Chinese Olympics

[Rheghead]

I think we need to assess all the options before we boycott since China is going to be a big trading partner. Although the situation in Tibet doesn't seem to be pretty, I do think we need to put on more of a objection, a partial boycott may be better like at the Moscow games.

[theone]

I think we should keep politics and the sport apart.

[unicorn]

The way they have treated their own people to build their stadium and village are enough for me to say absolutely. People forced out of their homes and given nowhere else to live so that they can host the olympics??? Awful :mad:

[TBH]

Let's just forget tibet as long as we have strong trade links with China, preposterous and very weak.

[Boozeburglar]

Ironic as it may seem I think we need to claim the moral high ground whenever possible. If our government is unwilling to, individuals should not take that as their lead.

Keeping sports and politics apart is, history tells us, impossible. We cannot control the propaganda gains made by countries our sportspeople visit. We cannot measure how much our endorsement, for that it is, allows corrupt and inhumane regimes to continue.

If we don't send out national teams to Zimbabwe, why to China?

[TBH]

Ironic as it may seem I think we need to claim the moral high ground whenever possible. If our government is unwilling to, individuals should not take that as their lead.

Keeping sports and politics apart is, history tells us, impossible. We cannot control the propaganda gains made by countries our sportspeople visit. We cannot measure how much our endorsement, for that it is, allows corrupt and inhumane regimes to continue.

If we don't send out national teams to Zimbabwe, why to China?I totally agree, there seems to be an unacceptable blurring between morals and profit.

[Kevin Milkins]

It has for sure not been the first time that this situation has happened. I feel sorry for the athletes that have trianed to become champions in there chosen sport to be told that we are going to give it a miss this time around by a fat bellied politition.

[Boozeburglar]

All they need to do is hold alternative events and allow the results to stand.

[Tom Cornwall]

inhumane regimes to continue.

If we don't send out national teams to Zimbabwe, why to China?



it doesn't seem to have helped the ordinary people of Zimbabwe very much.
I agree that the Chinese government have probably built a lot on the prestige the Olympics will bring, but in the long term, they'll probably ignore any boycott.
I think we should boycott them anyway.

[badger]

I'm not sure it wouldn't be better for everyone to go to China with masses of media people of every description and just demand to visit anywhere they wanted. Usually visitors are only allowed to see what the Govt. wants them to but with this volume of people and the accompanying publicity, maybe the dark corners could be exposed. This could be are only chance.

[percy toboggan]

With inevitable ramifications for 2012 this will never happen.

The Games should never have been awarded to China in the first place....due to their human rights excesses...I'm not one to champion 'yooman rights' but bulldozing protesters aside with tanks is something else, and simply not on.

THe whole Olympic movement is tainted by drugs and since profesionalism took over none of it matters a damn. The Olympics should be suspended sine die...or if not...held in Greece every four years when it's relatively cool...all competing nations to contribute.

They are an expensive folly, and an obscenity in a world where people breed too much through lack of education and many starve to death.

[Whitewater]

The games should not have been awarded to China, but that is in the past, it is done. Should we boycott the games?? A very difficult question.
I seem agree with 'Percy toboggan' more and more these days (it must be my age). They are an expensive folly, we are at the stage now where only the very rich nations can afford them. They way that money now seems to count must be completely contrary to the original thinking behind games. Every country involved now wants to put on a bigger, and better display than the previous one. The athletes have now become second to the politicians.

The Olympic Committee knew what the human rights of individuals were like in China before the games were awarded. Did they award them to see if they could bring China in line with the other supposed superior nations? I don't think many nations can hold their heads up very high when it comes to issues on human rights, there are skeletons lurking in all cupboards.

In cases like this I always seem to recall the 1938 Olympics when Jessie Owen, a coloured man, from an inferior race, (according to the thinking of Adolf Hitler and the brainwashed Germans of the time) beat the best the master race had to through at him. Jessie was a man to be admired, though he ran for a country that oppressed him, and all of his race at home.

But the oppression of coloured people in America was ignored, America got the games whenever it applied for them.

America applied a boycott to the Russian games but it was just a waste of time, all the other nations went. Alan Wells managed to win a gold for us in the 100 meters.

I think we should let the athletes go, they will do far more good than our politicains ever will, perhaps it will be one of the first steps for China to bring itself into line with our western so called 'Human Rights'

[rockchick]

While I completely disagree with Chinese policy towards Tibet (especially as I am a practising Buddhist) I voted "no", as I think the spirit of the Olympics is/was as a sporting event that stands outside ongoing politics.

I recall the 1980 American boycott of the Moscow Olympics...and the "red" boycott of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics...what did these accomplish? Nothing. Can you imagine training all your life for the chance of Olympic gold, only to have that opportunity dashed because of some political ideal?

