Monday, April 7

Why We Should NOT Boycott the Bejing Olympic Games


Unless you have been hiding under a rock for the past month, news coming out of Tibet is frightening. The Chinese have gone in again to beat up and bully the Tibetan people. If it isn't enough that they invaded this small mountain country in 1949, have literally destroyed Buddhist teachings in the monasteries, beat and tortured monks and nuns, caused a massive exodus of Tibetans, the Chinese have pushed their way of life onto the Tibetan people without any respect for their culture.
I have watched the demonstrations worldwide against the Chinese in Tibet. Even in London, demonstrators tried to put the Olympic flame out as it passed down the streets. There are calls to boycott the Olympics to protest the Chinese crackdown in Tibet. Of course there were the pro Chinese protesters, but they all just sounded like wind up Kewpie dolls with their brainwashed prefabricated slogans,saying how great China is etc etc.. Hey dude, if China is such a great country, WHY DID YOU LEAVE????
Why am I against boycotting the Olympics?? ITS NOT THE ATHLETES FAULT!!! I went to high school with a future Olympian(Mark Tewksbury),and I remember the hours he spent training and competing. My niece is a future Olympian in skiing and I see the sacrifice that my sister and the rest of the family make. Why should athletes have to pay for a political situation that has nothing to do with them??? If the world is so up in arms at the human rights violations in China, go one step further...BOYCOTT PRODUCTS FROM CHINA!!!!!! Well Wal-MArt, you may as well close your doors. EVERYTHING is made in China nowadays. Here in Brazil, a local jacket and camping wear company gets their merchandise made in China. IT IS CHEAPER TO GET THINGS MADE IN CHINA AND EXPORTED BACK TO BRAZIL THAN TO USE LOCAL SEAMSTRESSES!!!!!
This type of boycott could actually be good for the financial crisis in the USA, and could eventually help emerging nations such as Brazil as well. IF we all stop buying products made in China, maybe we can recoup some of the manufacturing jobs lost over the past decade. I just read that 80,000 jobs were cut in the USA. Shoe factories are closing in Brazil because of the strong currency, it is impossible to compete with the cheap labor(and may I add shoddy workmanship) of the Chinese.
If we are to show solidarity to the Tibetan crisis, the best way is to punish the Chinese in the place where it will hurt the most...THE WALLET!!!!!
I can live without Chinese made products....CAN YOU?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

God damm, second time I agree with your point! 4a.m. as you posted it? Just finished that book on Miliatry History of China. Niceties like democracy and manners put aside, Tibet is not my favorite type of theocracy either. I am not saying the Hans from Beijing are doing the right thing, but definitely boycotting the Olympics has nothing to do with nothing. Let´s close the local Wal Mart...
best,
Cepik (Marco Aurelio is a name only my mom would use when she was very angry...)