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Boycott The 2008 Beijing OlympicsEnough already |
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| By Aaron Newton in Green Living, Green Politics | March 25, 2008 | ||
Later this year the 2008 Olympics will open in Beijing, China. When that happens, a country with both serious environment problems and a pattern of widespread social injustice will be given international attention. If the Chinese government has its way, that country will not be portrayed as a contaminated badland where political repression and established censorship smothers its citizens. It’ll be best faux foot forward as the world looks on, or perhaps better phrased, looks away as a deeply flawed nation tries to avoid criticism for its abominable record on the environment and human rights. The International Olympic Committee opposes a boycott as does the Bush Administration. And you can be sure that corporate sponsors of the Games will not advocate such a move unless more consumers, or ah citizens support a boycott. Until then they “are trying to appear sensitive while arguing that the Games should not be politicized.” So much for corporate leadership. Again it looks like no real change will happen unless public sentiment develops in support of directly addressing the record of China and its policies of devastation during past decades.
Throughout most of the month of August, while the Olympics are taking place, more than half of the automobiles that normally drive the streets of Beijing will not be allowed to operate. Why you ask? Because of the incredible air pollution that plagues that city. The International Herald Tribune reported, “Olympic chief Jacques Rogge said last year that some endurance events would have to be rescheduled if air quality could not be guaranteed.”
More than 750,000 Chinese citizens die prematurely each year due to air pollution. (Global Voices) However, you won’t find a figure that high in the World Bank’s most recent report on pollution in China. The Chinese government was able to coax that information out of the final report. One adviser to the study told The Financial Times, “The World Bank was told that it could not publish this information. It was too sensitive and could cause social unrest.” You think? Yeah I bet if the citizens of China found out how many of their countrymen were being killed by air pollution they might actually want something done about it. An article last year in the New York Times pointed out that “Only 1 percent of the country’s 560 million city dwellers breathe air considered safe by the European Union.” The real question is, what should you do now that you know this information? In response we suggest a boycott of the 2008 Olympics.
Upwards of 700 million Chinese drink contaminated water every day, with the World Bank forecasting perhaps as many as 30 million Chinese water refugees on the move by 2020. (pdf) Three quarters of the rivers and lakes in China are polluted while an even larger percentage of the groundwater under major Chinese cities is contaminated. In the North of China aquifers are being depleted and farmers are finding it increasingly difficult to grow crops. Home to 20% of the world’s population, China has just 7% of global fresh water resources. It seems that the pace of industrialization in that country is more important to its leaders than preservation of the nation’s natural resources on which average Chinese citizen depends. Again, as a response we are suggesting a boycott of the 2008 Olympics.
In the lead up to the 2008, activists who seek to show the world the way China mistreats its citizens are being taken into custody to try and put a happy face on a sad culture of repression. The Chinese record on human rights is clear. Rewind to 1989 when between 200 and 3,000 people were killed in the Tiananmen Square Massacre. Reports on annual executions in China range from more than 1,000 per year to 10,000 per annum depending on who you ask. According to the Heritage Foundation, after the invasion of Tibet in 1950, “the Chinese communists killed over one million Tibetans, destroyed over 6,000 monasteries…” Recent protests in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, were met with a swift and violent response leaving between 10 and 100 protestors dead. Police have searched door to door in an effort to arrest protestors and Chinese paramilitary now have a strong presence in the city just as the protest spreads to other parts of Tibet. And now China admits to having fired on protestors as it tries to quell the uprising in the run up to the Games. [UPDATE: They’ve fired on monks and nuns.] It’s clear that China is trying to appear anything other than oppressive while continuing its brutality.
Playing along with this pretense is the US State Department who, in its most recent report on global human rights, removed China from its list of 10 Worst Human Rights Offenders. But then what do you expect? The United States government has continued to move to limit our personal freedoms in the name of fighting terror during recent years. You can’t check out a controversial library book in this country without fear of being flagged. And we certainly have our own pollution problems. We generate a ridiculous amount of effluence in this country. There is much to do here at home in the US, but the environmental poison being produced in China and the blatant disregard for personal freedom displayed by the Chinese government warrants a stern response to the 2008 Olympics. Groovy Green is calling for a boycott of the 2008 Olympics. We’re not going to watch and we hope you won’t either.
