Will anyone boycott the 2012 London Olympics?

Tabnabs

In 1976 28 countries boycotted the Olympics in Montreal due to the participation of New Zealand: New Zealand's rugby union team continued to play rugby with South Africa.

In 1980, 62 Countries and regions took part in the US led boycott of the Olympic Games, in protest of the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan(!!!).

We hear all the rigmarole about China in Tibet, (but we continue to trade freely and instead ask our athletes and politicians (i.e. someone else!) to do our dirty work). But the UK are part of the illegal invasion of Iraq, they are part of the occupying forces in Afghanistan etc. etc.

Will there be any murmurs of discontent in the run up to London 2012?

MrJoeSoap

Yes. I mean no. What was the question again?

Oh yeah. I will, I've boycotted every one so far and don't intend to stop now.

orestes

There is enough hassle being caused by this years olympics, why not wait a while before wondering about 2012?

May I suggest waiting about, I dunno, three or four years?

Overheal

Dyflin wrote: »

In 1976 28 countries boycotted the Olympics in Montreal due to the participation of New Zealand: New Zealand's rugby union team continued to play rugby with South Africa.

In 1980, 62 Countries and regions took part in the US led boycott of the Olympic Games, in protest of the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan(!!!).

We hear all the rigmarole about China in Tibet, (but we continue to trade freely and instead ask our athletes and politicians (i.e. someone else!) to do our dirty work). But the UK are part of the illegal invasion of Iraq, they are part of the occupying forces in Afghanistan etc. etc.

Will there be any murmurs of discontent in the run up to London 2012?

Its already being discussed in the mainstream US Media already. Im sure theyve swept 1980 under the rug though. I love good Irony.

Eric Cartman

normally i boycott the olympics but ill change this year :P

Steve

Absolutely - 100%

Unless I get some free tickets or something, in that case, no.

Collie D

Eric Cartman wrote: »

normally i boycott the olympics but ill change this year :P

I usually boycott them too but if everyone else boyvotts this year I'm entering myself into the high jump. Reckon I could take on the best the Chinese have to offer, asusming my sterotype of Chinese people being midgets is correct

OPENROAD

Why? Don't you mean this years? Can't see any problems with London.

CantGetNoSleep

Collie D wrote: »

I usually boycott them too but if everyone else boyvotts this year I'm entering myself into the high jump. Reckon I could take on the best the Chinese have to offer, asusming my sterotype of Chinese people being midgets is correct

Yep, they're all greasy haired, squinty eyed flied lice eating yellow skinned midgets, think I'd take them in boxing too

GhostInTheRuins

Unless they do something really bad close to 2012, then no, it won't be an issue.

The whole idea of boycotting the olympics is ridiculous.

Victor

I think all politicians should boycott all Olympics. More seats for the rest of us then.

Sanjuro

Of course not. Cause, ya know, like, Britain's part of the coalition. And they're the goodies.

Yakult

Im in. Mainly because of the iraq point you made.

Tha Gopher

Dyflin wrote: »

But the UK are part of the illegal invasion of Iraq, they are part of the occupying forces in Afghanistan etc. etc.

Will there be any murmurs of discontent in the run up to London 2012?

Iraq?

You rate a 5 year war over 800 years of Catholic children having their eyes held open by British soldiers and forced to watch Rangers classic match DVDs? For shaaaammmeeee.


*sticks on some Wolfe Tones*

Heisenberg.

This post has been deleted.

JIZZLORD

you cant take the olympics away from me.
where else shall i get my fix of synchronised diving?

WooPeeA

Sport should be beyond politics. Especialy the Olympics.

Sportsmen are working for life just to be there. We shouldn't take their chance away.. Think of all those young people who wants to represent their nations and play fair. Sport should be beyond politics.

Hanley

WooPeeA wrote: »

Sport should be beyond politics. Especialy the Olympics.

Sportsmen are working for life just to be there. We shouldn't take their chance away.. Think of all those young people who wants to represent their nations and play fair. Sport should be beyond politics.

I absolutely agree.

While I can see some countries boycotting China this year, but the idea of any countries boycotting London 2012 is ridiculous, outside one or two radical ones who attempt to make a point of course.

Who's going to show solidarity with Iraq anyway like...? And in 4 years if it's not all over and done with then it'll just seem to be more normal anyway and people will have stopped caring.

