Should other nations boycott our presence at the Olympics because of Iraq?

[Recursion]

Any takers?

[michreject]

1. Olympics shouldn't be political

Think Jesse Owens.

[Recursion]

2. That's where I'm going

I'm just trying to get across that we don't really have much standing to boycott China

[Orsino]

4. The US and China have both earned boycotts with tyrannical behavior.

Now, as to whether a boycott will achieve much, I dunno. In isolation--no. If we were suddenly to discover a commitment to human rights, great, but I would assume that our Iraq policy would do an immediate about-face.

China and the US are eight-hundred-pound gorillas. Most nations fear the consequences of anything more than mild disapproval. Most of these have mustered some sort of half-hearted complicity in our schemes.

[dysfunctional press]

13. china is the host country, we're not.

during the cold war, we never boycotted olympics because certain other countries participated- it wasn't until the soviet union was the host that we boycotted over their presence in afghanistan.

[KharmaTrain]

6. Jesse Owens Wasn't Political???

Watch the Lili Riefenstahl films of that Olympics...and then tell me the Olympics weren't political. Owens, a great man, was a pawn not only in the Nazi games, but in American politics and racism as well. Then, he returned to Berlin after World War II at the asking of our government...did a lap around the track as a sign of reconciliation...and that was political as well.

Politics and Nationalism are the core of the modern Olympics. That's not the problem...it's when the politicians and the money overshadows the sport that the Olympics fails.

[michreject]

10. No he wasn't

Don't confuse the Government's motives with Owen's desire to compete. Owen's was an athlete first and foremost.

[KharmaTrain]

11. Realize What The Olympics Are About

Again...Jesse Owens was a true athelete who suffered discrimination in his own country for most of his life. He fought a political structure in this country just to be able to compete in Berlin. It was his strenght, like a Jackie Robinson, to fight a political system stacked against him that is his greatness. Imagine how many great black athletes were prohibited from showing their true skills due to politics.

Owens became a symbol in a very political game in 1936...racial superiority. Then he became political again in trying to heal the wounds after the war (read Abe Sapersteins account...the owner of the Harlem Globetrotters...it details all the politics involved).

If you don't want politics in the Olympics...prohibit people from idenifying with their nation. See how long the Olympics last...

[michreject]

12. You're defining what it has become

I'm thinking the original design in ancient Greece. Keep the politics out.

[KharmaTrain]

14. Take A Closer Look....

The Coulbertin Olympics...the ones that have been going since 1896 were political from the outset...right at the outset of the age of imperialism and nationalism. Many can say the ancient games were political as atheltes were sponsored by politicians...plus the purpose of those games was to honor the gods...one can say that's political in its own right.

The confusion is not about politics, but money. Today's Olympics are a commercial venture...a political entity onto its own. Many of us in Chicago are seeing this game as the city tries to get the 2016 games. It's wining, dining and blowing these mucky-mucks with promises of billions in revenues. It's the money that has hurt the Olympics.

[goddess40]

15. But they are and always have been political

Read Welcome To The Terrordome by Dave Zirin.

[Clear Blue Sky]

3. It's an athletics event. Keep the politics out.

[goddess40]

16. Then don't play the national anthem

When we play the anthem or say the pledge it brings politics in the front door.

[natrat]

5. how bout this

when abc shows the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat etc etc and then does its local flavor backround segment maybe it should show the monk being shot yesterday by the soldier "just to our south in the beautiful tibet" You know blood spatter, brains hitting the wall in modern techincolour for that olympic good feeling. Nothing here move along

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. The entire Olympics should be boycotted because of China

I know I don't plan on watching.

[MethuenProgressive]

8. Is that what went out in today's HillHateTalkingPoints O-mail?

I give it a 1.2, cuz I'm feeling charitable.

[KharmaTrain]

9. Boycotting Didn't Work In 1980

It sure didn't force the Soviets out of Afghanistan. Some will say the boycott made things worse...it hurt Carter politically and took away a large media and commercial eye on the Soviets that may have forced reforms in that country earlier had the eyes of the world been in Moscow in 1980.

The most effective boycott was against South Africa...and that was predominately economic...bankrupting Apartheid. What use is it to "boycott" an Olympics as pure symbolism as this country spends another 10 billion on Chinese imports? We saw in Tien Amin that when our cameras were there, the Chinese found many ways to use them and get a message out. It's when those cameras were turned off that the blood flowed. Our presence at the games means American and world media cameras...and the Tibet question will be raised. Without the cameras, more darkness than light could befall these people.