We’re also going to let the Chinese government know. We think the advertisers who sponsor television coverage of this year’s Olympics will be particularly interested if enough of us turn off the official games this summer. Join us and add your name to our coming list of Olympic Boycott Participants.
We challenge other websites that help champion issues of social justice and environmental concerns to join with us. Please spread the word and add this banner to your site. More to come on how you can help create change by withholding your participation from the Beijing Olympics and who and how to contact so your decision makes more of an impact.
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environment_IS_important said,
Ya know what? They have tons more people than we do, and we are just behind them in energy consumption & pollution. OK, they have horrible politics, but hey, who are we to cast stones? Should the rest of the world boycott any olympics held in the US because of OUR wasteful habits? Let these athletes have their glory. Oh, and we don’t have social injustice? Please.
Mystech said,
I think the point here shouldn’t just be the oversimplified “China is doing bad things, punish them” or “Well, the US is bad too). It should be that ALL these governments (and often the companies who de facto run many of them) do NOT represents the interests, let alone the BEST interests of we, the people.
Governments can NOT be allowed to consider themselves independent ruling entities above and beyond the the citizenship but rather MUST be held accountable to embody the living will of the people they represent. If they can not or will not do so, they are our enemies and must be reformed or replaced.
Anon said,
to environment_IS_important:
Yes… I believe if we were to have the Olympics held here in the US I would boycott it and I would hope the rest of the world would boycott it for our pollution practices, our violation of international law and our inability to see beyond the end of our own noses.
We have our share of social injustice, but it doesn’t give us a free pass to watch our country and others continue to commit crimes against humanity. We should stand up for the people being abused in our own country as well as humans in countries throughout the world. These governments should be working for the people. The government should fear the power of the people – not the other way around.
The Olympics will go on in Beijing – the athletes will still win their Gold, Silver and Bronze and get all their glory – but if you and I as consumers spread the word to avoid watching, avoid purchasing memorabilia, and make this the least profitable Olympic season we’ve made a small statement from the comfort of our own imperfect homes.
xJane said,
In what fashion should we be boycotting the Olympics?
Don’t buy tickets? No problem there, I don’t think I could get any even if I could afford them.
Are we supposed to be boycotting the (mostly US, but if possible other) companies who are supporting the Olympic Teams? Most of these (like Coca Cola and McDonalds) are on my boycott list anyway. Also, will won’t that simply be punishing the teams, rather than China or the Olympic Committee?
How about don’t watch the Olympics? Well, I’m not one of the Neilson families, so it probably wouldn’t be noticed whether I do or not. And I’m not real into Summer Olympics anyway—the ones I do like are often on at the butt-crack of dawn. What about carpool-watching? Can I watch the Olympics if I’m at a friends house?
Boycotting the Olympics is all well and good but without actual concrete ways of how to do it, it remains so much hot air. It’s like saying “boycott the world!” A great slogan, perhaps a great goal, but what is the actual game plan of how to pull it off?
elinor said,
hey, no government is perfect. boycott is never a wise way to work things out. people won’t be better off if boycott success.
make it happen said,
If the olympics were boycotted by enough people, governments would be forced to take notice. This is a way that the people of this planet can have a voice and stand up for the people. Our People, Our Planet, Our Voice.
Jolene said,
At the moment the US is a really poor example of freedom and Democracy. But even us Hypocrites have to start somewhere to regain the respect of the world. BOYCOTT BEJING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Communist China is out of control and gaining momentum.
Michelle Viggiano said,
I am rather mystified at the former jaded repsonses. Yes, the US commits eco-atrocities as well as maintains numerous social injustices such as endemic racism and sexism to just name a few. Just look at the faces of corporate America. By the way, what do we all expect from a government that wages an illegal and immoral war with the pretext of spreading “democracy” that is largely funded by a communist country? However, the strength and longevity of your personal convictions lies within you and radiates outward – not the other way around. Ever since Charles Boycott did his stint in the 1880’s the practice, however you can personally frame it, has provided ample social impact ever since.
Anonymous, too said,
What about the Chinese bludgeoning to death at least 50,000 dogs to stop rabies? I seem to also remember hearing something about a massive cat roundup / killing to make China “prettier” for the Olympics. China is evil, America is evil. I think one easy & free thing to do is, when you hear someone talking about the Olympics in any way, calmly say you refuse to have anything to do with the Olympics because [pick a reason from the variety presented here]. It’s a great opportunity to educate people on things they might not otherwise realize. They certainly aren’t going to get the info from the mainstream media.