CantGetNoSleep

Hanley wrote: »

I absolutely agree.

While I can see some countries boycotting China this year, but the idea of any countries boycotting London 2012 is ridiculous, outside one or two radical ones who attempt to make a point of course.

Who's going to show solidarity with Iraq anyway like...? And in 4 years if it's not all over and done with then it'll just seem to be more normal anyway and people will have stopped caring.

I don't

These athletes might miss out on a chance to compete in the Olympics. Some will still be around in 4 years, others will never get a chance to compete in an Olympics and will have to stick to World/European Championships etc. All those years of training and dreaming shattered...

Tibetans are tortured, electrocuted, executed, sterilised on a daily basis for even promoting a free Tibet. Do a search for a video which shows a Tibetan girl shot dead by the Chinese army as she tries to flee Tibet through the Himalayas

Who is in a worse position? The Tibetan people or the athletes

The Olympics is all about politics, more importantly it is an opportunity to both highlight the plight of Tibetans in Tibet, and pressurise China into change. Shattering athletes dreams is a small price to pay for stopping the torture and execution of innocent Tibetans

Hanley

CantGetNoSleep wrote: »

I don't

These athletes might miss out on a chance to compete in the Olympics. Some will still be around in 4 years, others will never get a chance to compete in an Olympics and will have to stick to World/European Championships etc. All those years of training and dreaming shattered...

Tibetans are tortured, electrocuted, executed, sterilised on a daily basis for even promoting a free Tibet. Do a search for a video which shows a Tibetan girl shot dead by the Chinese army as she tries to flee Tibet through the Himalayas

Who is in a worse position? The Tibetan people or the athletes

The Olympics is all about politics, more importantly it is an opportunity to both highlight the plight of Tibetans in Tibet, and pressurise China into change. Shattering athletes dreams is a small price to pay for stopping the torture and execution of innocent Tibetans

Eh since when did it become "athletes -v- Tibetans"??

It's all very nice to feel sorry for the terrible plight that these people have to endure, but to think boycotting the Olympics will solve anything is laughable.

The Olympic games should not be seen as a vehicle for political change. They come around every 4 years and some athletes only ever have one shot at them, one shot having spent maybe 25 or 30 years of their life training for this moment. Should that be taken away from them to try and solve a political situation? fcuk no.

If the west really wanted to pressure China they'd just stop trading with them. It'd be a hell of a lot more effective. But I guess we don't care enough about hte Tibetans to give up our access to cheap clothes, electronics and high priced exports that they pay us for.

Boycotting the olympics isn't going to solve anything, and to be quite honest I think it's an extremely sensationalist approach and one which is best reserved for those who don't want to look at pragmatic and potentially more effective course of action.

metaoblivia

I will be watching the Olympics faithfully, as a friend of mine - barring a U.S. boycott, which is unlikely, and injury to her - will be competing.

BraziliaNZ

Due to the participation of NZ? What did they ever do wrong?

WooPeeA

CantGetNoSleep, sport is not supporting tortures. And sport is not against. Sport is sport.

The Olympics is good business but believe me, it's nothing comparing to the Chinese yearly economy income..

Do you know what is the biggest support for them? It's all stuff "Made in China" that we buy everyday. Chinese cars, Chinese electronics, Chinese cheap clothes.. They are making good money on all of us.

So maybe it's better to boycott "Made in China" than all those people of sport? Don't you think it would be much harder hit than boycott the Olympics?

Hanley

WooPeeA wrote: »

CantGetNoSleep, sport is not supporting tortures. And sport is not against. Sport is sport.

The Olympics is good business but believe me, it's nothing comparing to the Chinese yearly economy income..

Do you know what is the biggest support for them? It's all stuff "Made in China" that we buy everyday. Chinese cars, Chinese electronics, Chinese cheap clothes.. They are making good money on all of us.

So maybe it's better to boycott "Made in China" than all those people of sport? Don't you think it would be much harder hit than boycott the Olympics?

Wow... I'm shocked. An intelligent response.

And before anyone else responds, unless you own no goods that have come out of China, you're in no position to talk, because you, yes YOU are an implicit party in all of this.

