Chin Check China's Olympics
I feel for the athletes; I really do. They've worked their asses off to get where they are. But let's face it - there are far more important things in the world than sporting events. Remember Munich 1936? Hitler reveled in the attention. Germany profited greatly. And perhaps some of that cash influx in the wake of those Olympic games helped build the World War II Blitzkrieg machine - or the concentration camps. Maybe not.... But just maybe....
The show must go on. Right? For the athletes... for the American television networks....
Uh... I don't think so.
Anyway, my friend Ronnie Fowler, a.k.a. Flower Clown (www.flowerclown.com), posted a bulletin on MySpace today. And I said, "Wow this seems to make sense. I'd love to repost it - as a bulletin, a blog, or whatever." Thankfully, he's given me his permission to do just that. I'd love to hear your ideas as well.
Here's Ronnie's bulletin:
From: FlowerClown
Date: Mar 22, 2008 11:06 AM
I / We need to do something. With the Chinese moving into Tibet and kicking out all the media and tourists things are going to get really bad really quick. I am making a big change in my life. I am going "China Free" I will not buy anything else "Made in China" Granted there are going to be times where I must have an item in order to keep my business running but I will do my best.
I know it is going to be hard. Everything is "Made in China". A few years ago I gave up on Wal-Mart. That wasn't so hard because there are many choices.
I would like you to give it a try. Go China Free for a Day / Week / Month / Year / Life Time. All I can ask is that you try. I have been selling and giving out a lot of small toys that are from China and this will have to stop. When my stock is gone it is gone for good. I have been looking for small toys that are not made in China and have had some but little luck.
Wow! We all get $600 from George W Bush. This is going to kick start the economy. It is just one more thing that goes on our credit card that our children and grand children will have to pay back. Not much we can do about that. Here is my idea and please pass it on to all you know. Use this $600 and only buy goods and services from the USA. How is this going to help the USA if we buy stuff made over seas? I know most of Americans will use it to pay bills or just save it.
Please pray for the Tibetan people. They protested peacefully and it turned out violent. China will not let you protest the government. You will be arrested if you are caught with a photo of the Dalai Lama. I had one when I was in Tibet and passed it on to a monk before I was searched. Lucky for me. I could have spent time in jail for a photo of a monk.
In todays day and age protests don't work! It is still good to show our feelings about our World but the true way to protest is with our $$$$. Please due your part in changing the World for the better. I know I have been trying for many years now.
Thank you for your time,
Ron Fowler aka Flower Clown
I'm right with you, on boycotting the 2008 Olympics. I think if we want to claim to be a nation that stands up for democracy, we need to do it all the way.
However, I feel negligent if I do not mention that a large part of what helped Hitler gain such power in Germany was the poor deal the world gave Germany, after their loss of World War 1. Yeah, they screwed up, they lost. Yeah, to the victors' go the spoils. But, dang. Those people didn't have a leg to stand on...and along comes this dude that seems to make them feel like a nation, again.
Obviously, this has nothing to do with this Olympics. But, I tend to fly off on tangents. Ask around.lol
Anyway, like I said...I agree with what you're saying here, and it is worth thinking about. Thanks.
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Holy crap...First to post twice in one day. I must be in a zone.lol
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Definitely...
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Thanks, Sasha! And you're absolutely right about Germany, too.
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I'm a clown so here is another way to look at China. Think of China as John Wayne Gacy. A clown who made kids happy in hospitals (Olympics) and was a sharp business man (Made in China). He was a family man and well loved by his community. So should we not care that he was a rapist and a serial killer (Tibet, Human rights and the Environment). Just something to think about. Then there is GWBush..... Well I'll leave that for another day.
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Great analogy, Ronnie! And thanks for the inspiration, as well as your commitment to making a difference!
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Compare China, Russia and Cuba. Then think of McCarthyism. Hate the commies, but then what can we do with two super powers but accept them and trade with them. Of course Cuba is just a little tiny island off the Florida coast. So we boycott them because Castro was a dictator. Yes, boycott the Olympics.
I had four Tibetan Monks from the Sera Je monastery stay with me when they were in Oberlin. They told me horror stories of what China did in Tibet and I have a video about this that could make one cry. The Dalai Lama is featured on the front of Time Magazine this week. I may not be a Buddhist but he is a Nobel Peace Prize winner and his message is unforgettable. This blog makes one think....Thank you for posting it.
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Thank you, Elena. I recall watching that video when I was at your house. Very worthwhile....
China is probably the main reason we "let" North Korea come up with a nuclear weapon while being so-damned focused on Iraq's supposed WMD. (And don't get me started on where Saddam got some of his WMD back when he did have them - could it have been Reagan and the first Bush?).
I'm off on a tangent, chasing rabbits. But perhaps this is appropriate on Easter Bunnyday.
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Did you see the 20/20 special that investigates where the bodies for "Bodies the Exhibition"...well the trail leads back to China and what it is looking like is that prisoners who are executed are then sold to this company in America and shipped and these are used in the displays. How horrible is that? Our country along with every other country should be doing a whole hell of a lot more to bring these, all of these horrors to an end. It's got to go beyond boycotting the olympics!
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I didn't see that 20/20, but I'll try to look it up. We could list so many disturbing things. The many pets who died because of unsafe additives in Chinese cat and dog food - the children's toys with lead paint from China - the sweatshop-ish labor conditions - civil rights violations comparable to (and perhaps exceeding) anything Saddam Hussein's reign committed.... And we've really only grazed the tip of the iceberg.
You're right, boycotting the Olympics, while a step in the right direction, is not nearly enough. I personally am going to try my best not to buy anything made in China. It's hard to know sometimes what one is buying. Like when I bought a locally assembled Ford automobile and then discovered that other countries had contributed a surprising percentage of the parts and labor to the production of my "American" car.... But if we're attentive, it should be fairly easy to determine whether something we're buying was "made in China."
Our government can do more too. Of this huge US national debt we've run up with President Bush's inane war on Iraq, a great percentage is owed to Chinese. Look at all the interest we're paying on that debt....
And yet there are too many people who don't seem to care. They'll just pay their taxes, complain that they don't have enough money, buy another Chinese television, and be more enthused about watching March Madness or the Beijing Olympics or the Stupor Bowl than they do about voting or recycling or making a positive difference in this world.
Thanks for visiting my blog and helping get things stirred up, my new friend!
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I agree with you 100%. I will also be watching the made in China labels. Thanks for posting this.
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Thank you, Julie!
I suspect the Tibetans would very much appreciate any support we can give them.
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All of this saddens me greatly. I agree we should do that. I have The Dalai Lama on my profile page and I know he is one of the most peaceful men I know. How sad all of this is happening.
Trying not to buy anything from China is really quite funny.. Almost everything is made from China. We depend on other countries way too much. Our own people are having problems finding jobs.. Excellent post.
