Opportunity Missed

Yesterday President Bush announced that he will attend the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics. His decision is regrettable -- a missed opportunity for the United States of America to stand strong for the anguished people of Darfur and Burma as well as for the Tibetans in their long struggle for what is rightly theirs. It was also an opportunity to express solidarity with those Chinese citizens whose human rights are being denied. It was an opportunity to demonstrate moral leadership. It was a golden opportunity now lost and I write this brief blog with a heavy heart.

Read more HuffPost coverage of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games

Comments

[Marnie1]

Duhyba's whole life is nothing but missed opportunities.

Isn’t it howling funny that Nixon and Bush, deeply conservative, ultra right wing, anti pinko, leftist, commie, liberals were and are so eager to sleep in bed with the largest most leftist, pinko nation in the world.

Wouldn't it be fun for him to meet with the Dalai Lama and a few dozen missionaries who work in the far east to try to explain to them how he, as a Compassionate Christian can justify this visit?

[MagisterLudi]

There's ALWAYS a country that has a grievance with some other country.
By the same rationale U.S. Olympics should be boycotted by Mulsim nations.
Olympics in India should be boycotted by Pakistanis.

If people like you have a say, the international Olympic movement is finished.
What, we're now going to have a political vetting for hosting Olympics. What is this, Soviet Union?

Olympic spirit is one of celebration and global participation int he spirit of competition, regardless of
your faith, creed or race.

Most of the people who are calling for a boycott have little interest in international sports and would sacrifice the superhuman efforts of thousands of athletes on the alter of their personal antipathies or pet causes. Shame.

[shanghaislim]

Bingo!

[TommyMcCarthy]

I think any boycott of the Olymic Games to make a political statement is a mistake.

A nummber of commenters have pointed out Bush's complete lack of moral authority on the world stage.

Bush personally does not care one whit for the people of the U.S., much less those of Darfur, and everyone in the world knows that.

Our "Emperor" has been parading about with no clothes on for so long that no one even bothers to pretend not to notice. .........................................................tm

[qwr]

Thank God I am not subject to the Chinese govt. This being said, China's role in Darfur tends to be overstated. Nothing near the active participation of the US in Palestine.

[MagisterLudi]

Nothing near the active participation of the Iran in Palestine.

[OgreDaddy]

That's OK folks, I have a funny happy feeling that our true voices will be heard at the games.

They can put a delay on broadcasts and try to silence free speech, but it will not work.

If the Chinese government thinks they can control free people used to raising their voices
they're in for a rude awakening.

[MagisterLudi]

you say "free people"?!

1.Free people think for themselves not blindly follow the lead of the clueless.
2. There is no such thing as "free people." Every population is constrained in some way.
Chinese are free to travel and invest and live wherever they want. Just like Americans.
China has one party rule and so does U.S.
In U.S. you're a slave to corporate interest who govern your live from birth to death ( and beyond).
Also , free person, try not pay any of the: local, city, state,county, federal, vehicle, excise, estate, capital gains, business or income taxes. I wanna see how long you're gonna stay "free."

Head up: China has almost none of those taxes.
Which country has more freedom.... hmmm, but keep on reading Huffpo for hard news.

[watchingthings]

Dubya has great respect for the leaders in China. He once said that he has nothing against Dictatorships, especially if he was the Dictator. "If I was dictator, it would be so much easier to govern"

[qwr]

Who's the dictator in China?

[MagisterLudi]

Update for those who haven't read a book since Mao or get their news from Huffpo.
China is not a dictatorship. It is government by the representatives of the Communist Party chosen from within the party. ANYONE can join the Party who is of a good character and not a religious freak.
Whereas in U.S. both Presidential candidates are rich, incompetent and certified religious lunatics.

China is more egalitarian and elects highly educated technocrats to their highest office.

[mscriblerus]

Everyone has a friend who is so consistently wrong all the time that nobody ever takes his/her advice. In the international community, that person is us with Bush as the face.

[dalescott]

Carter was wrong when he boycotted the Moscow Olympics and Bush would be wrong for attending the opening of this summers games. There is no excaping there is politics involved the Games but it is a time that does bring the world closer together in a peaceful venue. Obama supporters should understand this if they support his position of dialogue with even with enemies.

[Steamboater]

Did anyone ever think that Bush gave a hoot. he's lost so much support from the American people that he probably feels he can do anything he wants, like a spolied little brat, and just screw everyone. This isn't surprising at all.

[kellygrrrl]

did you really expect him to ever make a "Do the Right Thing" decision?

[starrianna]

He always lives to do the "badass" thing.

He is still the same teenage brat he has always been.

[agachieng]

It's called hypocrisy. The US borrows so deeply from China to sustain her national debt. US’s huge current trade deficit with China, is only a mini indication that until America cleans her 'act' with China, she should be the last to parade any boycotts to the Summer Olympics: with approximately $492 billion, the Asian country is only second to Japan as a foreign holder of US Treasury-debt. America has to make up her mind about her true stand with the Communist regime.
If Ms Farrow wants President Bush to boycott the Olympics, then US should desist from any deals, business or otherwise, with China. It's a little 'gutsy' and more than hypocritical to even fathom the idea of an American President boycotting the Olympics, while on the other end of the rope, China remains his country's strong business partner and economic ally. At its worst, the boycott should be left to the Europeans...well! if they can have the mettle to flesh legitimate assertions against Beijing. I doubt it.
Shouldn't we all be surprised that the only time the industrialized nations, "stand strong for the anguished people” of the world, is when the national interests of the former are at stake?
The Olympics is a world sport venue. It's the only gathering where countries get the opportunity to let loose and have fun. It's not a political arena to discuss world-affairs. A platform already exists at the UN where all issues pertaining to Burma/Darfur can be addressed.

