The Olympic boycott is on

From No Right Turn - New Zealand's liberal blog:

Since China's crackdown in Tibet, pressure has come on governments and leaders around the world to show their disapproval by refusing to attend the "oppression Olympics".  Now that pressure has borne fruit, with a number of European leaders refusing to attend the opening ceremony:

Donald Tusk, Poland's prime minister, became the first EU head of government to announce a boycott on Thursday and he was promptly joined by President Václav Klaus of the Czech Republic, who had previously promised to travel to Beijing.

"The presence of politicians at the inauguration of the Olympics seems inappropriate," Tusk said. "I do not intend to take part."

Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Germany's foreign minister, confirmed that [German Prime Minister Angela] Merkel was staying away. He added that neither he nor Wolfgang Schäuble, the interior minister responsible for sport, would attend the opening ceremony.

It's a small gesture, but a significant one, which hits the Chinese where it hurts: by denying them the prestige they hope to gain by hosting the games.  And with Merkel out, the pressure is now on other major European leaders such as Nicolas Sarkozy and Gordon Brown to follow suit.

An interesting question for Americans is whether their leaders will follow suit.  Will Bush and Rice commit to refusing to attend?  Will Congressional and Senate Democrats?

As for New Zealand, I doubt Helen Clark will follow.  She's already demonstrated that she's willing to walk over Tibetan corpses to get her free trade deal; after that, boycotting the opening ceremony would simply seem hypocritical.

•  Of course...the US has no such privilege..

  because if we try to boycott, China will call in their security bonds.

  by David Kroning on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 09:13:55 PM PDT

•  Thank God.

  I live in Seattle and have many friends here who are Tibetan exiles. I've been to Dharamsala and have spent time with same. I had hoped to go to Tibet next spring (fat chance now) with a friend who now is an American citizen but grew up in Beijing.

  We need to walk our talk in this instance as in so many other ways. I am so pleased and encouraged to hear about these actions from other countries. I hold no hope that the US officially will follow suit given the players in Washington right now. But, in our hearts, the rest of us can do so.

  Can we, at the very least, pledge to not support advertisers of the networks who broadcast the Olympics? Can we also write to these companies and tell that what we are doing so that our commitment is on record? Otherwise, what we commit to will be invisible.

  Thanks for reading along.

  by emacd on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 09:22:16 PM PDT

  •  Better yet

    Target the sponsors.  It's the usual suspects of course - Coke, McDonalds - but linking them to oppression in Tibet might cause them to jerk the small chains they have...

    by IdiotSavant on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 09:28:49 PM PDT

    •  I think you both (above)

      have it right. The athletes shouldn't bear the brunt, but the sponsors and those who are co-partnering with the Chinese government to make money should certainly feel this.
      Also, while it is almost impossible to buy anything that doesn't contain Chinese parts when it comes to electronics, a lot of other things can be had from other countries. Be selective in your purchases.

      by crankyinNYC on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 09:59:39 PM PDT

      •  Absolutely.

        An Olympic boycott is a terrible idea. An Olympic advertisers' boycott - now, there is an outstanding idea.

        by occams hatchet on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 11:10:43 PM PDT

•  Kicking your banker

  The US has no street cred as my son would say. The Chinese banks are keeping our banks and government afloat.

  Last time I checked Bush& Cheney went begging to the Saudi's to take it easy on us.

  Bush & Cheney will be kissing ass all the way to the Olympics.

  by kiki236 on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 09:31:29 PM PDT

•  Olympic Boycott

  David, you hit the nail on the head. This President is not going to boycott the games. China would just call the US on the umpteen BILLIONS of dollars that they have loaned us. Personally, I think a boycott might restore our country's image a little bit, but it just isn't an option.

  by retired lex firefighter on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 09:32:32 PM PDT

•  Good start, but what about athletes?

  I didn't know any world leaders had committed to making this statement.

  Any word on the corporate sponsors? I'd heard rumors that some of them were considering pulling out.

  Countries and corporations alike that don't boycott the Oppression Olympics are going to share in China's disgrace by being seen to condone China's atrocities.

