Should China Be Allowed To Host Olympics?

**Block G Raptor** · 07/04/2008, 12:01 PM

Was watching this on BBC yesterday and have to say was delighted to see so many people out in support of Tibet and highlighting China's atrocious Human Rights record. should they be allowed to host the Olympics or is the event's ethos of unity through sport being sullied by the games being hosted by an oppressive regime?

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**pete** · 07/04/2008, 12:09 PM

If it was ok to award China the Olympics i think it was 7 years ago then I don't see what has changed. I also think it would be hypocritical to trade with China but somehow justify boycotting a sports event. They held the womens football World Cup last year or the year before & was no public out cry. Should other communist states such as North Korea & Cuba to allowed to compete. Where does it stop. While I have no doubt many protesters are genuine there is surely an element of people latching onto fashionable cause too.

Chinese colleague at work was laughing at picture in the paper that showed all the security (i got the impression he had no time for the protesters) & I didn't know what to say to him.

It has been argued that by awarding China the Olympics Tibet has received more publicity & I think that is true but if don't know if makes any difference to their cause.

**Macy** · 07/04/2008, 1:03 PM

Bit late in the day to now question whether they should've been allowed host it to be honest. Boycotting would be the right option, but not a hope in hell of that happening as sport is more important than human rights apparently.

I noticed the litany of UK sports people carrying the torch saying that you shouldn't mix sport and politics - one of the stops for the torch relay was Downing Street.

**GavinZac** · 07/04/2008, 1:31 PM

If the USA are allowed to compete I'd imagine China should be allowed to host.

**Block G Raptor** · 07/04/2008, 2:07 PM

Protesters in Paris have extinguished the Flame.

**kingdom hoop** · 07/04/2008, 3:01 PM

The IOC should never have awarded Beijing the games in the first place. Anyone who knows anything about motivation would appreciate that you entice a donkey to move by holding a carrot out in front of him, not first feed him the carrot and then hope he'll do what you want. It would now be an ironic - though surely not unexpected by most - twist if politics darkens the IOC bigwigs' big shiny "we can change the world" event.

The games should, and presumably will, go ahead. While I would support them being leveraged in some way to embarrass The People's Censored Republic of China, I wonder how effective any boycotts would be given China's pig-headedness. One idea might be that at the opening ceremony (perhaps the biggest publicity showcase) all the athletes would walk behind their nations' flags as per usual but instead of wearing their team tracksuits they could wear some Free Tibet garb. The point would be forcefully made - visually, it would be very impressive. And you could leave it at that; let the contestants then forget about political matters, and focus on themselves rather than a continuous shadow being cast over the Games by intermittent protests.

reder · 07/04/2008, 3:07 PM

Originally Posted by Macy

I noticed the litany of UK sports people carrying the torch saying that you shouldn't mix sport and politics - one of the stops for the torch relay was Downing Street.

Yes but Gordon Brown never held the torch. I dont like China and am totally against their actions in relation to Tibet but I fail to see how the actions of the protestors in London and Paris is going to help the Tibetan people.

**Dricky** · 07/04/2008, 3:50 PM

Countries that have not sinned, can cast the first human rights violation.

**jebus** · 07/04/2008, 3:54 PM

Originally Posted by Dricky

Countries that have not sinned, can cast the first human rights violation.

Can't wait to see who Luxemburg lob theirs at

**BohsPartisan** · 07/04/2008, 4:36 PM

Originally Posted by reder

Yes but Gordon Brown never held the torch. I dont like China and am totally against their actions in relation to Tibet but I fail to see how the actions of the protestors in London and Paris is going to help the Tibetan people.

I think there is a lot of ignorance on the Tibet situation. Obviously the Tibetan people are oppressed by the Chinese but the Free Tibet movement is directed not at achieving democracy for them but subjecting them once again to the yoke of Lamaism where they were ruled by priests and warlords. It would be like in the 80's going to a USSR out of Afghanistan protest that supported the Taliban.

**tricky_colour** · 07/04/2008, 6:31 PM

Who had heard of Tibet before the Olympics?

Not me thats for sure.