The Olympic games are not the place for these discussions.

I possibly agree with the "black power" salute in the 1968 Olympics...but that was after the medals were already won, so are sort of separate from the Olympics as sporting events.

My best memorable moment from any Olympics was in 1976, watching Nadia Comaneci do her perfect gymastic routines on the telly. How amazing, and inspiring, was her performance...what an athlete! That is what we should be taking home from any Olympic competition...

[percy toboggan]

My best memorable moment from any Olympics was in 1976, watching Nadia Comaneci do her perfect gymastic routines on the telly. How amazing, and inspiring, was that! How amazing and inspiring an athlete was she! That is what we should be taking home from any Olympic competition...

She certainly made an impression on Billy Connolly...whose interpetation of eastern European gymnastics, in turn...made a big impression on me.

The single mindedness of these tiny competitors was, and still is unhealthy.
Childhood is for being a child...not being regimented into some fiercely driven routine by bullying, glory seeking adults - the upshot of which means a perfectly executed 'double swivel dismount with laterally swivelling pike' can be ruined just because your ankle twiches on landing.

[JAWS]

The Modern Olympics and Politics have always been mixed in one way or another. The choice of venues for most global sporting events are invariably made for political expedience.

Calling for the boycott of certain Countries regarding sport is a common occurrence for some political groups.

[justine]

yes and so should many others. Why should any olympic teams put themselves at risk,criminaly or health wise, as the place is full of smog ad unrest....british team members have already stated it is hard to train amid the smog so why should they go...

[percy toboggan]

why should they go...?
Well, certainly not on my account...
..who jumps highest...runs fastest..dives without making a big splash etc. etc....It's all a load of codswallop in this day and age...money has taken over...the so called 'elite' athletes should join the real world and look for work....instead of poncing off the National Lottery whilst winning nowt very much.

[hails4]

i suppose its ok for us to got to war with Afghanistan and Iraq etc but no one out with the allies aint? we have to get over this and remember that this is not our fight, im sure if it was in London i.e2012 if we start anymore wars there will certainly be countries boycotting our olympics.

[TBH]

i suppose its ok for us to got to war with Afghanistan and Iraq etc but no one out with the allies aint? we have to get over this and remember that this is not our fight, im sure if it was in London i.e2012 if we start anymore wars there will certainly be countries boycotting our olympics.Oppression is everyones fight.

[Welcomefamily]

Perhaps we should put our own house in order before we start sorting out some one elses problems, who are we to set an example? half of towns in Britain people dont feel safe walking down the streets alone at nights. Hardly a day goes by with out stabbings or murders some where, perhaps we should put more effort into oppression of a few peoples human rights.

[hails4]

Perhaps we should put our own house in order before we start sorting out some one elses problems, who are we to set an example? half of towns in Britain people dont feel safe walking down the streets alone at nights. Hardly a day goes by with out stabbings or murders some where, perhaps we should put more effort into oppression of a few peoples human rights.

i agree with this, the streets of Chinese cities are probably more safer than ours at home, stricter and zero tolerance. I went to Malaysia last year and on the Island of Langkawi they had a death penalty for any drug dealers (i know they are two different coutries but the philosophy is almost the same). I would boycott the London games if we havent pulled out of Iraq and Afghanistan by this time or if we have "invaded" any other countries.

[percy toboggan]

Perhaps we should put our own house in order before we start sorting out some one elses problems, who are we to set an example? half of towns in Britain people dont feel safe walking down the streets alone at nights. Hardly a day goes by with out stabbings or murders some where, perhaps we should put more effort into oppression of a few peoples human rights.

I do not know just how many towns in Britain you have walked around at night recently , but if it's 'half of them' you're obviously better travelled than I have been of late....

I think your comments slightly overegg the problem here...I'd happily walk around 90 per cent of British 'towns' at night...as I used to do in days of yore....80's/90's..perhaps not in 50per cent of the cities, but that would depend on area....I'd avoid sink estates and areas which have seen mass immigration since 1950....in most other places, as a confident male with positive body language you'd be fine.

[scotsboy]

i agree with this, the streets of Chinese cities are probably more safer than ours at home, stricter and zero tolerance. I went to Malaysia last year and on the Island of Langkawi they had a death penalty for any drug dealers (i know they are two different coutries but the philosophy is almost the same). I would boycott the London games if we havent pulled out of Iraq and Afghanistan by this time or if we have "invaded" any other countries.

Lankawi is a lovely place and we had a great time there last year - but the wife had her handbag stolen. so I fail to see your point. The fact that order is kept by fear and intimidation is certainly not the kind of society I would support.