Should we boycott the Beijing Olympics ....

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  • NoH8
    NoH8 Member Posts: 2,726
    edited April 2008

    Great RM--you're always quick with a kind and positive solution.

    Grace, I think boycotting the companies is a good idea, but will only work if it's done en masse and I don't see that happening.

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited April 2008

    Amy, didn't know that there was a problem for MOST of us in the USA hosting the Olympics. My response has to do with the fact that MOST of the citizens here in the USA and with the exception of the Muslim run countries,   MOST people don't see the USA as leaders of human right's violations and therefore would not be pushing to have us eliminated as a contender to host it.

    ======

    Grace, check out the No More Made in China thread .... lots of people are boycotting products made there.  For me, I'm not buying them either.   But I also think it helps our ecomony to be more self reliant and give our workers the jobs by supporting Made in America products.

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  • justanna
    justanna Member Posts: 90
    edited April 2008

    I'm not an athlete, absolutely, but I

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  • justanna
    justanna Member Posts: 90
    edited April 2008

    I'm not an athlete, absolutely, but I admire

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  • justanna
    justanna Member Posts: 90
    edited April 2008

    I'm not an athlete, absolutely, but I admire and

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  • justanna
    justanna Member Posts: 90
    edited April 2008

    I'm not an athlete, absolutely, but I admire and respect

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  • justanna
    justanna Member Posts: 90
    edited April 2008

    Sorry about the deletions.  There is obviously something I don't understand about posting.

    I'm not an athlete, absolutely, but I admire and respect their determination and dedication to their chosen sports.  I'm certainly no fan of Bush; I hate him at least if not more than anyone on these boards.  Nonetheless, I think if I were athletic though and worked hard enough to make an Olympic team. that if the President of the country I was representing boycotted the Olympics, I would feel unsupported and somewhat resentful. 

    Even as a "non-athlete", I view politics versus global athletic competitions as "black and white".  An athlete performing on their country's behalf is not somehow endorsing their country's politics.  Instead, they are trying to showcase some of the positives about their country, or less ideally, promoting their talents in a positive, competitive fashion.  As a boycott would admittedly not accomplish much, if anything, why not allow our athletes to strut their stuff with the support of our figurehead?

    Alternately, think about other countries wondering why we have the audacity to judge Bejing given our most recent history. 

    IMHO

    Anna

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  • AnnNYC
    AnnNYC Member Posts: 4,484
    edited April 2008

    No to boycott...

    And Felicia, that is awesome!  And I imagine you know the meaning of the term "Fosbury Flop"...

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  • sccruiser
    sccruiser Member Posts: 1,119
    edited April 2008

    Rocktobermom,

    Yep, thanks, have checked the China thread. You should see my daughter and me when we go shopping for my granddaughter. I check every label, and if I find made in the USA, I'm buying it.

    We have sent too much work overseas. We have lost our independence. I hate being dependent on other countries to provide goods that aren't meeting the federal standards of this country. I mean, after all, businesses in the US would be shut down if they used lead paint, but no one bothers to check or ask how something is made before it is imported and sold in the US? Disgusting situation.



    And I skip the Dollar Stores too. There isn't a thing in there that isn't made in China. Even the snacks they sell. Scary. Maybe it's time to not renew NAFTA too?

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited April 2008

    Justanna, I think you hit the nail right on the head with your eloquent words...

    LOL, Ann! Frosbury was a cool and brilliant - albeit strange - man who revolutionized the event by doing it in a totally different way. What most people don't know, though, is that a Canadian athlete named Debbie Brill came up with the same technique (going backwards and headfirst over the bar) at virtually the same time as Frosbury. Guess who got the credit?!?
     

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited April 2008

    Justanna, You're right.  2 different things. I think the Olympics and patriotism go hand in hand.  Patriotism doesn't have to mean you agree with this administration but our Constitution and our Republic give us pause and pride.  Our country is full of amazing and talented people.  Our athletes dedicate themselves and give up a lot to train and hopefully, the spotlight they receive will help countries like Cuba or Vietnam see that our people are generally happy healthy.

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  • AnnNYC
    AnnNYC Member Posts: 4,484
    edited April 2008

    Felicia, I never knew that about Debbie Brill!

    (I was in high school pre-title 9 -- boys had 4 years of phys ed and girls ONLY 2 -- couldn't take more if you wanted to! -- no extramural sports for girls -- but in our 4 weeks of track and field,  I really took to the high jump, in the foot first hurdle style, before the flop was known to the world, or at least my gym teacher.)

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  • NoH8
    NoH8 Member Posts: 2,726
    edited April 2008

    RM-- I think you missed the point since you're posting articles I'm already aware of. The problem isn't with the US wanting to host the olympics, it's whether the olympic committee will even consider awarding us the Olympics considering how far our favor has dropped in the international communitee-- not with every country, but with a large number of the voting body on the Olympic committee. Many consider this country's actions to go to war against UN approval to be a slap in the face to the rest of the world at best and at worse Bush to be a war criminal. It's going to take a long time to restore our international respect. Since our country has not followed the rules of the geneva convention with gitmo and other forms of torture, we're seen no better than china in that respect (even though the products from our country aren't poisonous). Having a new president next year will be a start, but there are international fences to mend before we would be considered.

    I agree that the Olympics are good for patriotism to some extent, because it gives people a chance to support their countrys' athletes and their country. Another reason that I don't think that we'll get the Olympics any time soon was because of the backlash from the Atlanta games from the largely American athletes that was considered unsportsmanlike. The loud roars from the crowds often interfered with the other athletes and the boos for the other countries in some sports was unOlympic. It was the first time the head of the Olympic committee didn't say he declared the games the best ever, and only said the games were good.

    I love cheering for the underdogs, the teams that just had one or two people competing. I'll never forget that swimmer Eric Moussambani, who had just begun swimming a few months before the 2000 games and had never seen such a big pool. He was one of the athletes given dispensation since the IOC was trying to get underdeveloped countries to participate. He didn't even have a proper bathing suit. That to me is what the Olympics are about, even more so than patriotism, international accord.

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  • mke
    mke Member Posts: 584
    edited April 2008

    What I just do not understand is why a boycott of the Olympics means the kids can't go.  I say WE boycott the Olympics - all us old fogies and couch potatoes.  We just don't watch.  We just don't pay any attention.  The athletes will still have their moments of glory, the advertisers will learn to be more careful, the IOC will learn that they aren't Olympic gods (maybe).

    Golly, imagine that?  It would get to be sport again (if it ever was). A repressive regime will give a party and no one will come.  And the burden will sit on the people voicing boycott - not some kid that has been training 6 hours a day for years at his or her one shot at fame.

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  • NoH8
    NoH8 Member Posts: 2,726
    edited April 2008

    MKE that's an idea-- I just don't know if us--- the old fogies not watching NBC's coverage of the events does to send a message to China. I know there is no chance of a boycott- so at this point I would like to see a political boycot of the games from US officials.

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