Those of you who say that America is bad, too (I assume as a way to excuse your lack of caring about China’s atrocities)–what are you doing to protest / change the evils that America is doing?
memmine69 said,
Has anyone here been affected by pollution?
Ah, you see? Pollution’s affects on us are about as much as passing wind in a tornado considering longevity rates increase with every passing year.
Nature is in charge, not us.
Oh, don’t go to China.
We are all responsible said,
An international statement can only be made by concerned INDIVIDUALS!!! It’s not about being an American, a Brit, an South African… its about being human! We all deserve respect and the right to life! These are things that are lacking in a lot of places in the world… America is not an exception. But that does not mean we should turn a blind eye and allow whatever atrocities are committed to continue! Stand up for the right to freedom, justice and liberty! Not just in China, but in the US too!!! Every human being is represented by a statement against China this summer. Every person who should be allowed to breath fresh air and drink clean water… a luxury that Americans take for granted daily. Boycott the Olympics because it is simply another way to say that you believe the world can be a better place than it is right now!
Gideon said,
mememine, are you back again? You should ask the mothers of all the children who have cancer or autism from pollution in their communities if they’ve been afected by pollution. Or all the people who have dirty water from pollution, or those that live in US cities with regular air quality bullitins (”don’t leave your house today, the air’s too dirty”).
The fact is we’ve all been affected. Ansel Adams stopped taking pictures of Yosemeti because there was too much pollution in the air to get “good enough” results. That was how many years ago? and how far away from cities? When’s the last time you felt safe letting your kids swim in the local river or pond, let alone in a Great Lake?
Mememine, who are you really and what corporation do you represent? Try sticking to the topics at hand and don’t wander too far from reality.
Jeff Salvage said,
It is a foolish concept to boycott the Olympics. Every Olympics would be boycotted. The olympics do more good than harm. It has raised awareness of China’s problems and whenever countries get together peacefully good things are bound to arise.
Kc said,
Let us direct our attention to the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. Hitler was up speaking his “Aryan race” as the best and said that they would win everything. At the time, Hitler was committing horrible crimes against humanity with the brutal slaughter of millions. we did not boycott that Olympics. Instead, Jesse Owens, a “black” runner, went out and kick everyone’s buts. he won four gold medals thus proving that the “Aryan race” was not superior. We should go to the Olympics in Beijing if not to let the athletes have their glory, then to raise awareness about the injustices happening in China.
Gavin Hudson said,
There is some interesting information given in this article, and I fully support encouraging less pollution and more human rights.
However, reading the article, I was wondering why we don’t boycott US Olympics then too. The US ranks right up there in pollution. Moreover, although China is a huge polluter, per capita it emits a fraction of the pollution of the US. The US and US companies are also infamous for human rights violations. These include overthrowing democratically elected leaders in the Americas for US economic interests, sweatshop labour, control of food supplies by exercising intellectual trademarks on food species, use and sale of pesticides that are illegal in the US in other countries, torture of war detainees in violation of the Geneva Convention… and then there are the estimated 400,000 – 1 million Iraqis that international polls indicate would be alive today if not for the US invasion.
I’m not saying that the US is all bad and I’m not saying that China’s all good. I have friends living in China who can’t read the news because the Chinese internet blocks international news sources. I’m against this, of course. I’m also against human rights violations in Tibet and, of course, against unsustainable pollution.
However, I don’t think that boycotting China is the solution.
Boycott The 2008 Beijing Olympics said,
[...] Continue reading this article at http://www.groovygreen.com [...]
Dr. J said,
You are well intended but in the wrong direction. If you want to boycott something, boycott something BAD! The Olympics are one of the relatively GOOD things left.
SG said,
What no one has really touched on is the athletes. Is it fair to cancel the Olympic games in the eyes of the athletes? Definitely not.
I am on side for the boycott the Beijing Games. But instead of just a boycott I think to be fair to those athletes that have trained long and hard that the games should be moved. What about re-hosting the games in Sydney? I’m sure they still have the facilities to host a world class event.
