The White House left the door open Tuesday to President Bush skipping the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics to protest China’s human rights record and its crackdown in Tibet. White House spokeswoman Dana Perino, however, suggested that the president might attend some of the athletic events at the Olympic Games in August if he skipped the opening. - CNN.com
This is such a non-commital, mastibatory crock of shit position. I’m disgusted that American athletes are participating this year; the fact that our own politicians seem to think they’re doing America a favor by “considering” boycotting the opening ceremonies is laughable at best, and is open support of human rights abuses at worst. I guess we shouldn’t be surprised, though, considering many of the new testimonies coming out about our own country’s human rights abuses.
But we don’t want to piss off the country that holds more U.S. debt than any other in the world, now, do we? After all, we need them more than they need us. Isn’t co-dependence fun? And I see we emulate China every chance we get: we have an increasingly draconian government (NSA wiretaps, anyone?), a two-party political system that might as well be one-party rule given the spinelessness of Democrats, and our very own Chairman Mao (or King George, if you want to take a longer walk down history-lane). All that’s left is a Tiananmin Square, and we’ll be well on our way to a shiny new iron-fisted police state.
Yes, I’m pissed off today. I don’t anticipate being any friendlier in the next year or so, so get used to it. It’s time everyone stopped pussyfooting around the facts and got active. The President says that he wants to support U.S. atheletes; I say that if the atheletes themselves aren’t boycotting this year’s Olympics, then they’re not worth supporting.
-Russ
Edit: After a short debate with my Mom of all people, she has at least partially convinced me that it is acceptable for an athlete to go to the Beijing Olympics so that their voice against China’s actions in Tibet can be heard. This is something I support, but with somewhat mixed feelings.
I know my own country is in a sad state of affairs right now, so it seems at least somewhat distracting for me to make this post. But this is an issue for which I hold a great deal of passion, and it would hearten me to see enough people find the will, voice and stamina to stand up against the Chinese government and its imperialistic ways.
