Winter Olympics 2022: Beijing--Boycott or Go

[Big Blitz]

Olympics: Calls grow to relocate 2022 Beijing Winter Games

 

 

(Reuters) - With the Beijing Winter Games less than a year away, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) are looking closely at human rights abuses in China, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Tuesday as calls to move the 2022 Games continue to grow.

 

“In regards to the Olympics, we continue to be very, very vocal in standing up for human rights around the world and calling out human rights abuses, as I have personally in the past directly with Chinese leadership, among many others,” Trudeau told reporters during his daily press briefing.

 

“We know that the International Olympic Committee, the Canadian Olympic Committee, the Canadian Paralympic Committee and others are looking very closely at this issue and we will certainly continue to follow carefully.”

 

While Trudeau offered a measured response to what is becoming an increasingly tricky position, Conservative leader Erin O’Toole and Green Party leader Annamie Paul were more direct.

 

O’Toole told reporters on Tuesday it was not appropriate for China to host the world’s biggest sporting event in light of its human rights abuses, calling the country’s treatment of the Uighur minority in its Xinjiang region a genocide.

 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-olympics-2022-canada-idUSKBN2AH02U

 

 

 

In between reports of his performance in Mario Kart and how he likes to go to bed early or the WH fireplace maybe the media will ask him if he's ready to handle WWIII.  

 

[njbuff]

The USA shouldn't be anywhere near those communist pieces of shyt.

[T master]

10 minutes ago, njbuff said:

The USA shouldn't be anywhere near those communist pieces of shyt.

 

Especially after being the direct cause for the Covid virus !! I vote NO ! All countries should all stick together and have it with out them at all .

[snafu]

I bet the UK boycotts.

They're still fuming over Hong Kong.

 

[Orlando Tim]

5 hours ago, Big Blitz said:

Olympics: Calls grow to relocate 2022 Beijing Winter Games

 

 

(Reuters) - With the Beijing Winter Games less than a year away, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) are looking closely at human rights abuses in China, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Tuesday as calls to move the 2022 Games continue to grow.

 

“In regards to the Olympics, we continue to be very, very vocal in standing up for human rights around the world and calling out human rights abuses, as I have personally in the past directly with Chinese leadership, among many others,” Trudeau told reporters during his daily press briefing.

 

“We know that the International Olympic Committee, the Canadian Olympic Committee, the Canadian Paralympic Committee and others are looking very closely at this issue and we will certainly continue to follow carefully.”

 

While Trudeau offered a measured response to what is becoming an increasingly tricky position, Conservative leader Erin O’Toole and Green Party leader Annamie Paul were more direct.

 

O’Toole told reporters on Tuesday it was not appropriate for China to host the world’s biggest sporting event in light of its human rights abuses, calling the country’s treatment of the Uighur minority in its Xinjiang region a genocide.

 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-olympics-2022-canada-idUSKBN2AH02U

 

 

 

In between reports of his performance in Mario Kart and how he likes to go to bed early or the WH fireplace maybe the media will ask him if he's ready to handle WWIII.  

 

If the IOC has to show the US how to deal with immoral dictators then I am truly concerned for our country. I don't expect much of Biden but this seems like a pretty easy slam dunk, especially after COVID.

[Doc Brown]

If not boycotting the Olympics in a country that that is currently holding millions of people in camps isn't reason enough what would be?  There needs to be a campaign to compare it to the Berlin Olympics before WWII.  The idea that sports and politics should be kept separate is nonsense on an international stage which was the argument at the time.  I doubt the US or anybody boycotts because of the potential economic impact such a move would make in international markets so there has to be political pressure to force their hand (worldwide protests would be a good start).

Edited February 20, 2021 by Doc Brown

[BillStime]

12 hours ago, Buffalo Timmy said:

If the IOC has to show the US how to deal with immoral dictators then I am truly concerned for our country. I don't expect much of Biden but this seems like a pretty easy slam dunk, especially after COVID.

Certainly didn’t expect much from Trump whose family and businesses does a ton of business in China; possessing previously undisclosed Chinese bank accounts and whose family members received multiple trademarks and patents.

 

Oh; and this:

 

Trump told China's president that building concentration camps for millions of Uighur Muslims was 'exactly the right thing to do,' former adviser says

 

EXACTLY THE RIGHT THING TO DO?

 

All thus was happening on Trump’s  watch and he did jack schitt about it.

[leh-nerd skin-erd]

If we’re going to see this through to it’s natural conclusion—which we won’t because the Olympics are big business—the Chinese should be disinvited and the venue moved.  
 

Lots of people make lots of money in these endeavors, and nothing better than a little payola to temporarily suspend faux indignation for a while. 

