The wrong idea
Certain world powers go out of their way to prove how little moral ground they have, despite their wealth and real estate. Choose the moment that might make “the other guy” lose face and then play it for the cameras. There’s no sense of fair play, however.
Although the idea wasn’t born yesterday, somebody is now waving the big stick around. If we could boycott the Olympics this summer, maybe we could change the way that China treats a neighbour. How patently wrong, how unfair to those concerned.
The China-Tibet question is not something new. My little knowledge of the situation points out that the Dalai Lama has been in exile for close to fifty years. Odd how that matches the Cuban mess, and even odder how the reaction of the big moral kids has also had no real effect. We’ve gone through the political interference in the Olympics movement a few times before; all it has done is to cheapen a certain number of medals.
There’s the real problem, for me. I’m not an athlete, but I can see how one might decide to devote years to the goal of attending the Games. For many involved, it is a “once in a lifetime” moment. The idea that somebody who wants to moralize would remove that opportunity must really cut deeply. Another four years before the next chance, because someone wants a cheap press moment.
Let’s be clear; China and Tibet are not going to end their situation because of a couple of weeks of athletic competition offered up for sacrifice. All an Olympic boycott will accomplish is to show how little value those politician place on true effort. If only we could boycott the politicians and their games.
