March 10, 2008
Tony Avella Rallies for Tibet, Boycotts Olympics
City Council member and probable 2009 mayoral candidate, Tony Avella, is the latest politician to ask for America's withdrawl from the Beijing Olympics if China will not grant Tibet independence. Under China's rule for over 50 years, Tibet has made no headway, even with the support of human rights groups, activists...and Richard Gere. When we interviewed Robert Thurman, co-founder of the Tibet House, earlier this year he touched on the Olympics, saying:
The thinking is that if you give them a big P.R. thing to do like the Olympics, they won’t want people to see how they’re beating up the Falun Gong or whatever it is they’re doing lately. This is a fallacious concept but within that it’s true that the Chinese are trying to clean up their act so they won’t be embarrassed during the Olympics. Unfortunately, what the Chinese consider ‘cleaning up their act’ is to wipe out people who might do human rights protests; they don’t mean stopping the human rights violations.Today a rally in Manhattan is taking place commemorating the anniversary of the 1959 uprising against China. Avella is in attendance and will most likely use this event to introduce his resolution, which demands New York City-based corporate sponsors boycott the 2008 Olympics, and that the International Olympic Committee move the games from Beijing. He stated, "That's the only thing that will make them do anything — international pressure."
If it sounds improbable, this wouldn't be the first Olympics the U.S. has boycotted; in 1980 the Moscow Olympics were boycotted in protest of their invasion of Afghanistan. There have also already been many prominent names dropping their support of the games. The NY Sun reports that last month "film director Steven Spielberg left his position as a consultant for the games in response to the country's ties to the Sudanese government, and in January, Charles, Prince of Wales, said he would not attend the Olympics as a protest against China's treatment of Tibet." Björk has also been making some noise lately; and even Paul McCartney is boycotting, though over the country's use of dogs and cats for fur.
However, President Bush, not to be swayed by private citizen Spielberg, has already ruled out the boycott possibility this year, and says he simply views it "as a sporting event."
Photo via the AP
|
yes. we should boycott china for tibet and boycott America for invading iraq while youre at it.
stuffwhitepeoplelike
We normally boycott the Olympics because it is a boring waste of time and NBC's coverage is incredibly jingoistic. It being in Red China is yet another reason not to watch this time around. Giving the Olympics to the ChiComs was an endorsement of their repressive and environmentally devastating regime by the international community and is not just "a sporting event."
While I don't support China's position on Tibet, I think the issue is a little more complicated than most people perceive it to be.
"Red China" "ChiComs" interesting.
While I definitely don't support China's position on Tibet and Taiwan, a boycott would only serve to increase tensions. The best way to approach this is closed door pressure applied by our government on China. China is extremely sensitive about perceived insults and embarrassments to the nation, and a boycott would only act as a slap in the face to a slowly reforming China.
Yes, the IOC should choose future venues based on a city with the most perfect and spotless records on everything from human rights, environmental protection, infrastructures, animal rights..etc..I would nominate the city of Atlantis if it hadn't sunk to the bottom of the ocean and their lack of sufferage for whales..
And large events like this help the other sides to apply needed pressure.
Everyone gets annoyed at different aspects of the Olympics coverage, but yeah, I don't actually expect NBC to not root for our athletes when this is typically an event where I don't feel guilty for being pro-American. As for "Red China" and "ChiComs", I think NBC's coverage will actually be less jingoistic than those terms.
And NBC, for the love of God, please show the Hungarians during the parade of nations. Every damn Olympics, the Hungarians are one of the "oh, and these countries came in while we were at commercial so we're not going to show them to you."
And I am sure the fall of the Soviet Union was a direct result of USA's boycott of the 1980 Moscow Games.
Steven Spielberg left a position he never had. Prince Charles is just supporting another monarchy. Bjork is always making noises. She calls it music. I call it mouse droppings. She still look like she's 10 years old. And Paul, oh Paul, dear Paul, just dumped his one-legged wife. Eat a puppy, Paul.
A few more notes. Falun Gong is a cult. Richard Gere is a wuss. Tony Avella who?
We need a better way than boycotting the Olympics. That would ruin the chances of athletes who have trained hard for their chance within a small competition viable age window.
The Olympics should not be about politics.
A better way to send a message would be to stop importing all the cheap goods from China and try to stimulate manufacturing back in the US. Hurting their economy and improving ours.
These days the US is the last country to be preaching about human rights violations.
Tony Avella? Who's that? A friend of Jen Carlson? Oh, City Council member and probable 2009 mayoral candidate. Anthony Weiner, Tony Avella... boy, 2009 sure looks like a weak year for the Mayoral race.
I'm sure China ignored Richard Gere, Steven Spielberg, Prince Charles, and everyone else, because they wanted to see what City Council member Tony Avella had to say on the issue.
"Unfortunately, what the Chinese consider ‘cleaning up their act’ is to wipe out people who might do human rights protests; they don’t mean stopping the human rights violations."
Replace 'wipe out people' with 'send people to Gauntanamo'and that sounds eerily familiar.
Oh no! Tony Avella is boycotting the olympics?!?!? There go our chances in 200-meter hurdles.
Replace 'wipe out people' with 'send people to Gauntanamo'and that sounds eerily familiar. I'm guessing anyone being wiped out might think being sent to Guantanamo sounds eerily a lot better.
Tibet aside, the reason the Olympics shouldn't be held in such countries is to prevent another bloody crackdown. Some estimate hundreds of protesting Mexicans were killed by the police during the 1968 Olympics and doesn't anyone remember Tiananmen Square?