Please boycott the olympics

Drew · Post by **Drew** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 3:24 pm

With the world watching China right now and they are still pulling crap like this (and what's happening in Tibet) we need to boycott the olympics. At the very least, please don't watch them!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080324/ap_ ... man_rights

SpaceMonkey · Post by **SpaceMonkey** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 3:30 pm

hm... I pretty much boycott the olympics every year.

devlin1 · Post by **devlin1** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 3:34 pm

That tears it! I'm not going to the Beijing Olympics this year!

(But I am moving this to Spam, since I fail to see any RPG relevance.)

Drew · Post by **Drew** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 3:36 pm

oops meant to put it in debate... sorry. :(

devlin1 · Post by **devlin1** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 3:38 pm

~~[quote="Drew"]~~oops meant to put it in debate... sorry. :([/quote]
Debate it is! Pack your bags, thread -- we're movin' again!

Skyman · Post by **Skyman** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 4:04 pm

This thread gets around better than some of the women I knew in high school

Cthulhu · Post by **Cthulhu** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 6:03 pm

I'm gonna make my own Olympics, with hookers and blackjack. In fact, forget the Olympics.

Skyman · Post by **Skyman** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 9:10 pm

~~[quote="Cthulhu"]~~I'm gonna make my own Olympics, with hookers and blackjack. In fact, forget the Olympics.[/quote]

~~[img]~~http://img250.imageshack.us/img250/1601/datalaffavbp0.gif[/img]

Count Zero · Post by **Count Zero** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 8:43 am

I don't think we should broadcast the Olympics or participate in them, but then again.. I never watch the Olympics.

We are hearing about more and more people rising up and activists getting jailed. It is a sign of the end for that government. The won't be able to hold back the tide much longer. This is how change starts.

"The more you tighten your grip, Tarkin, the more star systems will slip through your fingers."
-Princess Leia

Drew · Post by **Drew** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 11:51 am

I've always liked what the olympics have stood for if not the games themselves, but holding the olympics in China under the current political atmosphere is the exact opposite of what I always beleived that was. I hope some athletes if not whole countries stand up and say we're not going to participate!

opwunder · Post by **opwunder** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 3:03 pm

The chances of atheltes, having honed themselves for years just to be able to participate in the Olympic games, boycotting them is so close to nil as to be non-existant. They are doing this because they have worked toward this competition. They will go no matter what the politics...hell, it didn't stop anyone when Hitler's Germany was the host.

Skyman · Post by **Skyman** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 3:24 pm

Olympics to me always seemed like an event to bring folks together under unified respect of the people. Not a statement of political division or discourse. If anything at all it should represent the best in being human and that we all appreciate or at least tolerate the rights of humanity for this regardless of the land from which one represents.

I could be wrong and biased....it's just my honest opinion

Drew · Post by **Drew** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 3:31 pm

Actually, it did stop people. Several jewish athletes boycotted the 1936 games.

Skyman · Post by **Skyman** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 3:44 pm

~~[quote="Drew"]~~Actually, it did stop people. Several jewish athletes boycotted the 1936 games.[/quote]

Yeah my wife pointed that out:

~~[url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American-led_boycott_of_the_1980_Summer_Olympics]~~1980...[/url]

~~[url=http://history1900s.about.com/library/weekly/aa081000l.htm]~~1936...almost boycotted[/url]

~~[url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/july/17/newsid_3555000/3555450.stm]~~1976[/url]

~~[url=http://history1900s.about.com/library/weekly/aa081000x.htm]~~1984...oh yea USA take that[/url]

opwunder · Post by **opwunder** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 3:45 pm

Yeah, and then Jesse Owens went anyway. won 4 gold medals, and rubed the Nazi's noses in their aryan superiority. Hmmm, who made a lasting staement here, those who went or those who stayed away?

Skyman · Post by **Skyman** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 3:53 pm

~~[quote="opwunder"]~~Yeah, and then Jesse Owens went anyway. won 4 gold medals, and rubed the Nazi's noses in their aryan superiority. Hmmm, who made a lasting staement here, those who went or those who stayed away?[/quote]

That's kinda the way i see it

Drew · Post by **Drew** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 4:23 pm

True, but we can't really compare this and that. The Nazis only wanted Aryan participants, therefore Jesse Owens was making a political statement by participating. Not to mention 1936 was a very long time ago.

I just think that the fact that we still have countries who are getting away with what China is doing is a not acceptable in any way and by the world allowing the olympics to take palce in China, they are saying, we don't mind if you lock up unemployed workers for simply trying to make a better life for them, as long as you have sit down toliets for us to shit on.

Neuro · Post by **Neuro** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 5:56 pm

You know, I'm having trouble figuring out if I'd go if we he'd 'em /here/.

