The Olympic Cop-Out?
Posted on April 13, 2008 - Filed Under China |
With two weeks to go to the Pennsylvania Primary, most thought the Sunday news programs in the US would be dominated by talk of the unsettled democratic field. But President Bush’s National Security Adviser managed to steal the spotlight.
Appearing on both Fox and ABC, Stephen Hadley said that boycotting the opening ceremonies at the Olympics over China’s position on Tibet is a ‘cop-out.’ Instead, Handley offered his suggestion that other nations follow the Bush policy, utilizing what he called “quiet diplomacy.” Given the historic low polling numbers abroad (and now even domestic) for US foreign policy, is it really wise to offer our approach as a model for the rest of the world to follow?
The President has his own view on the games, saying, “I don’t view the Olympics as a political event. I view it as a sporting event.” While technically true, almost every Olympics over the past 100 years has been filled with political overtones that in some instances have overshadowed the games themselves.
Mr. Bush’s approach was, according to Hadley, “what we think the international community ought to be doing, which is approaching the Chinese privately, through diplomatic channels, and sending a very firm message of concern for human rights.”
In his terrific piece in the NY Times today, written before Hadley’s comment, Buzz Bissinger issues a valid consideration for Americans on this sensitive issue: “But lest we as Americans feel too righteous, we should consider this - If the host country this summer were the United States, every visiting nation would have to consider either boycotting the opening ceremonies or withdrawing given a disturbing record of our own, which includes the occupation of Iraq and the abuses at Abu Ghraib and Guantánamo Bay.”
Once again it seems the sports of the Olympics is taking a backseat to its politics.
Sphere: Related ContentComments
Leave a Reply