Olympics In "Crisis," Says Olympics Committee President

Unlike many posting here, I'm really mixed when it comes to these Olympics. Yes, China has a terrible human rights record and its subjugation of TIbet (and the issue of Taiwan) are morally reprehensible. Yet, China is also the most populous country on Earth with approximately 1/6 of the planet's people, it is a hugely important player on the international scene and it is a developing country. It has long been argued that the Olympics should be, on occassion, held in the developing world and for the first time this is happening. China is one of only a handful of developing countries capable of hosting the games.
It needs to be recognized that the Olympics being held in China can accomplish some good--it's drawing attention to these very issues which are not, by any stretch of the imagination, new. It's also drawing attention to the developing world more generally. I think it good that a country representing a sixth of the world's population is hosting the games. Things are changing in China at an incredibly rapid pace by any standards. Things are getting better in some ways, bringing the games to China is part of this process and may be one means of spurring greater change. I oppose China's human rights record, but not the games being held in China. The games may be a force for good.

Coca-Cola, GE, Johnson and Johnson, Kodak, McDonalds, Panasonic, Visa, Samsung, Addidas, VW, UPS, Staples.

Some of the more recognizable sponsors of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

I will not spend one thin dime at any of these businesses for the rest of the year.

I will also send a letter to each company telling them of my decision (and an email to the CEO).

Who will join me?

Obviously, I will not be watching the games at all.

The olympic spirit has come and gone. It's no longer, or hasn't been for a long time, Amature athletics at it's best. A lot of the athletes are pros before they ever get there, the pollitical involvment gets more intense each time, and the coruption, even during the US games, has taken over completely. My heart goes out to the real athletes that bust their asses just to get there and show us what real athletic spirit is about, Of course, I once thought pro wrestling was real too. END THE GAMES. Send the Olympic Committee packing. Tell everyone we gave it our best shot (sometimes literally), and enjoy the WWE.

The Olympics have been so perverted by politics and commercialism that it is tempting to say their time has come and gone ... time to end them. I hate to say that, but I ask myself, what reforms could be made to improve the situation? I'm at a loss. Would it be possible to abolish the idea of national teams, thereby the abolishing the nationalistic aspects once and for all? It should be all about the athletes and their individual accomplishments, not the countries they come from. I am a Proud American, but I appreciate a good athlete no matter where he or she is from ... especially those who trained and persevered under extreme adversity, which rarely applies to those from wealthy countries.

A lot of people have posted on these boards that the IOC is corrupt and political, what have you. They are missing the point, because it does not matter the IOC's intent, pure or otherwise. (I doubt any evidence exists to support that the IOC chose China to legitimize their power.) Protests of this nature should have started at the very latest following the IOC's decision on July 13, 2001, but probably immediately following China's inclusion after the preliminary round of proposed cities.

While some believe that the protests will work, I am of the opinion that Olympic protests are more like scolding a child for playing with matches while the house is burning down. The act gives the appearance that you care and have always worked toward preventing such a catastrophe, but really offers nothing in the way of fixing the problem. Too little, Too late.

A new approach should be taken, direct action gets more effective results than a banner drop ever did.

See M.S. Bellows, Jr.'s Profile

Let's ask the President and other leaders to make their attendance at the Games contingent on Beijing allowing the Dalai Lama to attend the Games. (He said he'd like to go.)

That would be a huge concession by China, it calls their bluff on whether the Olympics should be "above politics", and it lets them make the decision. Plus, it's a cleaner test that "talk to the D.L." (which would end as soon as the Olympics are over). Post on this, with White House, Presidential candidates', and Pelosi and Reid's contact info:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/m.s.-bellows/activism-you-can-do-send_b_96043.html

It's all about legitimizing power with the PRC. They're ruthless. Always have been. That much hasn't changed despite their economic success. The core values that make one truly human simply aren't there with their leadership.

Since we discovered that most of the women on those Eastern European teams
had scrotums

the Olympics have been meaningless. Not about the Olympic ideals at all.

When House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) seemed to encourage demonstrators in San Francisco, for instance, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Jiang Yu, accused her of lacking "morality and conscience." Jiang added, "It is clear that kind of person has ulterior motives to disturb and sabotage the Olympic torch relay in San Francisco and elsewhere over and over."

this is unacceptable behavior from the chinese foreign minister

God I hope the Olympics are moved, this is an embarrassment that we let China have this.

People complain about China and protest, but hey who gave China most favored nation status and said they were our friends??????? hmmmmmmmmm

The recent news that the Chinese government will ban any athlete from participation who shows support for Tibet should make the Olympic Commitee's course clear. It should also make clear the action of any nation that values human rights. When the international business community looks at China, it sees huge profits, and nothing else matters. When citizens of the world look at Tibet, they see a proud people in chains, and nothing makes that right.

I propose that Google should censor their search engine for everybody in the world, for two days, using the China censor algorithm. Let's see how long we would put up with it.

It can be fun, like a game!

This is about mettle, not medals.

China could really shine right now by vowing to help those being killed in Darfur, and by also meeting with the Dalai Lama.....
Ha, just kidding.
They don't care at all.