Skyman · Post by **Skyman** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 10:07 pm

I would like it to be up to the athletes. Why does it have to be the Olympics? Why not have Walmart take away all of it's business instead? I think if you were an athlete who has dedicated your life to making it to the Olympics and then in the year you qualify...your goverment pulls that away from you because it would rather make a statement out of your time, efforts, pain and dreams then seek more effective alternative means to answer the issues. It's crap and asinine.

Now if an athlete withdraws or competes with display of protest...To me that means Mountains of respect because I know that they put it on the line than some arm chair couch moralistic potato politician who would boasts of 'We're not going' because it's not his tears and sweat on the line. IMHO

Drew · Post by **Drew** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 8:38 am

What I mean by whole countries pulling is the entire team boycotts together not the country deciding to witdraw their athletes.

I agree that it sucks for the athletes who have worked hard to get where they are, but I feel more sorry for the family of the man who has just been locked up for protesting the goverments corruption. if everyone who spends more than fifteen minutes in the spotlight would stand up and say: we're not going to take this any more! Well, you get the idea...

Count Zero · Post by **Count Zero** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 8:48 am

~~[quote="Skyman"]~~Why not have Walmart take away all of it's business instead? [/quote]

Not a bad idea, but even better, "Support Tibet, don't shop at WalMart."

Drew · Post by **Drew** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 8:54 am

~~[quote="Count Zero"]~~Not a bad idea, but even better, "Support Tibet, don't shop at WalMart."[/quote]

Or support small businesses, fair trade, worker rights, etc by not shopping at walmart. It seems the world can be saved if only everyone stops shoipping at Walmart!

Skyman · Post by **Skyman** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 6:52 pm

~~[quote="Drew"]~~ if everyone who spends more than fifteen minutes in the spotlight would stand up and say: we're not going to take this any more! Well, you get the idea...[/quote]

Exactly. That athlete is not gonna get 15 minutes of fame because their goverment is taking the power of that voice away by boycotting the games. Do ya know who is going to represent and be the star for the US in the 40k dash, race walking and whatever summer sport there is...most likely not because that opportunity hasn't happened. Of those athletes that go...only a handful will get to have those 15 minutes. Those would be the winners, horrific agnony of defeat athletes and those lucky to be interviewed about the gal that won.

Now a past star athlete can boycott going and that would make news...and would be bitchen. How about CLinton or Obama or Mc Cain boycotting running for president if policies did not change?

Maybe i shouldn't have single out wallmart...but really...they asked for it....Or maybe we could boycott buying toys made in China. Or throwing money at Amnesty international or ~~[url=http://www.notorture.org/]~~Survivors of Torture[/url]?

~~[img]~~http://www.notorture.org/images/bottom_banner.jpg[/img]

My favorite protest at the Olympics was this ~~[url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1968_Olympics_Black_Power_salute]~~one in 1968[/url]:

~~[img]~~http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c8/Carlos-Smith.jpg[/img]

Drew · Post by **Drew** » Thu Mar 27, 2008 8:10 am

I'm not saying the athletes don't lose out here because they do and I know even if every county in the world got together and boycotted the games but China, nothing would change. We're all humans and humns are not that far from the chimps we used to be, flinging crap at whatever scares us from the relative saftey of our trees. Too bad we've replaced crap with guns and bombs, but it is still the same thing.

Ever see that commerical where there is an action movie going on but instead of guns they pull out water ballons or tomatoes or something like that (there may have been more than one)? That's what we should have replaced the crap with.

Seems France found a way around it by planning to boycott the opening ceremonies but not the games. Makes almost the same statement and the athletes still get to play.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080327/ap_ ... Q0K5qs0NUE

opwunder · Post by **opwunder** » Thu Mar 27, 2008 12:05 pm

Lets here it for France! But, Drew, if athletes and countries chose to boycott the Olympics purely because of the host countries human rights record, where could you possibly hold the event? Certainly not any of the major powers' countries. The Olympics is about human competition not political views. Perhaps you might ask yourself why the committee chose China. I certainly have no idea but perhaps they hoped to put China into a world spotlight, one they could no longer hide from after hosting the WORLD Olympics. Perhaps...perhaps not...but I certainly see more chance of change happening from the world being there then from it boycotting; that would only justify their ignoration of world beliefs.

Sorry, didn't mean to get all preachy...

Drew · Post by **Drew** » Thu Mar 27, 2008 12:26 pm

This is the forum for getting preachy. :)

But you all are correct, the games should not be about politics, however, I don't think basic human rights should be lumped together with politics. Before they can move on to more sophisitcated things like politics, olympic games or forums where people are free to express themselves without fear of reprocussions they first need to have food, shelter, etc. The lion's share of the population in China doesn't. I imagine that most people in China probably won't have access to even watch the games.

As to where the olympics could be held, I don't have that answer. Perhaps with the world's eyes on China now, more than ever, somethings will get changed that would not have been done had they not held the olympics. I just hope it more substantial than western crappers.

But if the olympics are not about politics, what do you think they are about? To me, it's about unity: bringing together people from different cultures, etc. It's about adding value to human life and fostering international relations. Why can't they be a stage for change as well?