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Thank you, Shyloh. And you're absolutely right. Sitting here at my desk I'm amazed to discover that almost everything around me was made in China (not counting the decorations, a lot of which came from Indonesia through City Buddha, a fair trade store). Within arm's reach, I find these items made in China:
my alarm clock
wireless internet router
desk speakers
wireless system for the speakers downstairs
back-up computer hard drive where I store my music
memory cards for our cell phones and still camera
LG cell phone adapter
hole puncher
scissors
desk lamp
black Sonoma boots
slippers
the Joe Boxer lounge pants I'm wearing (just noticed that - ugh)
portable heater
cordless mouse for my laptop
mini-blinds in my window
box of empty CD jewel cases by Hewlett Packard
(but these blank Magnavox and Memorex CDs are NOT from China)
Hell, even this collectible U.S. Civil War coffee cup by artist Mort Kunstler (bought at the Gettysburg battlefield) was made in China.
And that's only in about a three foot radius around me, without finding labels on everything.
From now on, I must (and will) be more conscientious!
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I so agree. The Tibet issue is a appalling. I could never understand why China has to "own" a freezing cold, inhospitable piece of mountain land full of quiet people who just want to raise their Yaks and be left alone to practise their (awesome - in my opinion) spirituality. I support the boycott even though my heart would go out to the athletes who have trained so hard.
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You've expressed it so well, Jane. Thanks.
The only reasons I can think of: natural resources, a territorial buffer zone, and a place to house China's huge and ever-expanding population. Also greed.... None of these can justify or excuse what they've done and continue to do. Horrible....
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Great blog.. great re-post... important issue. I've never liked the US's policy regarding China and Tibet. It seems the US sides with countries for monitary rather than ethical and moral reasons. I think Ron is right we need to start doing what companies and lobbyists do... express our opinion with our wallets... it the only opinion that the US government understands.
I think I will start doing the same... going China -Free...
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Thank you, Chris!
I love so much about China's history, culture, literature, art. But I also love Tibet's. And even if I didn't love them, both should have a right to survive and thrive without governmental suffocation and persecution.
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Unfortunately governments seem to have as little to do with preserving religion, culture and the like, and tend to think of them as being unimportant. And if a country is in the mode of usurping territory they will turn a blind eye to anything that runs counter to that agenda. The simple issue with Tibet is resources... it is a source of convienent available resources to feed China's industrial needs... pure and simple. And they will strip Tibet clean if it serves their purpose to do so. Tibets culture, religion and it's people are irrelevant to the larger Chinese equation. But since economy is what is important to the Chinese that is where they are most vulnerable... foreign policies that have an impact on their economic growth I think would have a strong effect on their Tibet policy... or at least I would hope they would. Anyway, these are a few of my thoughts regarding that...
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Thank you, Chris! And I agree. It reminds me of when Bush invaded Iraq. He made securing the oil fields a priority while pretty much ignoring the pillaging of priceless art and antiquities from museums and the like. Carbon fuels over cultural jewels....
Might also explain why Exxon-Mobil's getting tax breaks to make billions of dollars in record profits and rape the American consumer. When I was in West Virginia last week, I paid over $3.60 a gallon for gas. But I digress... or do I?
Thanks, Chris!
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No...you don't digress... the economics of it is all linked unfortunately. The governments tend to look at everything with a rather greedy eye.... in my estimation. They rarely take into account the cultural toll their decisions have and the lives that are shattered by those decisions. They tend to look at only the big picture and forget about the little pieces that make up the big one.
So no your point is not a digression...
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Thanks, Chris!
"Violent Eye for the Money Pie" - starring George W. Bush, Hu Jintao, and a cast of thousands.
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The U.S. is a democracy but don't forget it is a CAPITALIST democracy. Nuff said.
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Yep... and "democracy" is an awfully inclusive word. We were a democracy from 1776 through 1919 when women were not allowed to vote. We were a democracy for nearly a hundered years while allowing slavery and (in our Constitution) counting each victim of slavery as merely three-fifths of a person. As Barack suggested eloquently in his recent race speech, our union can still use some perfecting.
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My first post for you. First, let me say how much I think of you. Great heart, great soul and since I'm a "Mo"...you're not bad to look at either!
I totally agree about Tibet. The Chinese soldiers are rooting people out they think were protesters by going door-to-door. It's going to be horrible. Hell, it already is.
It's hard to know everything that's made in China. Sometimes the insides of USA made electronics are made there. I'll just do my best.
I too was already pissed at China for the pet food scare. I have 3 dogs and a cat and hey have a horrible human rights record (by the way...so does the USA...capital punishment, torture).
I hope we can spread the word. I know I will.
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Thank you, Pugzz. I very much appreciate your kind words and support. You also make a great point about human rights - our government has not been immune to rights abuses and hypocrisy of its own. One example: the Bush administration's attempts to sidestep the Geneva Convention in the case of so-called "enemy combatants." Hell, isn't everyone who fights against our country, in the dictionary sense, an "enemy combatant"? And if we don't treat our "enemies" du jour with dignity and humanity, how can we expect them to treat our own combatants/soldiers with dignity and humanity?
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If we get a Democrat in we may hear even more about American torture under Bush...hee hee...that sounds kinda dirty.
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indeed... in more than one sense of the word.
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i've been putting off a reply to this blog as i think things through carefully. i can look in my living room and see nothing but things that are from various asian countries, but mostly from china. my dad lived in china for many years, working for what was then known as radio beijing, and became china radio international.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China_Radio_International
he was the first american allowed to broadcast in china, and did a classical music show.
he met my stepmother, tian hong, while he was there and they were married there. it took them a long time before they could get the proper paperwork ready so they could be here in the US.
i have so much from china here, not just my alarm clock and my own wireless mouse. art, books, so much.
tian hong was in beijing when things happened in tiananmen square. it's her home.
still, i'm with you on the boycott, but damn it's going to be hard for me. i'll be frugal with my supply of jasmine te, and hope i have the ingredients on hand for stir fries already. so much of my life is enmeshed in china, this will be personally hard for me.
however, without doing what i can, i might as well not be doing anything at all. i can protest all i want to, write all the letters i can, and you know i can write a lot of letters, but to let the chinese government get away with what's going on in tibet, flowerclown and you are both correct. trying to hit them in their wallet might be the only way for them to take notice.
a boycott is still a protest, but hopefully one that might do more than just writing letters can achieve.
look at all the online petitions i sign for groups like amnesty international, and there's still genocide going on in darfur and other places.
i feel compelled to write tian hong and ask her to read your blog and the comments and see if she will reply. she currently lives in DC and works for voice of america http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voice_of_america, where she broadcasts to china in manadrin everyday. her POV on this would be very interesting if i can get her to come and comment. i will write to her in the morning.
peace.
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Thank you very much, Meribeth! What an interesting and thoughtful comment! And I'm happy you've contributed your unique perspective to this discussion. I think it would be fantastic to hear Tian Hong's perspective on this as well.
