came to that conclusion. Everyone wondered why, when it became apparent in early 1944 that the USAAF and RAF were going to bomb Germany to rubble that Hitler's government did not collapse. The reason was the Hitler and his cronies DID NOT CARE what happened to the German people. Anyone suggesting that they leave power was sent to a slave labor camp or slowly strangled with piano wire. They were perfectly willing to have the country commit suicide with them. On the other hand, the Japanese were actually planning to commit national suicide to resist the invasion of Japan, but the atomic bombings ended the war. Why? Because, as it turned out, the Emperor CARED what happened to his people.

There no reason that we have to help the Chinese government to own us by shipping all our manufacturing over there and buying all their products, but WHEN DEALING WITH A TOTALITARIAN GOVERNMENT ECONOMIC SANCTIONS AND PUBLIC PROTESTING ARE JUST SO MUCH PISSING IN THE WIND.

[IbPervert (imported)]

Normally, I would agree that China does not care what the world thinks, but at this point in time the Chinese government does care what the world thinks and they are doing everything in there power to see that the games are a success. Why? I think its so show the world how great and superior they are.