Boycott the Olympics...but why, exactly?

[rabid1st]

Hello to all my activist friends.

I have been pumping my fist into the air and chanting along for a bit with the whole "boycott the Olympics" crowd...no watching the broadcasts...because...well, because of Tibet. And I don't like the Chinese party and their stand on human rights. And I really don't think they should be hosting the Olympics at all. It was a bad decision and people shouldn't be making huge Olympic dollars by broadcasting the event.

Except, isn't it all said and done by the time it reaches us on the couch?

I mean, I can see not GOING to the Olympics. I can see boycotting products that support the games...maybe. And I can even see that NBC might have decided to pass up the dollars and all the networks should have done the decent thing and stayed home. But they probably couldn't just ignore all or our athletes competing. Maybe our athletes should have stayed home. But they didn't. And remember Jessie Owens raised his fist for human rights in Hitler's Germany.

So, I wonder what my turning off the set does at this stage of the game? Is it a matter of face? Do the Chinese need this to go over well? Does it tell NBC not to host the Olympics NEXT time? Does it send a stinging message to the International Olympic Committee not to book the games in a controversial country ever again? How exactly will the committee and/or China be suffering from my boycott of the NBC broadcast?

Someone who knows...please explain.

Comments

[catyuy.livejournal.com]

My whole issue with the activists is that you can't change the fact that it happens to be in China.
They booked China, what, 8? years ago.
And don't forget this isn't the first time they've had the Olympics in a awkward place.
They had it in Berlin in the 1930's during Hitler's reign.
Leave the politics out of the Olympic Games.
The Olympics are all about cooperation between countries.
What I think should happen behind the scenes is the other countries leaders, while in China for the Olympics, should try and fix the Tibetan problem.
And I call it the Tibetan problem because I really have no idea what is going on with that.

I am exhausted from living up to your expectations of me. Isn't that generous?

[frodolass.livejournal.com]

Your icon is scary. Scary awesome! =D

Re: I am exhausted from living up to your expectations of me. Isn't that generous?

[catyuy.livejournal.com]

But it works SO well for them, doesn't it.

[ladyoneill.livejournal.com]

They won't.

I love the Olympics. I plan to watch, probably taping and watching later (and since I'm not a Nielson family, no one will ever know if I'm watching or not). I don't plan to buy anything advertised and I will cheer on any protests, but I feel it's important to support the athletes.

NBC will have good ratings regardless, China doesn't care what we Americans think or do about this. Boycotting products is probably the only way to make any difference.

[irishlullaby.livejournal.com]

Well. I know this may sound a bit pessmistic but... boycotting wouldn't change the way China govern's its nation. No more than China boycotting an Olympics held in America would make us change our ways.

They've been part of the Olympics for a while so it seems a bit unfair to count them out of the running for hosting even though the whole idea of Olympics now is to show a unity between the nations and to earn bragging rights for the next four years and other similar humanitarian ideals instead of what it was originally meant to do.

But the truth is, with all the crap that went on this year with the torch, the IOC will probably NOT be debating whether or not to book in a contoversial country, but whether they should book at all. They would look at all the uproar and wonder if anywhere would be safe to host because no matter where they host, it is bound to offend someone, somewhere.

And as for how would the network be suffering? They wouldn't. Big corporations seldom suffer boycotts because with all the people that are not watching because they are boycotting an equal amount of people tune in because of the boycotting. It'd be like the American's that are boycotting Walmart, barely noticed. And then they might also debate whether or not to broadcast the next Olympics as there is nothing they can do about broadcasting this year.

China definitely won't suffer from a boycott because it's not like the IOC can at the last minute say "Well... wait... no, let's move it to Mexico instead." They got the Olympics this year whether we like it or not so there's nothing we can do.

But odds are there will be extemeists that will try something drastic to make the IOC once again debate even planning the next one. :-/

[tsukara.livejournal.com]

Well, for one, I'd imagine Chinese companies, or companies that the Chinese may have a large share in, are going to be buying advertising, both on air and on site. and it's about making a statement, really. I can read how well the athletes did in my newspaper the next day.

However, I have a somewhat more personal stake in the way China treats it's people and neighbors. My aunt and uncle live in Burma, which is ruled by a military regime that kills people, practices ethnic cleansing and other horrible crimes against humanity--but the U.N. can do nothing because China will veto anything too harsh against the country's leadership.

I've been to Burma. Meet people who, after the protests that were gunned down and the aid from the cyclone that the government is blocking or stealing, I have no idea whether they're alive. I know people who feel the saem about Darfur or Tibet.

I can't support, in any way, a committee or a country that implicitly or explicitly supports or condones that behavior. Even watching the games, for me, says to China "well, we don't like what you do, but as long as you've got the games, we'll put other issues with you on the backburner".

Activism--it's not always about being trendy.

Also: It's not like American news coverage has done a fantastic job with covering Burma for the last 20+ years. Or Darfur, until recently.

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

Well...I agree with all you say about Burma and I feel for your suffering and the suffering of your loved ones. I can see how your watching and enjoyment would be tarnished...because certainly the little inside looks at the host country will be casting a shining light, as they always do, despite everything else going on in the world.

So your choice to not watch is based on good taste issues and a hope that the Chinese companies and American companies involved will feel an echo of revenue sting? Certainly, if we boycott the money they've spent will be wasted...and the threat of a boycott may keep revenue dollars from rolling in now. And that might hurt the news networks...or cause them to cover the issues with more vigor...if enough of the audience boycotts.