I have some jasmine tea from a British company I was going to suggest. Then I discovered that they get their tea from China as well. Hmm....
This editorial appeared in today's New York Times:
"China has cracked down on Tibet and neighboring provinces. It sent more troops into restive regions and made scores of arrests in Lhasa. It acknowledged firing on demonstrators in Sichuan. Yet, the response of the international community — and of the International Olympic Committee — has been tepid. Beijing must be called to account, especially since it will host the 2008 Games.
We are just learning details of what happened. China has blocked most news coverage despite a pledge to give freer access to journalists in the run-up to the Olympics. Tibetan exile groups say about 100 people died in violence that followed a week of peaceful protests. Beijing puts the toll at about 20. In any case, the violence is neither acceptable nor particularly surprising.
The State Department says Tibet — taken by force by China in 1951 — is “one of China’s poorest regions.” Authorities have increased controls over the practice of Buddhism and committed serious human rights abuses.
The Dalai Lama, Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader, has shown remarkable restraint against what he calls “cultural genocide.” Despite the bloodshed, he reaffirmed a commitment to nonviolence and greater autonomy — rather than independence — for Tibet. In return, Beijing called him a “devil.”
But China’s authoritarianism is backfiring, fueling resentment that exploded in Lhasa and radicalizing Tibetans, who increasingly demand independence.
The United States and other major countries must go beyond anemic statements urging Chinese restraint. They must make it clear that such repression violates the promise Beijing made to improve its human rights record when it won the Olympics bid. It mocks the Olympic Charter, which extols “human dignity.” It mocks the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which recognizes “equal and inalienable rights of all.”
The West should keep pressing Beijing to begin serious talks with the Dalai Lama and instruct the United Nations Human Rights Council, which has investigated reported abuses by Israel, Sudan and Myanmar, to begin a similar probe in Tibet. The White House says President Bush is trying privately to influence Beijing. So far, we see no positive results.
Inexcusably, the International Olympic Committee has done little to defend its values and has stuck with plans to have the Olympic torch pass through Lhasa.
Boycotting the Olympic Games does not work; we know that from experience. But the idea of Bernard Kouchner, France’s foreign minister, about not attending the opening ceremony is worth considering. What message does it send if Mr. Bush and other dignitaries lend their prestige to China’s coming out party as if nothing happened in Tibet?"
Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company
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I did a blog not too long ago. And my friend Cindea sent this list in a comment.
HELLO AMERICA!!!
TELL ME, HAVE YOU BEEN IN THIS SITUATION BEFORE. IT’S 9:30 AM AND YOU HAVE ALL KINDS OF IMPORTANT REPORTS DUE NOW, NOT LATER…BUT NOW AND ALL OF A SUDDEN A VITAL PIECE OF THIS PROCESS FAILS TO WORK PROPERLY. NO, IT’S NOT "USER ERROR"(AT LEAST NOT 99% OF THE TIME, BECAUSE I AM A WOMAN AND AS YOU ALL KNOW WOMEN ARE PERFECT) IT’S MACHINE OR SOFTWARE FAILURE, AND IN A BIG WAY, BECAUSE WHEN IT GOES IT GOES BIG AND USUALLY IT’S WHEN YOU NEED IT THE MOST. TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE YOU CALL "TECH SUPPORT" FOR THE SOFTWARE OR EQUIPMENT THAT HAS FAILED YOU EVER SO MUCH, AND, "CUSTOMER SERVICE" HAS RE- ROUTED YOU TO A FAR OFF COUNTRY THAT IS DEFINITELY NOT YOUR OWN, TO A PERSON THAT BARELY SPEAKS ENGLISH AND USUALLY HAS AN ATTITUDE BECAUSE YOU CANNOT UNDERSTAND THEM. I HAVE SAID IT ONCE BEFORE AND I WILL SAY IT AGAIN…"YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!?" NOW I REALIZE THAT AMERICAN COMPANIES NEED TO REDUCE PRODUCTION COSTS AND MAKE AS MUCH PROFIT AS THEY CAN TO SURVIVE. BUT WHEN THEY OUT SOURCE THEIR "CUSTOMER SERVICE" TO BANGLADESH JUST BECAUSE THEY CAN PAY THEM IN CAMELS OR BAGS OF RICE…WELL IT’S JUST NOT RIGHT, NOT RIGHT AT ALL, AND FRANKLY QUITE UN AMERICAN. THE LAST THING I WANT IS FOR SOME JACK ASS WITH AN ATTITUDE AND A THICK ACCENT TELLING ME TO HOLD ON WHILE THEY TRANSFER ME TO 5 DIFFERENT PEOPLE ONLY TO START MY WHOLE SHHHPEAL OVER OF WHY I AM CALLING…5 FREAKIN TIMES. FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING THAT’S SACRED IN THE WORLD(DOUBLE STUFF OREOS AND TAX REFUNDS), GET ME SOMEONE THAT SPEAKS ENGLISH AND KNOWS A LITTLE SOMETHING ABOUT THE PRODUCT THEY ARE REPRESENTING! I MEAN NOTHING TICKS ME OFF MORE THAN HAVING TO SPEAK SLOOOOWLY OVER AND OVER TO SOME CLUELESS FOREIGNER THAT CANNOT HELP MY SITUATION WHATSOEVER. ONE OF THE BIGGEST MISTAKES WE HAVE MADE IN THIS COUNTRY IS CLOSING DOWN AMERICAN FACTORIES. WE HAVE NOW BECOME PRETTY MUCH DEPENDENT ON OTHER COUNTRIES FOR MANY PRODUCTS, RESOURCES AND SERVICES. TO FIND SOMETHING THAT SAY’S "MADE IN AMERICA IS RARE. TELL ME PEOPLE, IS THAT SMART?? ARE WE SAVING MONEY OR ARE WE EMPOWERING OTHER COUNTRIES? DON’T GET ME WRONG HERE JAPANESE SURE CAN MAKE A GOOD CAR AND CHINA…WELL CHINA IS GOOD WITH EVERYTHING THAT INCLUDES LEAD…WHICH IS EVERYTHING. GET WITH IT AMERICA! BRING BACK THE GOOD OLD AMERICAN FACTORY WITH HARD WORKING PEOPLE WHO TAKE PRIDE IN THEIR JOB AND PAY THEM GOOD, PAY THEM WHAT THEY DESERVE. GIVE THEM GOOD BENEFITS AND TREAT THEM RIGHT AND I GUARANTEE YOU WILL HAVE A BETTER PRODUCT WITH BETTER SERVICE AND UNDYING LOYALTY. THE GOOD OLD AMERICAN WAY.