It does need to be highlighted that the way China treats it’s citizens and the environment is disgraceful, but not at the expense of those who have worked their whole lives to compete.
gliukang said,
China is a great country, I’m living here now. And China is also beautiful, if you don’t believe, check this out:
http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=%E4%B8%AD%E5%9B%BD&m=tags&page=7
China is a big country, although there is something bad in somewhere, but the whole of China
is getting good. And we consider the enviroment as a very important issue too.
Come to China, you’ll find a different China by yourself, and you’re welcome by anyone anytime.
Erica Young said,
Come on now 2008 Olympics in BEIJING NO!! thats just like taking a wasr into a elementary school!!!!lets not do that!!
X-ray said,
boycott the 2008 olympics
Thozman said,
I think the olympics should just be vanquished, done away with and forgotten.
The whole point of the olympics is to promote world camaraderie and brotherhood.
Clearly each country on this earth hates the other pretty much so there is absolutely no reason to hold such a fiasco.
Thozman said,
I’ve changed my mind,
before, i was for boycotting the olympics, but since I get a feeling how this website thinks,
I support the 2008 Beijing Olympiad. GO China!
A lot of you seem more hostile than the Chinese.
Especially the owner of this site.
HT said,
I think we shouldn’t go to the 2008 Olympics. It’s too dangerous. I’m not saying it isn’t beautiful there, and obviously not everyone there are as hostile as the people this article talks about. I just think going would be a bad idea.
In contrast, I don’t think that throwing water balloons at the tourch runners is a good idea. If you’re going to boycott, boycott in the right way.
Why not not even have the Olympics? Think of all the other uses for that money! There are dying people who don’t even have any money in the world. What about them?
grace Cyans said,
To anybody who oppose to America:
I understand your opinions, how about the economy of America…it has the danger on stepping back the one in 1929. Moreover, the economy is mainly because of products by Chinese and copyright infringement of goods by PRC(China). The rising prices on necessities around the world is due to the non-stop rising of population in PRC. It is another cause to the economy recession of America Also, there is one important point that Chinatown around every country. It is the most serious threat, besides 2008 Olympics. I suggest to boycott 2008 olympics, several things can be done. First not buying any goods from PRC, instead buying local goods. Second, not make friends of Chinese and not become the customers of Chinese restaurant. Since they are not civilized people with unacceptable manners. As I know, hotels from Switizland do not welcome Chinese. Third, not watching the broadcast on olympic 2008 and not buying anything relevant. Fourth, reject to Chinese Culture, including feng shui, kung fu, Chinese Language. Using proper ways to boycott 2008 olympic so that not destroy the peace.
To anyone who leave the words to support China and 2008 olympic(gliukang, Thozman):
It is an ideal place for you to write anything opposed to the main article…go out from here!
grace Cyans said,
just says it is an ideal place who support 2008 olympics…actually they are unwise to do so, no one welcome their words oppose our boycotters’ idea!
Nickie said,
The injustices that occur in China are intolerable. I personally marched in DC in 1989 to protest The Tiananmen Square Massacre, and feel that although we too have injustices that occur in this country, to ignore China is a disservice to the Chinese people and their plight. To boycott the Olympic Games is to show that we are aware of their plight and that we will not stand for the injustice that their government doles out. I will NOT watch any of the games and would encourage others to boycott as well.
timur said,
Boycotting the Olympic in China is the most stupid thing, whoever support this idea either didn’t really know about the whole situation in China, or just being emotional.
Boycotting would only make the Chinese united more. More then 90% of chinese are Han people, and the rest 10% of chinese are minorities, which include Tibetan, Mongolian, and etc. And 90% of these chinese population are not so well united before this Olympic, but because of this boycotting, these 90% han people, start to have the patriotism, and these 90% Han people, not all of them know really much about the minority history, cause winner writes the history, and most minority history was totally forgotten, or not taught in high school, or even in Universities. So boycotting would be an insult to these people, and it won’t benefit the boycotter, it would only make the situation even worse.
Before you support for boycotting, think really hard of your decision, because you are not making decision for now, you are making decision for future. I would support Bush for attending the Olympic ceremony, he did the right thing for American.
