It’s just over a year until the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. These Olympics, like the 1936 games in Berlin and the 1980 games in Moscow, will be held in a dictatorship.
After the invasion of Afghanistan, President Jimmy Carter ordered a boycott of the Moscow Olympics. While it’s not on the table for 2008, I’d support the same step for America regarding the Beijing games.
The government of China denies political, religious and other freedoms to over a billion people.
A new book entitled Nazi Games—The Olympics of 1936 by David Clay Large says the German government made significant propaganda gains by holding the Olympics.
Why is the brutal Chinese government being given this same opportunity?
Your point has merit for the individuals involved. But the fact is that governments pay and use the Olympics for their own purposes. As for shoes, I'd gently say to you that the shoes the athletes will be wearing may well end up being made by the very same average person in China who does not have all her political and social freedoms. Thanks for the comment and for the discussion. Thanks for reading Errington's blog.
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