AND IF YOU ARE WONDERING.. YES MY KEYBOARD IS STUCK ON CAPS HERE IN MY OFFICE TOO!!! NOT TO MAKE A POINT HERE. BUT FOR REAL... ERRRR. AND MAKE NOTE, THIS WAS CLEARLY MADE IN CHINA>>LOOKING ON BOTTOM OF KEYBOARD.
NAMASTE’
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Here is the list. Sorry this is long.
I have included a list of well known companies here that outsource American jobs to foreign countries (Dobbs 2004)
1. 3M
2. Adobe Systems
3. A.G. Edwards
4. Alamo Rent-A-Car
5. Amazon.com
6. American Express
7. American Greetings
8. American Standard
9. Anderson Electrical
10. Anheuser-Busch
11. AOL
12. Apple
13. AT&T
14. Bank of America
15. Bank of New York
16. Bassett Furniture
17. BellSouth
18. Best Buy
19. Black & Decker
Outsourcing American Jobs 7
20. Boeing
21. Bristol-Myers Squibb
22. Bumble Bee
23. Capitol One
24. Caterpillar
25. Charles Schwab
26. Circuit City
27. Citigroup
28. Clorox
29. Coca-Cola
30. Columbia House
31. Corning
32. Dell
33. Delta Airlines
34. DIRECTV
35. Discover
36. DuPont
37. Earthlink
38. Elmer’s
39. Evenflo
40. Ford Motor
41. Frito Lay
Outsourcing American Jobs 8
42. Fruit of the Loom
43. Gateway
44. General Electric
45. General Motors
46. Georgia-Pacific
47. Gillette
48. Goodrich
49. Goodyear
50. Google
51. Halliburton
52. Hamilton Beach
53. Hewlett-Packard
54. Hershey
55. Home Depot
56. Honeywell
57. IBM
58. Intel
59. John Deere
60. Johnson & Johnson
61. Kellogg
62. Kraft Foods
63. Lands’ End
Outsourcing American Jobs 9
64. Levi Strauss
65. Linksys
66. Lionel
67. Longaberger
68. Lowe’s
69. Mars
70. Maytag
71. Merrill Lynch
72. Motorola
73. Nabisco
74. Nike
75. Office Depot
76. Orbitz
77. OshKosh B’Gosh
78. Pepsi Co
79. Priceline.com
80. Proctor & Gamble
81. Providian
82. Prudential
83. Quaker Oats
84. Radio Flyer
85. Radio Shack
Outsourcing American Jobs 10
86. Safeway
87. Sara Lee
88. Sprint
89. Starkist Seafood
90. State Farm Insurance
91. Target
92. Texas Instruments
93. Time Warner
94. Toys “R” Us
95. Tupperware
96. Tyco
97. United Airlines
98. Verizon
99. Walgreens
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Wow... thanks for sharing these, Shyloh!
The length and diversity of the list is amazing. And it would probably be even longer if we knew every company.
I usually read all your blogs, but I don't remember seeing that comment before.
Just checked my keyboard (by Emachines) - yep, it was made in China, too. At least my caps lock isn't stuck on.
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Since almost everything is made in China it cannot bring peace to Tibet to boycott their imports. As far as boycotting the Olympics, we as individuals can't do this.
The Olympic Committee should demand changes in the Chinese human rights concerns and the world leaders should help change the situation in Tibet that has been going on ever since the Dalai Lama fled over the Himmalayas to India.
Finally some of us are learning about the massacre of the Buddhists and the destruction of their religious buildings. It may be too late to save
Tibet already since millions of Tibetans have been massacred and the Chinese have moved in and changed the culture. They hate the Dalai Lama and he cannot change Tibet right now. It is time, however, to be aware of world crises, genocides and know how much our country depends on foreign merchandise, oil, and other necessities for our well being in this country. Boycotts will do nothing to change the world, believe me! Our leaders must make a difference in human rights or this will go on endlessly.
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I think we as individuals can boycott the Olympics - and here's how.
Don't watch the games on TV, don't watch programs about the games, don't read about the gamesin your newspaper, and when your radio or local TV news reports on the games, turn the channel. Get enough people to do this - and let the media know we're going to do it. If there's no money in it for the media and there's no support among the public, it will make a difference. Might even encourage the government to do an official boycott....
And those companies that sponsor the Olympics? Boycott them, too. If being an "official sponsor of the Olympics" affects your financial bottom line negatively, it will make a difference.
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i'll see if i can get k to research who the official sponsors are, this is the sort of thing he lives for.
i see more letter writing in my future...
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Cool!
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took him about 3 minutes to find them....
http://en.beijing2008.cn/bocog/sponsors/sponsors/
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McDonald's, Kodak, and Coke - oh my!
And that's just the beginning!
Thanks for posting this - and thanks to Kurt for hunting it up!
Glad goodness I only have Pepsi in the fridge (oh - and Labatt's - lol)!
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Seriously... what if we tell Coca-Cola, GE, McDonald's and the other sponsors we won't buy their products if they continue to support these Olympics? It's something to think about.
Then Bush could blame us anti-MickyDee liberals for our team not making it to Beijing... lol.
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hmmm... i know a johnson from johnson and johnson. she's VERY liberal. i've lost contact with her, wonder if i can find her again?
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That would be excellent!
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omg john. i'm researching the sponsors and their brands and assets. we just can't buy anything ever again.
the coke products list alone is mind boggling. we'll have to stop reading yonder's blogs because they have a brand named "nico". poor stacey! they have a brand named "rockstar" too... haha...
look!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Coca-Cola_brands
G.E.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_assets_owned_by_General_Electric
and that's only 2 of them.
my head hurts.
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Tap water, Scotch and coffee... the new nectar of the benevolent gods.
Think of all the money we'll save, at least....
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wonder if i can still use my brita to filter the tap water?
coffee.... now i want coffee...
wonder who makes the filters? i'd laugh if i could.
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i do have a browser joke now though...
i have 9000 tabs open. oh dear. we can't use tabs anymore. tab is a coke product...
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LOL!
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labatt's? really? blue or green label?
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Blue... to match the Pepsi.
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Democratic blue... all the way.
No red Bud for me - no sirree....
LOL
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ok, now you made me grin
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Oh yes if we knew all the companies. The list may never end. All of us really need to check ourself and our buying. And yes. Everyone's mouse and keyboard are probably made from China.. Do they even make them in America ha. WOW.. Can anyone say.. HOMEWORK???
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Homework!!!! LOL
Indeed, I'm still doing homework on several aspects of this.
Discussing with a friend whether a Chinese boycott will hurt the average Chinese worker who in a sense is also a victim of his govenment policies....
Reading Pico Iyer's new Time magazine cover story on "The Dalai Lama's Journey"....
And inviting a few folks who might have a different opinion to express themselves here and give all of us a chance to respond.....
I'm not always sure of the best course. But I strongly feel that enough's enough and we have to do something.
Namaste....