**Poor Student** · 07/04/2008, 6:37 PM

Originally Posted by BohsPartisan

I think there is a lot of ignorance on the Tibet situation. Obviously the Tibetan people are oppressed by the Chinese but the Free Tibet movement is directed not at achieving democracy for them but subjecting them once again to the yoke of Lamaism where they were ruled by priests and warlords. It would be like in the 80's going to a USSR out of Afghanistan protest that supported the Taliban.

I don't know about other Dalai Lamas but I think the current one would have or still would carry out reform to modernise the Tibetan state. There's no point in comparing a modern Tibetan state to how it was over half a century ago. The Dalai Lama himself only calls for constructive dialogue with Beijing to bring about a stable and peaceful Tibet under China, not independence.

**DaveyCakes** · 07/04/2008, 6:43 PM

Originally Posted by kingdom hoop

The games should, and presumably will, go ahead. While I would support them being leveraged in some way to embarrass The People's Censored Republic of China, I wonder how effective any boycotts would be given China's pig-headedness. One idea might be that at the opening ceremony (perhaps the biggest publicity showcase) all the athletes would walk behind their nations' flags as per usual but instead of wearing their team tracksuits they could wear some Free Tibet garb. The point would be forcefully made - visually, it would be very impressive. And you could leave it at that; let the contestants then forget about political matters, and focus on themselves rather than a continuous shadow being cast over the Games by intermittent protests.

And in what parallel Universe would this be allowed to happen?

**BohsPartisan** · 07/04/2008, 8:44 PM

Originally Posted by Poor Student

There's no point in comparing a modern Tibetan state to how it was over half a century ago.

Why not? When Soviet rule was overturned in Afghanistan the country went back centuries. Who's to say the families of the old ruling elite aren't ready to step into the breach.

**Macy** · 08/04/2008, 7:22 AM

Originally Posted by reder

Yes but Gordon Brown never held the torch. I dont like China and am totally against their actions in relation to Tibet but I fail to see how the actions of the protestors in London and Paris is going to help the Tibetan people.

Highlighting the fact that people aren't happy with the suppression of the Tibetan people? Highlighting that what is actually going on, and bringing the issues to a wider audience? For example:

Originally Posted by tricky_colour

Who had heard of Tibet before the Olympics?

Originally Posted by BohsPartisan

Why not? When Soviet rule was overturned in Afghanistan the country went back centuries. Who's to say the families of the old ruling elite aren't ready to step into the breach.

The Dalai Lama has said he'd introduce democracy, and we can only take him at face value. A lot of the stuff about wanting autonomy, rather than independence, is pragmatic given the number of ethnic chinese that have been planted in Tibet. Doesn't alter the fact that Chinese rule is bad for Tibet.

**pete** · 08/04/2008, 11:14 PM

Originally Posted by BohsPartisan

When Soviet rule was overturned in Afghanistan the country went back centuries.

Soviet rule of Afghanistan probably brought living standards up to 16th century level so they dropped back to the 13th century.

I think China has come a long way & IMO China will eventually have to provide more representation for its people because they demand it. I can see this happening in the next 20 odd years. I don't know enough about the situation in Dafur but strange that Tibet getting all the publicity when it is not like people dying of hunger in Tibet.

Tibet seems to be colonised gradually as more Chinese move there but in the end the world does not care enough to act. We can talk all we like but are we going to stop buying Chinese goods?

**kingdom hoop** · 08/04/2008, 11:37 PM

Originally Posted by BohsPartisan

I think there is a lot of ignorance on the Tibet situation.

Hey what do you know that you're not telling us?

Seems to me Tibetans are being inexorably marginalised - Tibet is quickly becoming Han-dominated in cultural and economic terms, and crucially for their morale, their spiritual leader is exiled. And you think we should leave well alone as this happens? And this is China we're talking about!! Expect Tibetans to be the 21st century's Aborigines IMHO.

**Lim till i die** · 10/04/2008, 9:14 AM

Originally Posted by GavinZac

If the USA are allowed to compete I'd imagine China should be allowed to host.

Spot on.

All this wailing and knashing of teeth amongst the more limp wristed members of the left about this is really getting my goat.

I doubt there's a country capable of hosting the Olympics that isn't "nasty" to some minority somewhere on a daily basis.

It's what big countries do.