Fluffy said,
America is not perfect, but we do not knowing produce harmful products, We do not treat our people like animals. How did such a country as China with their subversive ways of treating people and their communistic ways even get to have the olympics? How were they chosen with the foul air and garbage there? How were they chosen with the little respect for human beings they have. Yes there are innocent people there but why are we rewarding the bad leaders by giving them an opportunity to host an event that is meant for world good will when they have none themselves?
Jonny said,
Let the games begin !!!!!! Boycott no way ! I support the athlets .
China needs to get it’s shizit together . We all know it , we have always known that .
So why now is it a big deal ??
Chin is a” Let’s generate Generation ” their intire world revoles around how much capital they can generate , how many products they can generate and how many children they can generate . It does not matter to them how much shizit and trash they produce , or the amount of pollution , or how overpopulated they have become . They wade through life with blinders on .
Boycotting the Olympics will not change a thing ( I hate to sound so negative )but nothing will change China . and the next Olympic games will be held in a new country and we will move on and forget China, as we have always done in the past .
sagveg said,
noone should have ever rewarded china with taking the games there. they do not deserve it, nor anything else. mainly it’s just the government. china’s directly supporting the genocide, they have no animal right laws either,and they are destroying the earth at an alarming rate. i’m not saying anyone else is perfect. i am not comparing china with anything else. i am just stating the facts. that china is NOT RIGHT and everyone knows it, those who don’t are just uneducated or live under a rock.
Ricky said,
While I definitely admire your belief system that leads you to the conclusion that we should boycott China, I don’t agree.
People always talk about the bad stuff that China does, and it definitely does bad stuff, but what about the stuff that it does well? Over the past 20 years, it has lifted perhaps a population the same as the United States’ out of poverty, if not well more than that number. At the same time, it has had the “one-child policy” which doesn’t actually limit all people to “one child”, but does not reward people for multiplying like bacteria (like we do in the West). As a result, since the “one child policy” was implemented, something like (again), the whole population of the U.S. has NOT been born. Could you imagine how much worse the world would be if they had been born (not saying anything bad about the possible people…just the use of more resources). Sure, going from 1.3 billion to 1.6 billion might not seem like a lot, but the U.S. only has 0.3 billion, or the difference between those former figures.
I’m an American and I’ve been to China and my girlfriend is also Chinese (not a Chinese-American, but Chinese). China is a positively beautiful country, though choked in smog most days. Oh well… The people were nice enough, and they wish to be accepted in the world. In the end, not giving China the Olympics only hurts the people – 1/6th of humanity. You might not believe it, but I’m sure that upwards of 90% of Chinese are very patriotic and love their country. It could definitely be said that a larger percentage of Americans hate their leadership than the Chinese do. Now, it is also true that those who don’t love it and speak out about their hatred of it will not be tolerated. This is bad. I do not condone this.
Also, a note about the minorities. I’m for the eventual independence of Tibet. However, I know that it’s very difficult to persuade any country to give up land that they are in control of. I don’t think that Tibet will ever be completely independent. I like Tibetans, and I wish them the best, but if you looked closely at the riots, you could see that it was mostly the Tibetans (including monks) kicking in doors and smashing windows of the shops owned by ethnic Han Chinese. I didn’t see Chinese civilians throwing rocks at Tibetans. Quite the opposite. Fair? That’s for you to decide. Then, there’s Xinjiang, the Muslim region. I hate to sound like a “Republican” because I’m not, but the second that gets free, it’s gonna be a jihadist haven. Islamic Uighur freedom fighters have already bombed civilian targets all around China. These “freedom fighters” are calling for Shariah Law, too, so if you’re a female or anything other than Muslim, you need not apply for this “freedom”. Taiwan was never part of the People’s Republic of China and never will be. It has a separate Olympic team, too.
What is better for a nation?…to be attacked by the international community although it has tried to improve every year since 1989? Or is it better to be accepted? If you know that you’ll always be the bad guy, no matter how much you try to make things better, you won’t try to make things better. If you’re never liked, you will never try to be liked, and you will thus not be persuaded by international pressure. If, however, you are accepted as member of the international community, you will eventually have to act more like a member of the international community, and you can’t act so bad anymore. In the end, the Olympics are a good thing, they will probably make China progress as a nation, and they will make 1/6th of the world’s population proud for a moment of history. You had better bet that 95+% of Chinese are out there rooting for China like crazy.