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damn john,
i'm really having a hard time wrapping my brain around this one.
will a boycott on products brought in from china really help, or are we also sticking it to the residents of that country and not just the government? would it mean some of their more than a billion people would end up without jobs because people aren't buying the product anymore? would that, in turn, drive them into sweat shops to work at just to try and support their families? i ask because you see, i also have trouble with what to think about sweat shops.
as a general rule, sweat shops are well, terrible, but at the same time, they're also helping the people who work there in some way, because even if they only make pennies a day, at least they're making something and can contribute to their families. in places like china, the people who work in sweat shops probably would love nothing more than standing up and pulling a norma rae, but looks what happens to them when they try and make a stand. why do i keep getting a vision in my mind of that photograph of the vietnamese citizen being shot at point blank range in head?
it's all well and good to try and stick it to the government of another country, but what are then the repercussions to its people who have done us, or the rest of the world, no harm?
we march into iraq. we know it's about oil, but look what we end up doing to the people who live there.
we marched into vietnam, and lost that one. i can still, in my minds eye, see the death toll of how many people died, scrolling by on the evening news and hear walter ckronkite saying and that's the way it is. i seem to recall the highest death tolls were not from america, or north vietnam, but south vietnam.
i know people from vietnam who live here. all the nail shops here in warrenton are run buy vietnaese people. yes, i sometimes indulge in a pedicure, and mia (no that's not her real name, it's the name she uses at the salon, and i don't know how to spell her real name) is here in this country now earning her degree as an accountant while working at the nail shop. mia does not have any plans to use her degree here in the good old us of a, she's taking her degree with her back to communist* run vietnam and setting up shop there. having a degree from the u.s. means she'll make more money for her family back in vietnam.
if we start boycotting chinese goods here, what about the small stores i shop at that are run by chinese people who have moved here and are finally actually able to make a somewhat decent wage? or the people who run the chinese restaurants, that even they serve chinese food lite, are still getting their ingredients from china? then that just leads to the whole immigration/ border issue, and surprise! i think open borders are the way to go.
ha, this is longer than 3000 characters...
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boycotting the olympics, for me, is an easy thing to do. except for watching tennis, i wouldn't have been watching them anyhow, and the people who play tennis in the olympics are not amateurs, i can see them play somewhere else.
i don't need to write tian hong to know what her reply to your blog would be, it would mirror my own concerns about boycotting. it could put members of her family out of work. she would struggle with this as i do. tian hong revels in the freedom she has here, and i know how she feels about the chinese government, but she could not boycott things from china. you can take the girl out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the girl.
as you wrote the other day in a blog reply, nothing is ever black and white. this has every shade of gray ever imagined to me.
which makes the most sense globally? buy american and americans work, or buy what you will, what you need, and the whole world gets some work?
last night boycotting felt right to me too, obviously now, i'm not so sure.
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I didn't know there was a 3000 character comment limit! Wonder if I can change that....
Too bad there seems to be no limit to the death toll in Iraq. I just read that we've hit 4,000 now - and of course that doesn't count the Iraqis - or the mentally and physically wounded - or the squandering of treasure, our American "ideals," et cetera.
I'd love to see the government do more. But what would I suggest they do? I just don't know. Sanctions? Tariffs? Threatening rhetoric? Negotiation? I see as many (in some cases more) cons as I do in pros in these options.
Now I'm even more interested (if that's possible!) in hearing what Tian Hong might have to say - any Chinese person, for that matter - and any Tibetan, too. We need to look at this as broadly as possible to come up with the best solution. I agree with Ronnie that we need to do something. If anyone can suggest a better idea that a boycott of Made-in-China items, I'm all ears.
I really appreciate your comment.
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tian hong has been written to. i hope she will be able to comment soon.
i've got some more thinking to do...
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While thinking about this I found an article in the Atlantic, July/August 2007. "Why China's Rise is Good for Us" by James FAllows. He describes how 100,000,000 Chinese men and women toil in factories there. The article on China goes from page 49 to 72 and is the most comprehensive discussion of the manufacturing taking place in China. I found it fascinating. This is the life blood of this country right now and also
makes our designers, marketers, engineers and retailers earn even more.
So this isn't a simple boycott that will do anything to help anyone. Read this if you want to understand global interdependence. Also Time mags of this week, "The Dalai Lama's Journey."
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Thank you for your thoughts on this. I have the Time article you mentioned - but have not yet seen the Atlantic piece. Will try to check it out.....
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I've written to some of my Chinese and Tibetan MySpace acquaintances, hoping to get their feedback. Only one has responded so far, saying she respects whatever I decide but prefers to keep her own opinion private. I can respect and appreciate that. And I look forward to hopefully hearing from some other folks as well.
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well, i'm sorry to say that Tian Hong will not be able to join the discussion as she is getting ready to work in hong kong for 3 months.
even though she won't be in beijing, this somehow brings everything this much closer to home for me, especially now that she is a chinese national, american citizen and a buddhist.
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Interesting that the Chinese people I've invited all (so far) prefer not to join the discussion....
It seems that people who discuss such things in China, without toe-ing the party line, sometimes don't have opportunities to engage in future discussions. All the more reason why we who are free to do so should lift our voices.
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I wouldn't be so sure John of anything, respectfully
I have come to the conclusion (that I am going with)
that such measures as boycotting are not really any
different than embargos and restrictions used by those
who are mostly interested in power and control.
This stance was bolstered by his holiness Dalai Llama
as I'm sure you know, yesterday, in effect backing the olympic movement.
My 2 cents
thx
eric
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I respect your view, Eric. I'm not 100% sure of it all myself (I am almost 100% on the Olympic issue, but somewhat less sure on the "Made in China" boycott, as you'll note in my above replies). I'm following my conscience, although I also realize I don't know everything and I'm trying to keep and open mind. I feel certain we must do something. And if a boycott isn't the ideal solution what is? "Business as usual" is not an acceptable option. Neither is waiting for it to pan itself out. I can't help but see parallels between the Tibetan situation in China and the Jewish situation in Nazi Germany. There are filled prisons, countless deaths and methodical attempts at cultural extermination. We must act. But what to do? I'm not sure - and I'm definitely open to better suggestions. But I feel time is of the essence.
I think it will do no harm whatsoever for American networks and advertisers not to make money off these Olympics. But it might do some good....
Thanks for your contribution to our dialogue, bro! Peace and respect....
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Read the last paragraph of the article in the NY Times that I sent you this morning. What do boycotts actually achieve? If the dignitaries of the countries involved in the Olympics refused to attend the opening ceremony this would actually be a message of real protest seen by the whole world. Just turning off the TV does nothing!! It is those in power that turn the tide. Of course if not attending in person, or canceling plans to attend and enough people did this it would be a boycott. Just refusing to look at the TV does nothing. The Tibetans have been killed for protesting and they are the ones who really matter. Not the Chinese people who work to make a living. Remember it is the government there that has to learn a lesson, not the people. It was true in Iraq as well. Saddam had to go but we invaded and who has paid the price? 4,000 of our soldiers, but thousands and thousands of Iraqi citizens have been killed. When will we ever learn? Diplomacy, economic sanctions? If they don't work just invade and kill and start never-ending wars. There are many people who are and have been working and donating for Tibet's freedom. Richard Gere is just one. I am constantly getting mail from him. Awareness is just beginning to come to the front in our media with the Dalai Lama on the front cover of Time.
