Boycott Beijing Olympics?
 

I wonder? Will all of this change anything???

Clinton urges Bush to boycott Beijing Olympics.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton urged President George W. Bush on Monday to boycott the Beijing Olympics opening ceremonies this summer unless China improves human rights.

Clinton, in a statement, cited violent clashes in Tibet and the lack of pressure by China on Sudan to stop "the genocide in Darfur."

"At this time, and in light of recent events, I believe President Bush should not plan on attending the opening ceremonies in Beijing, absent major changes by the Chinese government," the New York senator said.

Yeah boycott a country that has billions invested in your economy at the time when your economy is in the tank. Just the kind of 'emotional' reaction a leader can't have.

Olympic boycotts do not work!

It was the US supplied, Al-Queda back, Mujhideen that got the Soviets out of Afganistan. Not the US lead boycott of the 1980 Moscow games....

The days of the Olympics being a venue of great politcal consequence are over....

No. Too many U.S. corportions are heavily invested in, and too many eyes will be watching, the Beijing Olympics. Bush does not have the cojones to upset that. Plus, the competitions themself will be a battle of the superpowers.

In short, it is all about the money.

The best "non sport" accomplishment the Olympics have ever achieved was kudos for the Civil Rights movement and a smack down of CCCP boosting cold war egos in the States. In Munich it simply showed that terrorists knew no bounds.

Just to clarify, Clinton is suggesting boycotting the OPENING CEREMONIES, not the sporting events themselves.

Of course, that would do no good either...

I thought Jesse Owens winning 4 gold medals in Nazi Germany had way more significance than the 1980 boycott. Or any other event. To me, that was the most significant political statement in an Olympics on many levels.

Interesting both the US and Germany had their own versions of second class citizens then. And both countries were heading in different directions on that issues. One creeping, ever so slowly, but towards intergration. While the other raced quickly in the other direction. At least Jesse Owens was representing the US. Germany didn't even have one Jew representing Germany in that Olympics.

HBO Sports had a great documentary on this.

Who missed the 14 countries that participated in the Soviet-led boycott at the 1984 L.A. Olympics? Not me. In fact, to me, it was the most memorable summer games ever. Admittingly, the results may have been different had those countries participated.

:iagree:

Again, no political influence so to "ban" a games is just silly.


Joe Lewis vs Max Baer in '35 was far more symbolic then that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kzpECJjefI