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Why We Should NOT Boycott The Olympics
As I was reading through my news feeds this morning I came across a new column from Ralph Peters. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Peters and read his columns often. However, his piece today is about his ‘private boycott’ of the Olympics. This is a sentiment I’ve heard expressed not only by Peters but by others as well.
China’s record on human rights is a dismal one and the entire world knows it. Having said that, America’s economy and China’s economy are hopelessly linked. China cannot survive without the U.S. as a customer and the U.S. cannot survive without the goods that China produces. We have no choice but to engage China while continuing to encourage reforms.
China has a long way to go before it resembles anything close to a democracy, but when you look at how far China has come over the last twenty years it’s truly stunning. Who would’ve thought Chairman Mao’s brutal communist regime would have turned into the bastion of capitalism it is today. The progress China has made is undeniable and in another ten years or so I believe we will see more changes in China. Unlike North Korea, China’s leaders are pragmatic and forward looking. Reforms are slowly taking hold in China and eventually democracy will begin to catch-up with China’s capitalism.
Having said that, the Olympic games are not a place for politics. Every American should watch the games and the President was right to attend them. Our athletes don’t have day jobs, they work hard and train 24/7 in the hopes of winning a medal on behalf of the United States. We owe it to these athletes to watch them and acknowledge their skill and hard work.
We also owe it to the rest of the world to watch their athletes. The Olympics is the one time where countries with bitter disagreements can check their politics at the door and engage in friendly competition. Countries which rarely have the opportunity to interact with Americans are afforded such an opportunity at the Olympics. These interactions can serve as a kind unintentional ’soft diplomacy’ that works to everyone’s benefit.
President Bush has publicly acknowledged America’s opposition to China’s domestic policies, but now is the time to put politics on ice for a while and cheer on our incredible athletes.
-Chris Jones
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2 Responses to “Why We Should NOT Boycott The Olympics”
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I don’t support a boycott and I want the Beijing Olympics to be a success.
But the Games are a chance, while the world is watching, to press China for change.
Without change China will carry on executing more of its citizens than any other country in the world, it will continue censoring the media and the Internet and it will continue locking up and torturing those who try to stand up for their rights and the rights of others.
It isn’t political. To stand up for human rights is to stand up for the values enshrined in the Olympic Charter.
http://www.uncensor.com.au
You’re absolutely right about that, and I think President Bush struck just the right balance. He attended church services and talked about the need for religious freedom. He said the Chinese have nothing to fear from religion. He also spoke about China’s human rights record with Bob Costas while in China, and he spoke to President Hu Jintao privately about America’s continued concerns. He continued to remind the world throughout his trip about the need for reforms in China, while always keeping the athletes center stage.