[snafu]

8 hours ago, Doc Brown said:

If not boycotting the Olympics in a country that that is currently holding millions of people in camps isn't reason enough what would be?  There needs to be a campaign to compare it to the Berlin Olympics before WWII.  The idea that sports and politics should be kept separate is nonsense on an international stage which was the argument at the time.  I doubt the US or anybody boycotts because of the potential economic impact such a move would make in international markets so there has to be political pressure to force their hand (worldwide protests would be a good start).

 

Concentration camps, mistreatment of Tibetans, breaking international treaty in Hong Kong, threatening Taiwan’s existence, expanding territory by land and at sea, technology theft, belt-and-road sovereignty grabs, etc., etc., etc. 

 

There are lots of reasons to boycott.

 

[US Egg]

A woke moment for Justin Trudeau.

 

.....he should have been this assertive with Biden for shutting down the Keystone pipeline.

[Just Jack]

Where was this outrage in 2008? 

[SoCal Deek]

Not another Olympic boycott!  All this does is hurt the athletes. It proves little else.  If our political leaders are upset with the policies and behavior of the host country, maybe they should get off their comfortable rear ends and pass some real legislation that actually does something about the issue, instead of using innocent and unpaid athletes to make their 'statements' for them!

[daz28]

6 hours ago, SoCal Deek said:

Not another Olympic boycott!  All this does is hurt the athletes. It proves little else.  If our political leaders are upset with the policies and behavior of the host country, maybe they should get off their comfortable rear ends and pass some real legislation that actually does something about the issue, instead of using innocent and unpaid athletes to make their 'statements' for them!

Good point.  If you're statement on human rights abuses is we won't play bobsled and luge with you, then you aren't all that worried about human rights.  

[SoCal Deek]

1 hour ago, daz28 said:

Good point.  If you're statement on human rights abuses is we won't play bobsled and luge with you, then you aren't all that worried about human rights.  

Hey Daz!  We found something we agree on here.  Making these petty gestures is just an easy way for politicians to pretend they're making a stand.  But they shouldn't use our young athletes as pawns in their petty gesture.

[daz28]

1 hour ago, SoCal Deek said:

Hey Daz!  We found something we agree on here.  Making these petty gestures is just an easy way for politicians to pretend they're making a stand.  But they shouldn't use our young athletes as pawns in their petty gesture.

We probably agree on a lot more than you think.  This ones a no brainer.

[snafu]

On 2/24/2021 at 10:48 AM, SoCal Deek said:

Not another Olympic boycott!  All this does is hurt the athletes. It proves little else.  If our political leaders are upset with the policies and behavior of the host country, maybe they should get off their comfortable rear ends and pass some real legislation that actually does something about the issue, instead of using innocent and unpaid athletes to make their 'statements' for them!

 

Sanctions have been imposed.  You're right that there should be more pressure. But to dismiss a boycott of the Olympics begs the question: some actions are acceptable and other actions are less important?  Whatever actions we take, or statement we make to China needs to be consistent.

 

Even though the Olympics have probably lost their luster, in the uniglobal world the Olympics are a big deal.  To the Chinese they represent legitimacy.  I see your point the opposite way.  Allowing participation says "we hate your oppression and expansionism, but we will overlook that for a couple weeks to we can watch our figure skaters."  What about people from other countries who ask "why isn't the US participating?"  In order to answer that question, China must admit that there is an issue with what they do and it forces them to see that everyone else thinks what they're doing is unacceptable.  It also forces other countries to question whether they should ignore the Chinese issues to play amateur sports.  Nobody said anything in 2008 and China got bolder and bolder, and that will continue if no consistent message is sent.

 

 

[SoCal Deek]

1 hour ago, snafu said:

 

Sanctions have been imposed.  You're right that there should be more pressure. But to dismiss a boycott of the Olympics begs the question: some actions are acceptable and other actions are less important?  Whatever actions we take, or statement we make to China needs to be consistent.

 

Even though the Olympics have probably lost their luster, in the uniglobal world the Olympics are a big deal.  To the Chinese they represent legitimacy.  I see your point the opposite way.  Allowing participation says "we hate your oppression and expansionism, but we will overlook that for a couple weeks to we can watch our figure skaters."  What about people from other countries who ask "why isn't the US participating?"  In order to answer that question, China must admit that there is an issue with what they do and it forces them to see that everyone else thinks what they're doing is unacceptable.  It also forces other countries to question whether they should ignore the Chinese issues to play amateur sports.  Nobody said anything in 2008 and China got bolder and bolder, and that will continue if no consistent message is sent.

 

 

We boycotted Russia. Did it change anything? Nope! 

[snafu]

1 hour ago, SoCal Deek said:

We boycotted Russia. Did it change anything? Nope! 

 

We didn't boycott Berlin in 1934.

Appeasement sucks.

 

[SoCal Deek]

Just now, snafu said:

 

We didn't boycott Berlin in 1934.

Appeasement sucks.

 

Yea....but we wouldn't have had Jesse Owens. 😉