But Tibet has been pillaged now since the Dalai Lama left 50 years ago. This is the reality we all must know and accept. What does the future hold? In Tibet it is a spiritual struggle and the Dalai Lama is a peacemaker not a warrior.
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Turning off the TV gets the attention of FOX, the BBC, et cetera - which gets the attention of the corporations who advertise, which gets the attention of leaders who care about corporations and care about political popularity.
Those in power often step up because it is politically popular to step up. Just turning off the TV is not enough - but it is a step in the right direction. It does nothing, you say? Even turning off the Miss America pagaent does something. Nothing is a strong word. Like "always" and "never" it has one heck of a time avoiding exceptions.
So it did no good to sanction/boycott Iraq? It had nothing to do with Saddam not re-acquiring weapons of mass destruction? Sanctions against Libya had nothing to do with Qaddafi publicly renouncing terrorism? Are not public boycotts a form of sanction?
These are merely rhetorical questions. I hope you don't mind me playing devil's advocate here.
Let's imagine this is the Munich games of 1932 and we have all this modern media technology. The U.S. president does not boycott the Olympics. Would you say turning off our TVs does nothing then? We might as well just let Nazi Germany advertize it's propaganda and Germany's alleged greatness all over our world and let our networks and advertisers profit from the whole spectacle - since we're just peons, not world leaders? Sometimes I wonder: if our leaders are playing Neville Chamberlain with China - on Taiwan, on Tibet, and even (possibly) North Korea? I'm definitely not advocating violence against China, lest you get that impression with the Chamberlain reference. But we can't just let this continue, and we have to do something. What that is I'm not sure. But remember - 13 years after the Munich Olympics, 6 million Jews were dead. And then imagine the possibilities in Tibet 13 years from now. Is making China rich the solution? Will those riches really trickle down to the masses? These are the questions I ask myself. And I think they're worth considering.
The Chinese government isn't the Nazi Third Reich. There are differences. But there are also significant parallels. So what do we do? Nothing? Wait for the world leaders? And meanwhile watch the games and support their advertisers? My conscience won't allow me.
Peace...
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I can imagine a protest during the Olympic games itself or on the streets around the games. This just might happen also. If this were to take place DURING the games the Chinese military would have to shame themselves in front of the whole world (watching TV) if they resorted to any kind of violence with the thousands of tourists in China at that time. This just might happen..
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Good point....
They might just wait till the cameras are off to do anything about it - just like I hear things have "quieted down" in Tibet since China began running reporters and tourists out of there in the past couple of days.
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Buddhism will survive in spite of China, in spite of the Olympic games that are after all Greek in origin. Philosophy and art came from Greece, and as the Olympic trainers train their bodies, the Buddhists train their minds. The genius of the Dalai Lama is ability to rise above his reality, conquer hatred and find peace both in understanding science and reality in his religious views. We all can take a lesson in understanding our "enemies" by finding his peace and love for mankind. He is one of my spiritual heroes. So with this thought I leave this blog and I boycott the very thought of violence.
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He's one of my heroes as well. I am far from the Buddhist ideal - but I love the idea of not only boycotting violence but, as you say, boycotting "the very thought" of violence. There's a difference. And one of the things I think makes the Dalai Lama great is his apparent ability to boycott that very thought.
Perhaps the same could be said for Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King.
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Glad you understand my boycott. Inner peace to you and love.
Elena
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Peace love and all the above to you as well.
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chapter 49 again...
http://crisisblog.crisischronicles.com/2007/10/26/weekend-tao-te-ching--chapters-46-through-50.aspx
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People ask me why Im so concerned with the "little problem in Tibet." It's sad that a great many people are unaware that this "little problem" is really a very large one, a matter of genocide, a matter of mass thought control and destruction of a culture. What kind of country would exile a human being as wise and peaceloving as the Dalia Lama? A person whose main focus in life is to "boycott violence and violent thought" to achieve harmony and peace in a chaotic volatile world! The Dalai Lama is not a god, not a perfect omniscient unfaltering being, but what he stands for and devotes his life to is amazing and I have the utmost respect for what he teaches. A country that casts this kind of person out is a country I want no part of. A country that uses military might to banish free thought is a country I do not want to support. I am one small person. Maybe boycotting the television doesnt seem like such a big deal to some. It wont be hard for me given I dont pay much attention to it anyway. But it is a step in the right direction. As is boycotting imported goods and opting for products made elsewhere. Or consuming minimally, which is always the best option if you want to aid in the sustainability effort. I suppose some of my intentions are selfish. I do feel intensely for the people of Tibet, but Im also interested in the symbolic nature of the struggle and what it means to me in my personal life. I have spent most of my life searching for ways to cool my own anger, a reason to have hope and be at peace. I have found nothing that makes sense as much as the teachings of Buddha. In its simplicity, I have experienced great difficulty and I dont know if I will ever reach the point where I can say Ive truly reached enlightenment. The land of Tibet has a powerful symbolic nature to many of us who appreciate and revere the Buddhist way of life. To see a mass military complex devote its energy on destroying these peaceful people is both disturbing and horrific. It hurts me to know that a supposed friend, an ally, is really just another violent oppressive mass military regime. So No! I will not be supporting their little track and field event and I will not be running to Walmart to purchase flame retardant pajamas for my son, etc etc, and I will be searching for other more sustainable ways to support my existence here on earth. Remember we are all part of a great whole and it does matter what someone is doing across the seas, 2000 miles away.
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Amen, sister! What you've said and how you've said it are powerful, profound, and on-the-money. Very good points - and more proof that the comments are often better than the blog.... You remind me of what the late great Dr. King said: "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." And even if it didn't threaten justice everywhere, it should still matter deeply to us as the Tibetans' fellow human beings. Thank you, Marilyn!
