studstar
sports to me should go beyond politics. i actually want to go watch one or two basketball games but i hear the tickets are practically gone,, and the ticket website didnt work due to heavy traffic
shafique
What do people think about the call for Beijing Olympics to be boycotted due to the Chinese support of the Sudanese government?
Cheers,
Shafique
Flying Dutchman
Just because of Sudan or the general human rights situation in China? Anyways, I believe sports and politics should be seperated as much as possible. Of course China is using th OS for its own marketing, but which country doesn´t? I am favor however for some form for protest around the actual sporting events. For example, boycotting the opening ceremony.
rudeboy
:S trying to figure out what the sudanese have done :S do they support Al Qaeda!!! is there a al qaeda training camp in sudan???
shafique
I'm warming to you rudeboy! :)
I'm not sure how I think. I agree with FD that sport and politics should be kept separate as a general principle.
I loathe hypocrisy though, and the sudden 'moral high horse' attitude towards China over the Olympics reeks a little of sour grapes and hypocrisy, especially as at the same time most of the world is busy consuming cheap Chinese goods and clamouring to get a foothold into Chinese consumer market itself.
It appears to me that the Olympics is a 'safe' way to bash China, when it is bound up with them supplying arms to Sudan who are committing genocide in Darfur.
If we were fair, we'd have called for similar boycotts over the supply of Arms to Israel, Iraq, Columbian, Nicaragua, Chile etc etc.
Anyway, as in most of these real-world issues, I'm just an arm-chair observer. :)
Cheers,
Shafique
abarawakijess
I disagree with the sport and politic need to be separate concept. It is almost impossible to keep it separate. It has and always will be used as a political tool. Just look at the beginning of the tri nation rugby.
With China, it is a case of "can't live with them, can't live without them". As China gains more economical power-especially with the decline of the US-many held the belief that China's political influence will strengthen quickly.
As for the boycotting, I support any calls to boycott China and its inhumanity, however I am not sure it will have any lasting effect. The Chinese government will just continue to do exactly what they want. Tibet being a case in point.
On a lighter note, being an armchair observer is not such a bad idea :D