Besides, I think you're all kidding yourself if you think they are not about politics. EVERYTHING comes down to politics essentially. That has never been more true than it is right now. The Olympics have been used as political leverage for years. Perhaps some of you are old enough to remember the cold war games -especially those in the 1980s? They were nothing but political propaganda as I recall. "Beat the Commies!" was pretty much the unofficial slogan in 1980 (in Lake Placid).

Illuman23 · Post by **Illuman23** » Thu Mar 27, 2008 12:27 pm

Well I'll just wait for 1012 and go to London. I'm sure no-one's going to find a good reason to boycott that Olympics there. (unless of course, they're still supporting our war in the middle east)

jimmy corrigan · Post by **jimmy corrigan** » Thu Mar 27, 2008 2:30 pm

~~[quote="Illuman23"]~~Well I'll just wait for 1012 and go to London.[/quote]i too would like to try illuman23's time machine. 1012 london, here we come!

ekomega · Post by **ekomega** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 7:24 pm

In response to that Princess Leia quote:

"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." - John F. Kennedy

I think that's where her screenwriter got his ideas from.

ekomega · Post by **ekomega** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 7:24 pm

~~[quote="Count Zero"]~~I don't think we should broadcast the Olympics or participate in them, but then again.. I never watch the Olympics.

We are hearing about more and more people rising up and activists getting jailed. It is a sign of the end for that government. The won't be able to hold back the tide much longer. This is how change starts.

"The more you tighten your grip, Tarkin, the more star systems will slip through your fingers."

-Princess Leia[/quote]
In response to that Princess Leia quote:

"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." - John F. Kennedy

I think that's where her screenwriter got his ideas from.

opwunder · Post by **opwunder** » Tue Apr 08, 2008 8:52 am

~~[quote="ekomega"]~~In response to that Princess Leia quote:

"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." - John F. Kennedy

I think that's where her screenwriter got his ideas from.[/quote]

emphasis on peaceful! China has already used the Paris violence as a means to actually deflect the spotlight from them to the "violent protesters." If San Fran (where the torch is going next) stays peaceful then the light will go back onto China where it should be.

(insert smiley throwing two pennies onto the ground)

Scaramanga · Post by **Scaramanga** » Tue Apr 08, 2008 12:07 pm

~~[quote="Drew"]~~"Beat the Commies!" was pretty much the unofficial slogan in 1980 (in Lake Placid).[/quote]
As opposed to the unofficial jingo-tastic slogan of "To hell with everyone else" that we usually have at the Olympics?

Also, a lot of you are talking about the Olympics supposedly being some globally unifying event. Since when? I think we've seen some of the worst examples of unsportsman-like behavior at the Olympics.

ekomega · Post by **ekomega** » Tue Apr 08, 2008 12:25 pm

My favorite Olympics event was when Jesse Owens outraced Hitler's zeppelin.

Count Zero · Post by **Count Zero** » Tue Apr 08, 2008 1:13 pm

~~[quote="opwunder"]~~emphasis on peaceful! China has already used the Paris violence as a means to actually deflect the spotlight from them to the "violent protesters." If San Fran (where the torch is going next) stays peaceful then the light will go back onto China where it should be.

(insert smiley throwing two pennies onto the ground)[/quote]\

San Francisco is going to go ape-shit when the torch comes through here... and I will have front row seats.

Neuro · Post by **Neuro** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 10:55 pm

http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/ ... 4020080411

The Dalai Llama says no.

Skyman · Post by **Skyman** » Sun Apr 13, 2008 1:13 pm

~~[quote="Neuro"][url]~~http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN1143204020080411[/url]

The Dalai Llama says no.[/quote]

I kinda figure he would....In a day when terrorism goes nowhere it's nice to hear a non violent voice get point across for change to start

jimmy corrigan · Post by **jimmy corrigan** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 1:53 am

Count Zero · Post by **Count Zero** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 8:03 pm

~~[quote="jimmy corrigan"]~~

~~[img]~~http://graphics.jsonline.com/graphics/photographer/20/20534_large.jpg[/img][/quote]

I was thinking that exact same thing.

Cthulhu · Post by **Cthulhu** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 10:35 am

ekomega · Post by **ekomega** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 3:28 pm

I have tried to stop buying Chinese products, but it's very difficult. Now I just limit my purchases and cut out the unnecessary.

Unfortunately, I started this idea last Christmas, only to quickly discover that 100% of Christmas lights are made in China. Don't forget that 100% of Mardi Gras beads are made there, also. (there's a documentary about that).

We have become so dependent on their cheap manufacturing, and yet one of the main reasons their goods are so cheap, and a reason our government (and the WTO and the World Bank) are mad at China, is they artificially devalue their currency.

I am liking "globalization" less and less as time goes on. I would trade all the wonderful products I get from far away to get rid of all the crappy ones (and the problems they cause).