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People ask me why Im so concerned with the "little problem in Tibet." It's sad that a great many people are unaware that this "little problem" is really a very large one, a matter of genocide, a matter of mass thought control and destruction of a culture. What kind of country would exile a human being as wise and peaceloving as the Dalia Lama? A person whose main focus in life is to "boycott violence and violent thought" to achieve harmony and peace in a chaotic volatile world! The Dalai Lama is not a god, not a perfect omniscient unfaltering being, but what he stands for and devotes his life to is amazing and I have the utmost respect for what he teaches. A country that casts this kind of person out is a country I want no part of. A country that uses military might to banish free thought is a country I do not want to support. I am one small person. Maybe boycotting the television doesnt seem like such a big deal to some. It wont be hard for me given I dont pay much attention to it anyway. But it is a step in the right direction. As is boycotting imported goods and opting for products made elsewhere. Or consuming minimally, which is always the best option if you want to aid in the sustainability effort. I suppose some of my intentions are selfish. I do feel intensely for the people of Tibet, but Im also interested in the symbolic nature of the struggle and what it means to me in my personal life. I have spent most of my life searching for ways to cool my own anger, a reason to have hope and be at peace. I have found nothing that makes sense as much as the teachings of Buddha. In its simplicity, I have experienced great difficulty and I dont know if I will ever reach the point where I can say Ive truly reached enlightenment. The land of Tibet has a powerful symbolic nature to many of us who appreciate and revere the Buddhist way of life. To see a mass military complex devote its energy on destroying these peaceful people is both disturbing and horrific. It hurts me to know that a supposed friend, an ally, is really just another violent oppressive mass military regime. So No! I will not be supporting their little track and field event and I will not be running to Walmart to purchase flame retardant pajamas for my son, etc etc, and I will be searching for other more sustainable ways to support my existence here on earth. Remember we are all part of a great whole and it does matter what someone is doing across the seas, 2000 miles away.
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That was worth saying twice!
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http://a167.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/59/l_068e2f148f16f79cbe5552b99dfa0936.gif
he was "eating a big dish of beef chow mein" in status. i had to say something....
don't know how well the color will come through. the word "boycotting" is a link to this blog. all comments have to be approved before posting. looks like only 2 were.
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It is early in the morning and I just re-read all the comments. When I think of the word boycott I realize how many things we could boycott and yet not make a dent in the economic realities of world trade or the political problems we all face. Instead of boycott think of support for those who have been wronged, for those who are homeless and whose countries are war torn. Millions of people in this world are in tragic circumstances. Raise money for the
Doctors without Borders who go to Darfur and other places. My son and his wife raised $10,000 for this group just by getting merchants in Evanston to contribute along with others. Support the charities and help the Buddhists here and in other countries by supporting them. There are several million refugees from Iraq alone who have no place to go and this country isn't accepting most of them. Tell Coca Cola and all those companies that advertise to send contributions for the Tibetan people. Help is needed, not a boycott. Are you all going to throw away your TVs your computers and electronic equipment made in China by those poor women I read about who have nothing if they don't work in these factories? Support the Dalai Lama and his monasteries in India. I had four Buddhist monks stay with me when they toured the country to raise money for this and learned how tragic it is for them to have families still in Tibet after they fled as children over the mountains with their feet frozen. Positive action rather than a negative boycott is the answer. I think the Dalai Lama would agree with this.
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I agree that we need to support these folks - and you've made some excellent suggestions. The exiles, the Dalai Lama, Doctors without Borders, et cetera do need our support, desparately. And such support does seem to help more than any boycott, except in one important regard: none of that is helping the Tibetans still in China - just like supporting Jewish charities, noble as it might have been, wouldn't have done a god-damned thing for the Jews who were wasting away in the Nazi concentration camps. The Tibetans still in China deserve our help too. I guess we could send them money or doctors - but would the Chinese government even allow that help to reach the Tibetans? I'm not throwing away my TV or computer. They're already bought - and that would be a waste. I abhor consumer waste. But I won't buy another thing from China as long as nothing changes for the better. I appreciate the type of "spiritual" boycott you're engaging in - and maybe if I was as strong and wise as the Dalai Lama that would be enough for me (though I'm not convinced it is for him either - I don't see him buying alarm clocks from China, though I could be wrong). But personally I feel I must do something more concrete, though I respect your different view and method.
A thought I had: maybe the Dalai Lama would see a boycott as positive action. It is a demonstration of support not only for those who have escaped Tibet (by the way, do you consider their escape a "negative boycott" of China?), but also for the Tibetans (and democracy demonstrators, and Chinese Catholics, and Falun Dafa practictioners, et al) who remain in China. Coke can send all the money they want to the Tibetan people - but it won't do a thing for the monks who rot in Chinese prisons - or even the average Tibetan on the streets of Lhasa. In my opinion, much more is required.
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Rockin'!
I can't help but imagine Warren Zevon in heaven, looking down on the Tibetan situation with dismay, and singing of the Chinese government, "Wa-ooooo... werewolves in Lhasa!"
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somehow i think warren would be very amused that you see him heaven...
we could rewrite all the lyrics to that song and make it fit this blog. it would certainly be appropriate.
feel free to change my typo from beed to beef. makes a little more sense that way.
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what beed?
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Read the Plain Dealer today, "OLYMPICS: Pro-Tibet demonstrators crash Olympic ceremony" In Olympia, Greece it seems that demonstrators angered by China's crackdown in Tibet upstaged an Olympic flame-lighting ceremony unfurling a banner and calling for a boycott of the Summer Games in Beijing before they were arrested by police. It goes on to say that this was broadcast live by Greek national tv but China state television cut away to a recorded scene.
Tnis is going to be a difficult time for the Olympics and I can forsee a lot more demonstrations for Tibet.
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I saw this today as well:
Olympics: Rogge says IOC in ’silent diplomacy’ with China on Tibet
Associated PressANCIENT OLYMPIA, Greece — IOC president Jacques Rogge said Monday he is engaged in “silent diplomacy” with China on Tibet and other human rights issues in advance of the Beijing Olympics.
Rogge gave his most extensive public comments on China’s political situation shortly before the start of the Beijing torch relay was disrupted by pro-Tibetan and press freedom activists. Seven people were detained.
The International Olympic Committee has come under pressure to speak out about the crackdown in Tibet and China’s record on human rights, Darfur, freedom of speech and other issues.
Rogge reiterated his long-standing position that the IOC is not a political organization and cannot interfere in the internal affairs of China. But he stressed that he is involved in private dialogue with Chinese leaders and insisted the human rights situation has improved since Beijing was awarded the Aug. 8-24 games seven years ago.
“The IOC is engaged in what I call a ‘silent diplomacy’ with Chinese authorities since day one of the preparations of the games,” Rogge said. “We are discussing on a daily basis with Chinese authorities, including discussing these issues, while strictly respecting the sovereignty of China in its affairs.”
Rogge, who will chair IOC executive board meetings in Beijing next month, said he will meet then with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.
“I have a series of points to discuss with him and I’m sure he has points to discuss with me,” Rogge said. “I repeat, we are not a political body, we are not an NGO, but it is our responsibility to make sure the athletes get the best possible games.
“I dispute that, I challenge that,” he said of claims that Chinese human rights have deteriorated since 2001. “Awarding the games to China has put China in the limelight and opened the (human rights) issues up to the world. Tibet, rightfully so, is on the front page. But it would not be on the front page if the games were not being organized in China.