[Bladernr1001]

The borrowing is done mostly to sustain our rediculously wasteful, overbloated and out of control government which is literally tens of trillions in the red (if count ALL the future obligations of our vast entitlement programs). The trade deficit is really a minor and probably non-issue int eh grand scheme of things.

[watchingthings]

Before Bush....China was "crying" to be recognised by the United States. What Bush has done is beyond selling out the American people....it is criminal.

[shanghaislim]

blah blah blah

[BlueZoo]

No! No! No! I strongly disagree with Farrow on this one! The Olympics may not be politics-free but we shouldn't add to it using a completely meaningless gesture to express our views. Whether our President attends or does not attend the opening ceremonies will not affect China and their policies one whit. I'd much rather our President stand in solidarity with our American Olympians as they come into that stadium on that night. These kids with stars in their eyes and hope in their hearts should have every Amerian's full support. Let's leave our politics at home for this short period of time. We have enough to worry about back here!

[shanghaislim]

Exactly! Nice Post Mr. Zoo.

[TrixtersMom]

Well said.

[sansego2000]

Well thanks to Mr. Bush, China owns part of the U.S. they hold the notes on a lot of our debt. Bush has put the U.S. in a weakened state, because of the debt. Not only does Bush not have any moral high ground , but he has taken the nation into one of having to make deals with the devil, not because of the U.S. agenda but because the U.S. is in a subordinate position.

[steamboat]

Bush, yes.....but are you forgetting Clinton. All those one-sided trade deals with China he made.. China even gave him political campaign contributions in exchange for information and trade treaties. How can you folks forget? What do you think those workers marching in Seattle was all about?

[watchingthings]

yes Clintom sold secrets......then along comes bush and sells everything including the kitchen sink at firesale prises.

[Shriketzu]

The Olympics to my understanding was traditionally a time when you would put aside your political differences in the interest of sport.

Do you really think a better message to China would be: "Want to be our new adversary in Cold War Two?"

The west hasn't exactly been a good neighbor to China, the Opium wars, the unequal treaties, and several violent clashes while western powers ran amok all over the country. Recognizing Taiwan as China at the UN for a while was probably also a little hurtful.

So lets get off our moral high horse, take a deep breath, and enjoy the Olympics in the interest of international sport.

[shanghaislim]

Thank You.

Why do people want to continue to drag politics into a great sporting event.

While Hitler may have wanted to show the world the dominance of his Arian race, it didn't effect the actual competition. I would think every Olympics the host country leader wants to show the superiority of his athletes and the wonder of their country.
Why is China being any different? They want to show the world the other side of the story than what the extremely biased western press has portrayed the last 20 years and more. The same bias that has trapped Ms. Farrow and so many others to only believing the one side of the story that they choose.

[qwr]

I read recently that Jesse Owens claimed that Hitler acknowledged him as he passed, while FDR never congratulated him, never said anything. I believe it. Does this mean that Hitler is better than FDR? Absolutely not. (Although FDR wasn't the saint everyone sees him as). My point is, there is too much weight put on meaningless symbolic gestures. Even if Hitler had invited Owens to dinner, would it really have meant anything?

[watchingthings]

Opium was introduced to China by Britain so they could get the silk for next to nothing. They had the people of India produce the opium for them....for next to nothing. Learning something about history can be very rewarding.

[Shriketzu]

I am having trouble linking the tone of your comment with the words i used. Brittan isn't part of the western world?

Or should we take something called The Opium Wars, and call it The Silk Wars? I don't think i understand what your trying to tell me.

[GManPhx]

Ms. Farrow, as much as I admire your passion for human rights, I believe you are missing the big picture: Because of the actions/policies of this Bush administration, neither you nor I, or any other US Citizen has the moral right be critical of human rights policies around the world.
We have lost both the prestige and the priveledge.
President Bush and his administration have engaged systematic torture of others. The administration continues to detain nearly 600 persons for the past 7 years, without trial. Are these not the same issues you have with Chinese government?
What would be your rationale of lecturing the Chinese on human rights abuses? That we torture and arbitrarily imprison people on a smaller scale, therefore we can lecture them?
In my opinion, it is a canard, in these times, when one takes into context the policies and actions of our own government, to have the audacity to lecture everyone else on human rights.
On a side note: Robert Mugabe just claimed he won an election in which his opponent was not on the ballot...in other news...Hillary Clinton also won Michigan.

[RedDogBear]

I agree with this 100%. Bush and the US in general no longer have any credibility lecturing anyone about human rights. Also, as much as I admire Miss Farrow's convictions I think she and other Hollywood stars could do a lot more good by trying to address all the suffering caused by THIS country -- e.g Iraq, cluster bombs, depleted uranium, global warming,... rather than pointing the finger at China.