General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsI'll skip the Olympics. You should, too.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/02/03/i-will-boycott-china-olympics-you-should-too/?utm_campaign=wp_post_most&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletterI have never been a fan of the Olympics. Or, I should say, I have never been a fan of the International Olympic Committee.
An organization that rewards dictatorial regimes (Russia in 2014, and now China for the second time) with events that attract billions of eyeballs and sappy worldwide coverage all while punishing athletes who stand up for human rights is not apolitical or promoting the Olympic spirit. Its making money off and providing cover for brutal regimes that use the Games to burnish their image.
To stage the Games in the midst of Chinas genocide of Uyghurs and ongoing repression of Tibet and Hong Kong is an atrocity. To herald the spirit of sports in a police state that is clearly holding tennis star Peng Shuai captive and worse, staged obvious PR stunts to clear Chinas name is simply grotesque.
In response to Chinas hosting of the Games, the United States and several other nations are staging a diplomatic boycott. My colleague Josh Rogin reports some athletes will boycott the Opening Ceremonies, too. This is all welcome, but its hardly sufficient.
China should never have been able to host the Games, and the international community should have threatened not to participate if the IOC went ahead anyway.
Freedom House announced this past week that 243 nongovernmental organizations from around the world will boycott the Games. It also called on "athletes and sponsors not to legitimize government abuses, adding that the IOC has has not met its responsibilities under the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights by carrying out human rights due diligence despite the well-documented abuses in China.
MORE AT LINK ABOVE
mcar
(42,334 posts)I'm conflicted about it, but figure skating.
I watch for the awe inspiring athletes.
NurseJackie
(42,862 posts)mcar
(42,334 posts)Pachamama
(16,887 posts)Completely agree
blueinredohio
(6,797 posts)Never was.
Atticus
(15,124 posts)iemanja
(53,034 posts)and I fail to see how the US has standing to criticize other countries on human rights. We have some pretty abysmal atrocities ourselves. Our prisons are shocking. Policing is at its essence racist, and police with near daily frequency kill black people. And then there is gun violence, which systematically kills people of color. That is in no way meant to justify China's actions, which are deplorable. I don't think the Olympics should be politicized. They are meant to transcend political divides, and it's really the athletes who matter. They work all their lives for this opportunity.
USALiberal
(10,877 posts)iemanja
(53,034 posts)It wouldn't change my views on the Olympics.
USALiberal
(10,877 posts)You want to punish athletes because of China's human rights abuses. I don't happen to think it's the athletes' fault. You would deny them this opportunity despite the fact they have trained their entire lives for it. I don't believe Olympics should be politicized because it's about coming together DESPITE political differences. And it's not like watching it brings any money to China. It's NBC that profits.
So get of your high horse.
ymetca
(1,182 posts)Jesse Owens.
ProfessorGAC
(65,057 posts)...is that these are winter games. The scale & attention is not the same, especially for me.
Global ratings for the summer games are about 80% higher.
And, when Mr. Owens competed the winter games were a regional event that attracted 10-30,000 spectators.
Mr. Owens competed in front of more people in that Berlin stadium.
The viewership & cultural impact of the summer games, like in 1936, just seems higher.
I don't know there's a Jesse Owens in the history of the winter games.
ymetca
(1,182 posts)And the Games have certainly been transformed from what they were then. But they've always been a political forum. Better propaganda than bullets? Isn't that kind of their purpose?
I was just saying that there is always the possibility for someone, some individual, to do something heroic in that venue, so...
ProfessorGAC
(65,057 posts)I think boycotting Moscow in 1980 was unfair to the participants.
Not that I sided with the Soviets. They were warmongering occupiers & not to be trusted.
Speaking of your "better than bullets", the Dream Team in 1992 was pro-american enthusiasm to be point of propaganda. Those 12 guys spread enormous good will for quite a while.
Could happen at any Olympics, I suppose.
Shanti Shanti Shanti
(12,047 posts)And NOBODY tells me what to watch, I love the winter games
NYFlip
(324 posts)I agree I love figure skating. I teach skating at the beginner level. I love to see them come to the rink after watching the skating and want to do all the tricks. Its so cute. I will watch it and all the winter sports. I like the winter games far more than the summer games.
USALiberal
(10,877 posts)Archae
(46,328 posts)NurseJackie
(42,862 posts)U-S-A! U-S-A!
hlthe2b
(102,283 posts)I will watch.
Celerity
(43,399 posts)tirebiter
(2,537 posts)Back in 1964. My family was stationed in Germany and we were skiing in Garmisch, just across the border. I got a chance to see a private viewing of Tokyo Olympiad a couple years later. That and my interest in history got me to studying the history of the Olympics. The idea of warring nation states putting off their squabbles to hold their games puts things in perspective. What we should do is dare Putin to just hold our place in Ukraine and put the focus on the games.
brooklynite
(94,585 posts)NurseJackie
(42,862 posts)alphafemale
(18,497 posts)Who are you you to deny my eyes the glory of their moment.
They got up and practiced it
again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again-again
To be the best in the world.
At-whatever that is.
BuddhaGirl
(3,607 posts)I always enjoyed the skiing events- downhill, ski jump, slalom, etc.
All the snow for this Olympics is fake, because there is no snow due to climate change. Hundreds of millions of gallons of water is being used to create fake snow for these events. Also, a tremendous amount of energy is necessary to power the snow blowers and snow generators.
It's very distressing, knowing how detrimental all this is to the environment.
maxsolomon
(33,345 posts)I can't stay away from the Alpine events - skiing, nordic, and sliding. Sliding gives me CTE guilt, just like Umurkin Football, though.
Raine
(30,540 posts)iemanja
(53,034 posts)as when Beijing hosted before. That was amazing.
AngryOldDem
(14,061 posts)OMG
Imagine?? REALLY?
Im out.
Raine
(30,540 posts)tavernier
(12,389 posts)Daughter said, I dont think thats what John Lennon had in mind when he wrote the song.
Klaralven
(7,510 posts)How many Muslims has the US killed? More or less?
Celerity
(43,399 posts)roamer65
(36,745 posts)And put them back to every 4 years.
NurseJackie
(42,862 posts)Xolodno
(6,395 posts)I'm probability in the minority since I like the Winter Olympics better, even after having a cousin competing (a long time ago) in the Summer and winning several medals.
But this isn't the first time the Olympics have been used "politically" and it won't be the last. In fact, boycotts, etc. just make the politics worse. The only games that have actually made money was those in LA I believe...and may be the one to do so again. It's all about fluff of the host nation and trying to piss on it doesn't make you look any better.
The bobsled team doesn't decide the course of nation states.
Emile
(22,778 posts)betsuni
(25,536 posts)Meanwhile, I'm watching the Prix de Lausanne ballet competition. Same level of athleticism, if not more, but dancers have to pretend they're not out of breath or sweating and everything's easy.
Ilsa
(61,695 posts)I just don't care. I'd rather see documentaries about the Olympic Peninsula in Washington.
usonian
(9,810 posts)Because I decommissioned the TV set 10 years ago.
I never saw one minute of the orange maggot.
Listening to classical music right now, after taking some glorious sunrise photos.
With a clear mind, I'll be sending "Jaime and Joe" a message of hope that they can share whether they want it or not. I think that they will.
Peace, everyone.
?w=304&h=214