“I believe the games have advanced the agenda of human rights,” Rogge added. “Is the situation perfect? By no means. Has it improved? I’m saying yes. Is the glass half- full, or half-empty? I’m saying half-full.”
The violence in Tibet has brought China’s policies to the fore. Protests began March 10 on the 49th anniversary of a failed uprising against Chinese rule, and turned violent four days later, touching off Tibetan demonstrations in three neighboring provinces.
Beijing’s official death toll from the rioting is 22, but the Dalai Lama’s government-in-exile has said 99 Tibetans have been killed.
Rogge expressed concern about the violence but would not criticize China for its crackdown.
“It’s difficult to make a judgment on the responsibilities, but violence from whatever side is something which of course is worrying us,” he said.
Rogge said the IOC can do no more than join world leaders in calling for a peaceful resolution of the situation.
“The United States of America, the European Union and the pope have called for a peaceful resolution and a reduction of violence,” he said. “We are saying what the world leaders are saying.”
Shortly after Rogge spoke, the flame-lighting ceremony and torch relay were targeted by protesters.
Three members of the Paris-based group Reporters Without Borders were detained after running onto the stadium field while Beijing organizing chief Liu Qi was speaking. The ceremony went ahead and the flame was lit by the sun’s rays.
A Tibetan woman covered in red paint — symbolizing blood — lay in the road in front of a runner carrying the Olympic torch, while other protesters unfurled flags and chanted “Free Tibet” and “Shame on China.” Two Tibetans were detained, while another Tibetan and a Greek photographer with him were restrained.
The torch relay will travel 85,000 miles over 130 days through five continents before reaching Beijing’s Olympic stadium for the opening ceremony. San Francisco is the only North American city scheduled to host the torch, on April 9.
“The torch relay is a symbol of peace, a symbol of unity of people of the world and of the Olympic truce,” Rogge said. “We call on everyone not to use violence. I don’t think the public opinion would accept violence in such a public event. It would be counterproductive.”
The torch relay is scheduled to go through Tibet, creating a possible flashpoint. Rogge said there are no plans to change the route, but didn’t rule it out.
“The original torch relay route has been confirmed by BOCOG and Chinese authorities,” he said. “So far, as I speak now, the IOC is in agreement with that. No one can foresee the future.”
Rogge said there is no “credible momentum whatsoever” for an Olympic boycott.
“The major governments do not want it, the sports community definitely do not want it and I’m sure the public opinion does not want it,” he said.
Some politicians have suggested the possibility of government leaders boycotting the opening ceremony, but Rogge also said there was no broad support for that.
He said the decision to stage the Olympics in Beijing was correct.
“When we awarded the games to China, we knew there would be discussions,” he said. “We were not naive. We knew discussions would flare up in the last six months and that has happened. We cannot deny one-fifth of mankind the advantages of Olympism.
“We believe the games will be a catalyst for change and will open a country which used to be mysterious to much of the world.”
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Everyone should notice that it was the Paris based group Reporters Without Borders that organized this protest. I have learned that more French are Buddhists than Protestants. I also recall that it was the French that didn't want us to invade Iraq before all attempts were made to discover whether Saddam had WMD or not. The UN meeting where this was discussed so angered the American public that they called French Fries Freedom Fries and poured French wine into the streets of New York. Five years later the French were right, weren't they? There is going to be public opinion against the Chinese human rights and in spite of all efforts they are not going to stop harassing and killing those who demonstrate. In the world today there are hardly ever any "peaceful" demonstrations against political oppressors. Remember Myanmar.
At least we can see now that there is a lot of awareness of what China did and is doing in Tibet. It is 50 years too late but there are a lot of sympathizers with the Buddhists and the Dalai Lama.
The city of Llasa, once the Tibetan capital and the home of the Dalai Lama has a population of 300,000 and two out of three are Chinese not Tibetans. There are 238 dance halls and karaoke parlors and 658 brothels and the Potala Palace is ruined. However the Tibetan
Buddhist culture is still alive and well
in other parts of the world. Where there were once two Tibetan Buddhist centers in New York City there are more than 40 today. In Taiwan there are more than 400. More French people call themselves Buddhist than Protestant or Jew. (I got this from Time magazine's report on the Dalai Lama) But Tibet must be made a free place for not only the Dalai Lama and his supporters but all peoples and religions and it is more than just the Tibetan Buddhists that live there that want this. So watch the action as the Olympics are being organized and the torch may or may not go through Llasa. I am glad this blog has brought more awareness to those of you who have read it and the comments.
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Leave it to certain Mickey-D-lovin' Amerikkkans to change the name of French fries but continue to wolf them down... lol.
In the case of the Beijing Olympics - hopefully no one will want to just change their name and still watch them.
You make good points, and I have three words in response:
Liberté, égalité, fraternité
Hopefully they'll be more than words, worldwide, one day!
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Hey, for some reason I am having difficulty commenting on your website. Brings me to a page that sez "page cannot be found".
My understanding of Tiananmen--something that Ive read only recently--is that the protesters were actually protesting the capitalist takeover of China & their eroding human rights. So a true democratic movement, yes, but not in the flavor the US would like to proselytize (capitalist).
May both the US & China & all the other oppressive nations of the land be banned from the games.
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Thanks, Lady! I've been having trouble with both this site and MySpace tonight - thought it was just my computer. Not sure what is going on, but I finally got your comment copied from MySpace to here. I always appreciate your feedback - and you make an intriguing point here! Food for thought....
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......i have been trying for several days to comment on this blog...
....i don't know where to begin, except to say that Tibet is only the most recent incident of genocide in our world. ....and while there is no Olympics scheduled to take place in Darfur or Chad, these people need equal the attention that the Tibetans need.........there is sooooo much hate and horror in the world, i think many people are just "media-worn" from hearing about it.....which is probably how and why we are so terribly apathetic about getting involved....
...for the past five years, i have tried (with an emphasis on TRIED) not to buy anything made in China or Japan. ......FUNNY!! ...there are so many things that we use and don't even think about....but REALLY, give it a try. .....in the meantime, you can concentrate on not drinking Coke products while you aren't watching t.v. ....thanks for getting the brain cells movin'
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You're absolutely right, barbie, about places like Chad and Darfur. The other night, I watched Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee and was reminded that even America has not been blameless. When will human beings throughout the world finally abandon such horrors and learn to practice humaneness.?
I'm not sure what's been wrong with my blog - hopefully everything's been resolved now. I appreciate your persistance in leaving this comment, especially because you always have something worthwhile to add to these discussions.
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i'd love to see the BIG BUSINESS of sports shut down to punish the BIG BUSINESS of China. i know the president of the european union is calling for all government officials to boycott the opening, and france is considering boycotting the whole thing.
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Kudos to the EU and France! Nice to see leaders with some sense of compassion and concern for justice.... If only the US government had listened to them regarding Iraq instead of waxing so damned self-righteous and charging full-speed-ahead into a disastrous war with no justification....
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