I don't think the olympics should be boycotted. I do think the Tibetans are getting a rough time. I do something should be done about it. But I honestly don't care enough to stop availing of items produced by the Chinese economy.

It might be a bad attitude to have, but at least I'm honest with myself and don't try to make my lack of action all the more bearable to myself by supporting sensationalist manevours that are at best idealistic and at worst totally misguided.

Mossy Monk

I hope to go to the Olympics in London.

metaoblivia

BraziliaNZ wrote: »

Due to the participation of NZ? What did they ever do wrong?

New Zealand's national rugby team continued to play rugby with South Africa, which had been banned from the Olympics since 1964 due to its apartheid policies.

metaoblivia

Dyflin wrote: »

In 1976 28 countries boycotted the Olympics in Montreal due to the participation of New Zealand: New Zealand's rugby union team continued to play rugby with South Africa.

In 1980, 62 Countries and regions took part in the US led boycott of the Olympic Games, in protest of the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan(!!!).

We hear all the rigmarole about China in Tibet, (but we continue to trade freely and instead ask our athletes and politicians (i.e. someone else!) to do our dirty work). But the UK are part of the illegal invasion of Iraq, they are part of the occupying forces in Afghanistan etc. etc.

Will there be any murmurs of discontent in the run up to London 2012?

P.S. You forgot the Soviet led boycott of the 1984 Olympics. 14 countries boycotted.

JavaBear

i china

Black Swan

Leave politics out of sports!

One country that may boycott 2012 London Olympics would be Argentina, cause of the mini-war they fought over the islands in the south Atlantic (what the Brits call the Falklands)?

Mitch Connor

Hanley wrote: »

If the west really wanted to pressure China they'd just stop trading with them. It'd be a hell of a lot more effective. But I guess we don't care enough about hte Tibetans to give up our access to cheap clothes, electronics and high priced exports that they pay us for.
.

america going down the economic crapper and taking most of the world with it wouldn't help anyone.

biko

I won't be going to any Olympic games.

Beerlao

hmmm how many of you people are willing to give up chinese takeaways too?

try telling me that on my way home from the pub on friday night!

Peteee

WooPeeA wrote: »

So maybe it's better to boycott "Made in China" than all those people of sport? Don't you think it would be much harder hit than boycott the Olympics?

As well as flush the world economy down the ****ter.

Kev_ps3

I think we should boycott the 2012 London Olympics, not only for the illegal invasion on Iraq but for the countless crimes commited by the Brits down through the years. If the world stood up and said that invading other countrys is unacceptable than maby they might think next time they want to invade another country i.e Iran.

kevmy

Hanley wrote: »

Wow... I'm shocked. An intelligent response.

And before anyone else responds, unless you own no goods that have come out of China, you're in no position to talk, because you, yes YOU are an implicit party in all of this.

I don't think the olympics should be boycotted. I do think the Tibetans are getting a rough time. I do something should be done about it. But I honestly don't care enough to stop availing of items produced by the Chinese economy.

It might be a bad attitude to have, but at least I'm honest with myself and don't try to make my lack of action all the more bearable to myself by supporting sensationalist manevours that are at best idealistic and at worst totally misguided.

Same here.

Mossy Monk wrote: »

I hope to go to the Olympics in London.

Same here



On the wider question, sport is not above politics. It never was and never will. The GAA came about as a semi political organisation. Also politics in sport is epidemic you will find more back stabbing in the IOC or Fifa than any Fianna Fail Ard Fheis. If people want to use the Olympics to make a political statement by not competing let them. Just don't force them to do it.

However it is ludicrous to say boycott 2012. Britain have as good as pulled out of Iraq and since you can't change the past there is no point in protesting. If that was the case us, India, America and half of Europe would pull out over the sh1t the English done to us over the years. But we don't cos we've moved past that

Tabnabs

kevmy wrote: »

Britain have as good as pulled out of Iraq

Really? clicky

And they're sending more troops to Afghanistan clicky

humanji

From the Olympics homepage:

The Games have always brought people together in peace to respect universal moral principles.

Holding the Olympics in a country that is openly acting against the principles of the Olympics is just hypocritical. Boycotting it is one way of protesting against it. Claiming that it's not a valid protest unless you boycott everything Chinese is idiotic. One protest is as good as another. The point is to get the message across, not to financially cripple the people of that country. It can be by a big gesture or a little gesture, just as long as you try.