  I'd hoped though that athletes would be withdrawn as well. I think that'd be a far bigger blow than world leaders not showing up for the opening ceremonies. Imagine China hosting the Olympics but nobody but them competing.

  by Visceral on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 09:35:03 PM PDT

  •  The world's fastest long distance runner

    Haile Gebrselassie, from Ethiopia, is declining to participate in the marathon event because he has asthma and doesn't wish to run in the heavy smog.  Article here.

    by jbdigriz on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 10:44:35 PM PDT

•  If you want to protest the behavior of the

  government, and actually do something constructive for America as well, simply quit buying goods made in China. It'll cost you a little more, but your money will be where your mouth is.

  by DaNang65 on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 09:42:37 PM PDT

  •  You almost have to search for non-Chinese goods

    Not really but it's getting close to that point.

    I wonder what people think is going to happen when we have nothing left to export.

    by Lauren S on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 10:25:44 PM PDT

•  Bush will go to Beijing with all the integrity

  of an 11th Ave. BJ hooker. Not only because he has leveraged us to the eyeballs with China, but because he craves the attention.

  by crankyinNYC on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 10:02:58 PM PDT

•  Merkel is not exactly boycotting

  No Olympic Ceremony for Merkel as Boycott Debate Rages | Europe | Deutsche Welle | 28.03.2008

  The decision to stay away was not a boycott in protest to China's crackdown on Tibet or its wider human right record, Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Friday.

  Steinmeier said that neither the chancellor, Interior and Sports Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble nor he had plans in place to attend even before the People's Republic's recent crushing of pro-independence protestors in Lhasa.

  "As far as I know, Schaeuble has not planned to take part in the opening ceremony... As for myself and the chancellor, I don't think so either," Steinmeier told journalists ahead of an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Slovenia. "In that sense, there has been nothing to cancel."

  by fran1 on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 10:08:50 PM PDT

•  An Olympic Boycott is a bad idea.

  There is every likelihood that an Olympic boycott will backfire and harm the very people and cause you purport to help.

  The Dalai Lama supports the Beijing Olympics. He is not asking for an independent Tibet.

  He is asking for meaningful autonomy. The precedent for such an arrangement is Hong Kong, although autonomous Tibet would be different. The goal is religious freedom in keeping with the letter and spirit of the Chinese constitution, and increased self-determination and self-rule, allowing the Dalai Lama to return.

  This is the middle way the Dalai Lama is in favor of. This is the middle way progressive Chinese political figures and dissidents are in favor of.

  On March 22, they submitted a 12-point open letter to Beijing that outlines the way forward.

  This is the middle way that we Dkos'rs need to support. This is the conversation between the DL and Hu Jintao that needs to take place.

  NOT. FREE. TIBET. Not if by that we mean independent statehood. No matter how well intentioned, this will never happen, for historical, practical, and sphere of influence reasons. It is about as likely as the US giving California back to Mexico.

  Boycotting and politicizing the Olympics just offends and inflames general audience Chinese -- a group of souls who are more eager, more open, and more willing to hear what the West has to say than ever before. Their society is transforming, they look to the West and especially America for guidance. They are extending a hand in friendship, at great cost. If we slap that hand away not only do we lose critical political leverage, but their response in the short term will be: You are uninformed, irresponsible, and meddling in our domestic affairs.

  Imagine if the Chinese -- or anyone else -- were threatening a boycott of US goods over racism in America. Even Americans in agreement that racism is a problem would be say: What does this have to do with you? We have made tremendous progress on this issue. Mind your own business.

  Heck, when the French decried US military aggression, did it actually HELP anti-war Americans pressure other Americans on the war by saying "the French disagree and think we are wrong"?  

  Please -- Let us support the Dalai Lama, the cause of Chinese Tibetans, and progressive Chinese, human rights and democracy in China, by supporting those whose stakes are greatest. Do not boycott the Olympics.

  by beijingbetty on Sat Mar 29, 2008 at 12:43:40 AM PDT

•  Walk over Tibetan corpses?

  Gee, I must of missed than on the news.  The accounts I've read from journalist around the world including those on the scene, is that nearly all fatalities were Chinese civilian shopkeepers and passersby.

  If you want to express your opinion, please drop the hyperbole, rhetoric and mis-information.

  by Zwoof on Sat Mar 29, 2008 at 01:27:36 AM PDT