See the World in Green and Blue

“One person can make a difference and every person should try.” JFK

Any good boycott should be about change: First me, then the wrong. I am choosing to boycott the 2008 summer Olympics. My boycott includes refusing to watch any Olympic TV coverage, read any Olympic online or print coverage and be prepared to answer “why?” if asked. Every time I exert perceivable effort to implement my boycott, I want to remember why I am doing this.

The evidence is irrefutable that China is the largest country in the world that systematically and violently oppresses independent thought, individual freedoms and (even worse) freely exports the tools of oppression and terror. You can likely find examples of each of these transgressions from every other country in the world. But you will not find any country that is as sweeping and methodical as China in its blatant disregard for its people, the world population and the environment.

I believe that activities such as diplomacy and trade can still be carried on with a country such as China, because such utilitarian efforts can be done at arms length and create leverage to benefit the Chinese people and may eventually undermine the oppressive government. But hosting the Olympics should be reserved for world members who have real efforts and processes for basic human rights. There is a difference between doing business with a guy and spending your holiday weekend with him.

Any argument that the Olympics will in fact push open the doors to China is easily rebutted by China’s run of behavior right up to the Olympics of outright lies, selfish environmental decisions and tyrannical destruction of any perceived protesters.

Right or wrong, I find it impractical to protest every act of oppression and impossible to try to right every wrong. But this seems like an obvious opportunity to me to evaluate how I live what I say I value and maybe make a small difference. Now that you read this, you at least thought about it, eh?