I have wrestled with the idea of boycotting the Triple Crown races since they are sponsored by Chinese companies, now. I don't think the Olympics will be sponsored in that way...but I imagine there will be the Yum Brands Cam on something or other. And making those companies take a loss could have impact. I suppose my main thought is where my impact will be felt...it doesn't seem to me it will be felt in China. But maybe it will be felt in Burma...and that's something.

Rae

[inwe-amandil.livejournal.com]

Honestly, I don't think it will make a difference. I mean I agree that China's stance on Human Rights particularly in relation to their policy in Tibet is totally crap, but to me it looks like most of the upcoming olympics are in china for china about china anyway. I mean they sold 80% of the tickets to Chinese citizens only, so theres not even enough tickets so now some of the athletes families can't go.

I think it's correct that no matter where you have the olympics someone somewhere is going to be offended by it. If anything this has hopefully taught the organizing committee that they need certain standards. (The environment anyone?) For example pollution is a huge problem over there. I know that one of our (Australian)rowers was training over there a little over a year ago, fell in and then got really sick due to some virus that was in the water there, so honestly I think the venue was going to be pretty crap all round even without the HR issues.

So basically it's too late to do anything now and it's not really going to make a difference in China as they are banking on making most of their money off of their own population. (which you know is I suppose what you get when you sell 80% of the tickets to your own people.) you may as well just support the athletes as best you can, and well lets face it they only come around every four years and they are pretty exciting. I think you may as well watch.

[principia.livejournal.com]

It is part of a larger message to American businesses in general, not to the Chinese government. The Chinese government doesn't give a crap who does or doesn't watch the coverage on NBC, but it's a matter of principle.

Setting the issues of Tibet and general politics aside, look at the dangerous lack of oversight in the Chinese manufacturing sector. They put the same material used to make countertops in pet food. They put lead in children's toys. That's not even getting into the worker treatment issues at Chinese factories.

When it gets right down to it, even if the Chinese government magically turned tomorrow into a full-blown democracy, left Tibet, and helped overthrow the Burmese junta, I still wouldn't buy their goods... just like I don't shop at Walmart.

[winter-queen82.livejournal.com]

I doubt even the whole world boycotting the games would accomplish anything in relation to China's policies. They have done whatever they wanted to for so long. If it would help, I'd certainly be first in line. As it is, I'll probably watch the games. At least the diving portion and swimming to see Phelps do his fish imitation (The pride of Maryland, you know.) But beyond that...

I sort of feel like the Olympics don't feel as magical as they did as a child. Maybe that's just me. I remember the build up to the Atlanta games. I only lived about 4 hours from Atlanta at that time and it was such a neat feeling to know the eyes of the world were on us.

It's kind of like this...

[princessblue791.livejournal.com]

...I don't like guns. I can't stand the things and unfortunetly I live in the biggest gun state in the country. People always say I should give in, that there will always be guns no matter what. I say they're right, but the point is, that I don't own one.Now before the fur flies I want to make it clear that I think people have the right to own guns and if you're that parnoid, more power to ya.No I don't put you in the same crowd as China, I'm just making an example. I just don't want to be apart of the crowd that will blow apart something or someone. Yes, it will always be there, but I won't be a part of it.
China commits unspeakable acts of cruelity to humans and animals. However, when I'm not supporting the Olympics or anything else they put together, I'm not a part of it.I'm not involved. It may even make them realize that these ways make their country look bad and stop, but that may be hoping for too much.

[webeh.livejournal.com]

I must be a little clued out because people actively not watching the Olympics is something new I'm hearing now. I know there's athletes who don't want to attend the event and a few sponsors that's considering withdrawing sponsorship (I think). I've never read about this particularly. And to be perfectly honest, I'm not what that would achieve either.

Yes, at first glance not watching the Olympics might look like a good way of showing your objection to how the Chinese government runs things. But, after pondering on it, I think we might be doing the oppressed groups an even bigger favour by watching this international event. Why? From what we've seen thus far, many groups have been making a really big effort to publicize the way they are being treated by the Chinese government. Don't you think they'll increase those efforts twofold when the Olympics are actually running in the country? If they're going to risk arrest and execution through, I think I should at least be there to watch when they actually get themselves onto a major network during a sporting event. Millions of people worldwide seeing their efforts at protest is good for their cause. Because what better way to embarrass the Chinese government than to have their faults pointed out during one of their official sporting events?

I'm a big supporter of activism. I wouldn't be living as comfortably as I am right now without the efforts of past activists. So, I'm planning to watch the Olympics this summer because (A) I love the Olympics and (B) we all know the activist groups (both local and visiting) are going to step up their efforts during that period. I want to see those efforts come to light, which is kind of the point of protesting in the first place, right?

[webeh.livejournal.com]

Did I make any sense there? I guess what I'm trying to say in a nutshell is "Protesting + Millions seeing it on television world wide = Mission accomplished."

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

Thats sort of what I meant with the Jesse Owens thing. His stand was televised and broadcast and so there was a chance for millions of people to see and remember his stand. I think that the Chinese will do everything they can to sensor the feed out but with the journalists there...it is a good time to make a stand of some kind.

Even if the footage is taken...hopefully, free speech will win out. And while I'm sure they will try to get a forum for pro-China propaganda...it might backfire on them.

Still, there is the argument that a sharp drop in the ratings would indicate solidarity and also...it could just be distasteful for some people to see the Chinese portrayed in this way when we don't really cover their attrocities on the main networks.

Rae