It was supposed to be a great arrangement. China, the country with arguably the darkest human rights history in the world, won its bid to host the Olympics and thereby a chance to prove how far it has come in recent years. The rest of the world hoped that with this chance to play host to the games, China would soften its tyrannical ways. Unfortunately, as it turns out, people aren’t getting everything they want. \nWhile the Olympics draws closer, China’s situation only seems to get worse. The country’s pollution, human rights and treatment of Taiwanese and Tibetan rioters all have foreign governments, politicians and concerned citizens wondering if sending athletes to represent their respective countries in the Beijing Olympics might send a message of false support. Perhaps, they wonder, a boycott is in order. Some share Australian Sen. Andrew Bartlett’s view that participating in an event representing global unity in China should make us more critically analyze our efforts and force us to ask ourselves whether this inaction makes us complicit. \nThe Editorial Board acknowledges that political leaders should consider taking steps to improve conditions in China, but we say an Olympic boycott would have a minimal effect at best. It would be seen as more of a show than a political message, a grand gesture that would ring hollow upon Chinese ears. Surely it would ruffle feathers, but the Chinese would simply chalk it up as Western political scheming, and they would press on with their tyranny despite our actions. They would probably lose face, but there would be no long-term effect.\nBy boycotting, our government would express how displeasing the situation is. But if it will lead to little change in Chinese governmental operation, why should we take this action and punish athletes who have spent years or even their whole lives training for this summer’s Games? It would be a shame to shatter these athletes’ dreams to make a political statement that would most likely leave a dent at best in China’s tyrannical structure.
DISSENT – Indira Dammu
Americans, as a rule, are experts in the art of hand-wringing. Nowhere is this more evident than in the case of China. We have remained largely silent on the massive human rights abuses the country perpetrates and yet, the upcoming Olympics offer an opportunity to absolve some of this guilt. President Bush should follow the lead of European leaders such as German Chancellor Angela Merkel and boycott the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. The public nature of the Games ensures that such a move sends a stern and humiliating message to China. Some will surely argue that it is inappropriate to “politicize” the Games. In reality, the Olympics has always been intertwined with political interests. While it is true that an economic boycott may be more debilitating to China, we have to be realistic. The world is watching, and now is not the time for diplomatic niceties.
