As the pages of the calendar keep floating away in the breezes of politics, the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, hosted by Red China get closer and closer. And with it, come major calls for a boycott of the games from some in the U.S. and world-wide human rights groups, concerned about China’s massive on-going human rights abuses and that they will use the Olympics to further its own goals of world domination and conquest. We stand with those condemning and punishing the brutal, totalitarian government of China. Our own House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, bless her heart, recently called for merely, a simple “diplomatic boycott” of the Winter Games in response to China’s horrid human rights record: “We cannot proceed as if nothing is wrong about the Olympics going to China.” She suggested that athletes should still be able to compete in the games but that world leaders and royalty should not travel to attend them in person. And she rebuked major American sponsors to refrain from chipping in with advertising to sustain the games. She’s trying.
Back in July, 2019, 22 countries signed a letter to the U.N. Human Rights Council demanding that China “refrain from the arbitrary detention and restrictions on freedom of movement of Muslim Uighurs.” This brutality borders on genocide. In addition, China imprisons correspondents, jails outspoken dissidents, denies free speech, travel or actions by its citizens who may shed light on its totalitarian nature. But the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is fearful of challenging China. Minky Worden, director of Global Initiatives for Human Rights Watch, hit the nail on the head by saying, “The collision with the IOC is inevitable.” The IOC talks a good game by touting that the games are a beacon for tolerance and fairness. Nonsense. By not holding China to account for human rights abuses back during the 2008 Beijing Games, the IOC effectively told the host nation it could do whatever it wanted without fear of repercussions. Look at how China was rewarded with the 2022 winter Games in spite of its human rights abuses skyrocketing since 2008.
Let’s not forget that South Africa and Afghanistan were banned from participating in the Olympics (at different times) for their abuses of civil rights. But heaven forbid the IOC should take a similar tough stance against China, which has become a major player in the Olympic movement. We’ll quote Mr. Worden again: “The IOC will have to assess its own tolerance for human rights risk in China. The 2008 Olympics were already legendary for human rights abuses. The current situation is leagues worse.” Just a thought…what if a reporter at the games should mention the totalitarian abuses in that nation? What if an athlete in the games should be quoted as being against the host nation’s policies? Would they be jailed, beaten or thrown out of the country for their outspokenness? We won’t take that chance of it happening to an American athlete or correspondent. Simply ban our attendance completely from the games hosted by a brutal, totalitarian, demonic, dictatorial nation. We’re joining “The China Olympic Boycott Movement!”
