Posted on 03/24/2008 8:45:33 AM PDT by yoe
Despite strenuous Chinese efforts to crimp the flow of information out of Tibet on the uprising there, the stream of dispatches continues and has begun to confront Chinese leaders with a dilemma: What do they do about the Olympics scheduled to open in Beijing on August 8?
Does China go ahead and risk more adverse reports from the horde of 10,000 athletes, 20,000 foreign journalists, and tens of thousands of spectators who will descend on Beijing? Or do the Chinese renege on their promise to open the country for the games? Or, as has already been speculated in Asia, does China call off the games rather than be subjected to close-up international scrutiny.
President George W. Bush, who has accepted China's invitation to the games, is also being confronted with a dilemma. Does the president, who has emphasized human rights in his foreign policy, go to Beijing and appear to condone the actions of a repressive regime? Or does he stay home and incur the wrath of China's rulers with whom the US already has tenuous relations?
All of this begins to come in to focus tomorrow when the Olympic torch is to be lit in Greece, home of the ancient Olympics, and to start wending its 130 day, 82,200 mile journey ending in Beijing in August. It initiates the showcasing of China's emergence as an economic powerhouse and prominent political actor on the international stage. In sum, the Beijing Olympic games are all about national pride.
Under normal circumstances, anti-Chinese riots in the Tibetan capital, Lhasa, might have been passed off as a local disturbance in a China that has recently experienced 75,000 instances of civil strife a year. This time, however, a correspondent for the Economist magazine, published in London, was on the scene by happenstance…….
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Bush should tell China to shove the torch up their butts
“In the face of this genocide, do our athletes stay home or go to the games?”
We show up. We compete. And we win. Just like in Berlin in 1936.
Boycotting the Moscow Games didn’t help the Afghans and boycotting the Beijing Games won’t help the Tibetans. Such a move would only isolate China further and prolong the trouble.
It is ironic, the Olympics became a magnet for unrest in China and potential trigger for war with Taiwan. If China did not host the Olympics, she would not have to choose loosing money/prestige or security as the Tibetans erupted or Taiwan moves closer to declaring independence. The next time the IOC choses a host nation, they need to examine the host nation’s domestic problems and its potential for triggering more human suffering and wars as the Olympic event is used as a opportune time for uprisings.
I won’t watch one second of their stupid games.
I won’t either.....and I have been making it known to sponsors such as Coke.
He should....but that would never happen in a million years.
China after all, is our financier.
How we ever got into this pickle is beyond me.
Maybe Tibet, Hong Kong and Taiwan will all declare independence before or during the games.
They don’t seem to think it’s a dilemma.
And the American athletes who worked for most of their lives to be able to compete to be best in the world will really appreciate your "patriotism".
China is worried about the olympics making them look bad. As long as they occupy Tibet, there will be animosity toward China, no matter what happens at teh olympics.
should China show some real class, by givint Tibet their independence, the olympics wouldn’t matter.
typical shortsightedness is gonna keep China in the world’s woodshed because they’re focusing on appearances rather than substance.
there is a real potential here for China to come looking REAL good. bet the muff it again.
I wouldn’t go. I’m sorry for them.
But, before they do, he'll have to move his head first. He's too busy sucking up to them in gratitude for their financing his fiscal imbecility.
No one who's been watching the Chinese these last ten years and more is so foolish to trust them. If they're willing to put lead and other contaminants into their exports and the food they feed their own people, why in the world would they hesitate to slaughter Tibetans?
I remember tienenman square. if china is serious about living that down, they ought to take a cue from Britain and be ready to make sacrifices in order to gain favorable public opinion.
but they won’t because totalitarians usually have their heads stuck firmly up their - - - you know.
If we go a few things most likely will happen,
Our nosy reporters will find stories somehow about the dirt.
Our athletes will tell of what they have seen.
Our tourists will tell of what they’ve seen and heard.
There are cameras everywhere,
I’ve heard of ticketing problems and food problems and GOD knows what problems and I guarantee ya things won’t go all a-ok there so let’s just go and get a first hand look see at how the chi-coms handle crappola.
It´s not about the Olympics, it´s not about sports or economics at all. It´s about freedom and morale! The entire free world should put low prices aside when it means to support a country that enslaves its citizens!
I understand that JFK isn´t popular among conservatives in America, but he got one thing right:
“Freedom is indivisible. When one man is enslaved, all are not free.”
While we cannot interfere in China and liberate the people of Tibet, we can show solidarity - by cancelling the Olympics, and by starting a boycot of Chinese goods. China is powerful. But in the end, freedom must prevail!
The Chinese have leaders live old and grow wise. However, their generation was the WWII generation and saving face for them is still very much a reality to these men. Tawian is such an issue and if the games are boycotted, they will simply accelerate their option toi move on Taiwan to save face. Considering the Chinese got pretty much all they wanted out of the U.S. (and we recently took some back) I do not see they would feel too intimidated by the West at this moment if they did move on Taiwan in the next couple of years. Just my take...
I tend to agree.
I can´t get over the ignorance of our societies. Throughout the past decades, everyone felt pretty comfortable by ignoring the Tibet and Taiwan questions. Thankfully, the Taiwans are still free - but a majority of them is trying to bring the country closer to China, on the cost of the minority. Considering the presence of Myanmar/Bhirma in the news these days, I have a bad feeling about Tibet. The Chi-Coms are already taking care of the “problem” their usual way. In a few weeks, everybody is looking forward to see great games, because Tibet will be a non-issue - just like it has been in the past. Depressing!
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