So, this year the 2008 Summer Olympics take place in Beijing China. This is a country that just cracked down on Tibet protesters this past week, does not allow more than one child per family, is poised to overtake the US in greenhouse emissions, does not have labor laws and has been ruled by communists since the 1950's. The chinese government forced 12,000 people to relocate so they could build sparkling facilities for the top athletes in the world. But should there be boycott the Olympic Games, much like the United States did to the Soviet Union back in 1980?

I lean towards a boycott, because China needs to be sent a message that it is not ok to oppress it's people, degrade it's environment and pretend everything is ok. The big American Corporations might want a share of the market (at the expense of civil rights and the environment), but athletes and teams from objecting countries should follow their hearts and not participate if they object to Chinese policies.

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I would be for a boycott. China just depresses me as a whole... you started me thinking on the oppression that many of the rural families suffer and the pollution that the government refuses to try and cut back on because everyone's so damn corrupt. The government and the people are on two incredibly different levels, and that government is unwilling to take responsibility for ANY of its wrong-doings... I'm not fond of their tendency to sweep everything under the rug.

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After reading the first post, I'd be for a boycott also. They need to be taught a lesson.\
I doubt anyone actually would boycott the Olympics, though

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i support the boycott.
no one can say it will be leaving the poorer chinesse families at a further loss, they do not stand to gain anything from this, the rich will get richer and the poorer still suffer.
china has been left on a loose leash for to long, its time their free unoppossed opression has a stance taken against it.

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Life is pain, life is only pain. We're all taught to believe in happy fairytale endings,

But there is only blackness; dark depressing loneliness that eats away at your soul.

As a commercial kitchen builder, I deal with Chinese people all the time. they are very hard working, and always achieve a higher than average standard of living here in Australia. They also have horror story's of quality of life in china, and substandard working conditions and pay. It is not a nice place to live. I think due to the amount of trade from china, and its growing economic position with the rest of the world, It should be made to catch up to the rest of us in other areas as well. I would support a boycott also.

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Kids say no to drugs!!!!!!! drugs are bad mmmmmmmmkay!!!!

China bans live broadcasts from Tiananmen Square during the Olympic Games. Source.

For a country who wants to host other countries from around the world, they sure aren't being very invitive.

Also in the UK, the British Olympic Association has banned their athletes from competing if they express dissenting views about China's human rights record. Source. What do you Brits think about that?

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I boycott all olympics because the main symbol of all of it is the eternal-burning torch, which is the symbol of the illuminati which I oppose.

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How to stop the NWO immediately: http://www.davidicke.com/forum/showthread.php?t=29055

Now I really support a boycott.

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It was kind of obvious China would act this way if they were hosting the Olympic Games.

It was really poor planning on the Olympic committee's fault in my opinion and there's not much any of us can do now. Boycotting would just make things worse.

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It's McBunbunz, bitch.

Indeed. For those who haven't seen the story, China is planning to control the weather at the 2008 Olympics by using silver iodide and dry ice. For those who don't know, silver iodide is an inhalation hazard, as well as being bad for the skin, according to the MSDS sheets for the chemical. Aside from the obvious health hazards of using these chemicals, any change to the global weather will affect weather patterns worldwide (the butterfly effect). I would hate to see any athletes come home with lung or skin damage due to the problems Chinese weather control could cause. This wouldn't have been needed had they built a stadium with a roof, but it is a chance for China to exert their dominance in front of the whole world.
Human rights violations are also a big part of the reason we should not support these Olympic games. China has evicted roughly 1.5 million citizens to make room for the Olympic events - (source: COHRE). Interestingly, there is a provision in the Chinese "constitution" that references eminent domain, but doesn't seem to mention any form of compensation for people who are forcibly removed from their homes - (source: Chapter IX, Article 108, bullet point 14 of the Chinese constitution). I seem to recall something similar from the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, where people were also removed from the area, but can't find a link right now...so I can't back it up.

China also represents a huge market for American corporations, which is why nothing is going to happen regarding any boycott...there is too much money to be made on the deal. China has spent roughly $2 billion dollars US on their Olympic plans so far, less than a week's trade imbalance with the US, so it is obvious they already have us by the throat.
A noble goal, but taking a look at the 1936 Olympic boycott, I am not hopeful. At least in 1936 a few athletes stood up for their beliefs.

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It's in my hands, the sky, so bright, it's burning
It's for me to decide if flames will reach heaven tonight