Personally, I won't be watching the Olympics as I've no interest in them and there's bound to be better things on tv.

thefinalstage

Any country that boycotts this is incredibly foolish. China will soon rule the world.

Kev_ps3

thelastangryman wrote: »

Any country that boycotts this is incredibly foolish. China will soon rule the world.

And good luck to them I say. I doubt they will be as bad as the US, who could be!

humanji

Kev_ps3 wrote: »

And good luck to them I say. I doubt they will be as bad as the US, who could be!

Ireland?

WooPeeA

Kev_ps3 wrote: »

And good luck to them I say. I doubt they will be as bad as the US, who could be!

Trust me, you don't wanna live in the world ruled by the communists..

Beerlao

Kev_ps3 wrote: »

I think we should boycott the 2012 London Olympics, not only for the illegal invasion on Iraq but for the countless crimes commited by the Brits down through the years. If the world stood up and said that invading other countrys is unacceptable than maby they might think next time they want to invade another country i.e Iran.

mate you are hilarious!! :pac::pac::pac:

especially if anyone here has read what you've had to say in this thread:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055270456

to sum up he pretty much says: "all these protestors are d!cks. why are they protesting about China abusing Tibet when there's worse stuff going on in the world"

and in this one you're saying "yeah boycott the london olympics cos the UK invaded Iraq"

classic stuff mate!! love it!

Kev_ps3

Beerlao wrote: »

mate you are hilarious!! :pac::pac::pac:

especially if anyone here has read what you've had to say in this thread:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055270456

to sum up he pretty much says: "all these protestors are d!cks. why are they protesting about China abusing Tibet when there's worse stuff going on in the world"

and in this one you're saying "yeah boycott the london olympics cos the UK invaded Iraq"

classic stuff mate!! love it!

Glad you love it!! Are you English?

seraphimvc

CantGetNoSleep wrote: »

Yep, they're all greasy haired, squinty eyed flied lice eating yellow skinned midgets, think I'd take them in boxing too

Collie D wrote: »

I usually boycott them too but if everyone else boyvotts this year I'm entering myself into the high jump. Reckon I could take on the best the Chinese have to offer, asusming my sterotype of Chinese people being midgets is correct

now if these are jokes ,they are bad ones,bad enough to get banned!cause' i dont even find them funny at all!extreme bad jokes not allowed in AH!

Overheal

http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=165602&title=hot-mess

kevmy

Dyflin wrote: »

Really? clicky

Considering they've already pulled out more than half their troops and most of the remainder are stationed at Basra airport as backup to the Iraqi police as well as the decision already been made to get the troops out as soon as the Iraqi commanders say so, I would say yes they are as good as pulled out. Also considering tht London Olympics is in 2012 they will 99.9% likely by completely pulled out leaving Iraq as a protestable issue in the past.

Dyflin wrote: »

And they're sending more troops to Afghanistan clicky

Now, now don't confuse Afghanistan with Iraq. Two completely different situations. One had a UN mandate the other did not, one had overwhelming international support the other did not, one has been pretty successful the other has not, one has huge levels of popular support in country the other does not, one is controlled by the democratically elected government of the country the other is not.

Jigsaw

I fully intend to boycott the Olympics. Tbh I don't have much chance of making the team anyway so I might as well.

Caoimhín

Dyflin wrote: »

But the UK are part of the illegal invasion of Iraq, they are part of the occupying forces in Afghanistan etc. etc.

Will there be any murmurs of discontent in the run up to London 2012?

And an illegal occupation of Ireland since the 13th century, least we forget..

Beerlao

Kev_ps3 wrote: »

Glad you love it!! Are you English?

absolutely not!!

but what would that have to do with anything if i was?

merrionsq

If our next crop of athletes wear Air Max, tracksuits and Celtic tops, and enjoy drinking cans and shouting abuse at people outside chippers, then there is a definite possibility of a boycott!;)

englander

I say boycott all olympics - its all just a bit boring for me. Although if there is a day off in the offing anywhere - I'll be right behind the Olympics.

By the way is Ireland sending any 'atheletes' or horses not doped up to the t!ts this time ?

Try and play fair this time. OK ?

Ireland for the best supporters in the World award again ?