More [and more] Prime Ministerial Hypocrisy
I cannot help but find Stephen Harper’s comments regarding a boycott of the Beijing Olympics more than a tad hypocritical.
Harper is quoted in the Toronto Star as saying
“I think that experience would suggest that such boycotts are generally not effective and really, in the end, only harm the athletes involved who have trained for so many years to compete in these events.”
One can easily say the same thing about economic boycotts that this government is taking part in, and who really gets hurt by them.
Does anyone here really operate under the delusion that Canadian economic boycotts against Iran are hurting Mahmoud Ahmadinejad?
Does anyone really think that the Western boycotts imposed against Zimbabwe affect Mugabe in the least? Or that the economic boycotts against Iraq under Saddam Hussein caused him any sleepless nights?
The argument offered for these actions is generally the same, ‘you’ve got to start somewhere‘, or ‘we’ve got to send a message that this is unacceptable‘ - even if it hurts people more than it hurts governments.
My question to those, including the Prime Minister of Canada, who are claiming that an Olympic boycott would “only hurt the athletes” is, “why are these athletes so much more important than oppressed and poor people in countries led by tin pot dictators who we do support imposing boycotts on”?
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They’ll say because they are Canadian athletes. I guess the Canadian Olympic Committee ought to have made it clear to the athletes that they were political toys, and subject to both the whims of China and Canada. When you boil things down, amateur athletes either make their money through government grant, corporate sponsorship (advertising to sell more crud), or have real jobs that produce something for sale.
I don’t want to tell the next Catriona LeMay Doan to stay at home and protest, but I also don’t want to tell all of the people the Chinese government is hurting that they matter less than a two week World party designed these days to sell more Coke and Big Macs.
Whooee! Athletes are not uni-dimensional zombies. Despite all their focus and training, they surely must know the history of the Olympics and that their contest does not operate in a political vacuum. The 1936 Berlin Olympics were steeped in politics. Ditto 1968 with the Merkins an’ their Black Power salutes. Ditto 1972 with the Munich Massacre. And 1980 when 62 countries boycotted over Afghanistan.
The IOC chose Beijing over Toronto. They had to know they were inviting protest and a possible boycott on human rights issues, alone. The Tibet thing has just thrown fuel on an already existing fire.
There will be protests in 2010. I predict many will be centered on Canada’s treatment of our First Nations people. We’ll deserve what we get just like China deserves what it’s gettin’ now.
JB
“My question to those, including the Prime Minister of Canada, who are claiming that an Olympic boycott would “only hurt the athletes” is, “why are these athletes so much more important than oppressed and poor people in countries led by tin pot dictators who we do support imposing boycotts on”?”
The answer to your question SL, at least in the political sense that Harper wouldn’t dare speak aloud, is Vancouver 2010.
JimBobby: “There will be protests in 2010. I predict many will be centered on Canada’s treatment of our First Nations people. We’ll deserve what we get just like China deserves what it’s gettin’ now.”
Really? What protests occurred in 1988 (I’m asking the question, as I don’t recall any but wasn’t in Calgary and don’t remember much of a stink in Vancouver, land of demonstration)? We hadn’t even begun to settle land claims at that point, I don’t think (while I wasn’t paying THAT much attention to politics in general at the time, I was living in the Lower Mainland of BC and well aware of “land claims in general” not to mention the whole residential school issue (and I don’t mean that in a derogatory manner at all, as I think the government (through gov’t agencies including the RCMP) and various churches cannot begin to redress the horrors inflicted)).
And I would argue, very very strongly, that there is a big difference between crappy water (and other issues) in Kasechewan (as an example, not an endpoint) and shooting monks, so NO, I do NOT agree with your implication that our treatment, particularly in the past 5-10 years (where attempts have begun to be made for redress), of First Nations and Inuit compares to shooting monks.
Sorry. Not going there.
Different times Candace, very different times, it may seem only a few years ago but things have changed a lot in those few years. There have been a more of years of government inaction and people are getting tired (and not in the “this ain’t working, let’s give up and go home”, sort of way either) of the empty rhetoric, and the unfulfilled promises, and the stalling. The 2010 games presents an opportunity to put issues on the world stage and that opportunity will be taken advantage of.
Just a note of caution, I don’t think I’d use a phrase like “crappy water” to describe Kashechewan, you’re only gonna end up pi$$ing people off. Whether you mean to minimize it that way or not the situation was serious enough that over 800 men, women, and children, had to be evacuated for their health and safety - and they had to be evacuated by the province because the federal government was busy sitting on its hands and doing nothing. Some how I think you’d be using stronger language had your family and your children been involved.
You will also see protests regarding treatment of the homeless and the poor who are being shoved so Canada can look nice for the big show.
As I said, different times.
“I do NOT agree with your implication that our treatment, particularly in the past 5-10 years (where attempts have begun to be made for redress), of First Nations and Inuit compares to shooting monks.”
I’m not sure I get your point.
Non-sexual violence against women is arguably a less odious crime than violent rape followed by murder. Should we therefore stop trying to cut down on violence against women until all rapist-murderers are behind bars?
I just listened to a fantastic panel on CBC Radio’s Sounds Like Canada show. Waneek Horne Miller was on it, with two men from slightly opposition ends of the political quandrant. One guy said no to the demonstrations or boycott. The other, predicatably, said yes to both. Neither one is going to Beijing, will be involved in the Olympics, is an ahtlete, has never been to that part of the world, will refuse to watch the Games. Horne Miller is none of the above. She is an Olympic ahtlete, will go to Beijing, etc.
She’s also Mohawk. She’s already being lobbied to boycott the 2010 Games in support of Aboriginal and human rights violations in Canada.
I won’t tell you what she said except that it was the product of some ethical and moral agony, thoughtful, passionate, powerful, and eloquent. She put those other two guys to shame with their rather facile and shallow positions.
I may wind up on the other side of a demonstration line to her, but I have to respect her stated position.
And — no — I won’t tell you.
Imagine that, 2 years away and they’re already removing potential protest venues.
Yeah right, it never crossed their minds……
I’ll just have to find out the whereabouts of the torch in 2010…who’s coming with me?
Ain’t gonna be here dude, we’d have to make a trip to Vancouver for it - I’m up for it.