Boycott banter

The very idea of the Olympics necessarily entails politics. If it didn’t, I think there would be no reason why they couldn’t seriously be considered to be held in say Rwanda, or Ivory Coast, for example. It’s too bad you chose to play a game for a profession. But once you take it to the international level, on international television, it raises other concerns, that everyone should care about and not poo-poo just to “make a living”. Countries shouldn’t even be trading with them right now. China is not a first world country with equality for all! I’m sure there are some great athletes in prison right now, why not allow them a pass to compete if sport is so important? Just because (for reasons we can’t get in to here) the world has not condemned China, doesn’t mean we should carry on like business as usual. Perhaps the venue can change. Hold it in Athens again. Logisticaly this is probably impossible, but this should have been thought about before awarding the Games to such a country. And you can bet that if the commitee knew such attrocities were going to occur around the Games when they chose China, they NEVER would have chosen them. Shame on you. Humanity is more important than medals. Get your priorities straight.

Pathetic argument.

I’m am truly sorry for your coach, but athletes who are not able to fullfill their “dreams” of competiting in the Olympics are way way way down below the political prisoners who have been in jail, tortured etc for decades for committing horrible crimes like displaying an image of the Dalai Lama in their homes in my personal standards of ethical decision making.

I’m boycotting the games even if our country’s political leadership doesn’t have the guts to do so.

For those who say the Olympics are not political, it’s time to wake up. Samaranch was after a Nobel Peace Prize when he awarded these games to China, arrogantly believing that the political might of the Olympics would pressure China into changing its ways. But, they didn’t, and won’t. In fact, China is using the Olympics to promote its own politcal agenda.

van Koeverden and his coach may feel different, but I would be much more proud of a Canadian athlete who in good conscience said I can’t go there – it’s wrong, than one who won a gold medal. Maybe van Koeverden and his coach feel the 1980 boycott didn’t accomplish much, but it was the right thing to do. It’s time to grow up.

100% agree…why should athlets that trained for 4 years be punished for things that are out of there control, so what if they dont show up, what does that accomplish, we all feel bad about whats going on over there but i dont see any of you that already commented doing anything, if u feel so strongly why not fly to china for the games and lay in the streets to protest. you all write here about how outraged you are that canada wont boycott the games but you guys are the ppl that boycotting will effect its so easy to say we should when it has no concesquses on you, they athlets dedicated 4 years of their lives and money to train who are we to say b/c we dont agree with chinas politics that they cannot go, no one has the right to tell them that, if they dont want to then so be it but no one should be able to make them not go, now if the games werent in china i might be for banning them but then why punish the chinese ppl for the mistakes a very select few. The only way this will have any effect is if every country boycotts and that is not going to happen so why should a select few countrys do it when nothing will come of it, lets not make the mistakes of the 80s again, oh and for the political activists above why dont u accually do something yourselves to try and make a difference and not jus type on a sports website if ur that angry about whats going on

Boycotting the Olympics for political reasons is ridiculous. Plain and simple.

Wow. You bleeding heart liberals. Do any of you own anything that says “Made in China”. Ya, I’ll bet you all do. Easy to prey on people for what they ‘should do” in your mind. Get over yourselves and look at the big picture. Typically athletes are young and inexperienced in matters like this. Imagine having your dream shattered as a 19 or 20 old. How long would it take for you to get over that. Don’t give us all your self righteous BS. The games will go on and they will be a hit. Live with it.

Okay so lets say canada boycotts the olympics and china changes its ways. The olympics end, so what would you do now? china odes exactly what it did before and our athletes missed the olympics for nothing well thought out guys

Adam, your argument is completely self-serving. It’s you trying to justify putting your Olympic dream above human rights violations.

Sorry to say, but the fact of the matter is when you and others go to the Olympics, it’s a de facto acceptance of the human rights violations China engages in against Tibetans. To not speak out against it, in this case by boycotting the Games, is telling Chinese officials, ‘Ya guys, go ahead and run rampant over those Tibetans, my shot for a gold is much more important and my fellow countrymen. Canadians, we talk the talk, but we’re more about self-interest than ideals, just like anyone else.’

I hope you yourself don’t profess to be concerned with human rights and such, as you’ve demonstrated you’re more about ‘What’s good for Adamn?’ than anything else.

Now, go win and a gold and hopefully I can feel all warm and fuzzy inside knowing that gold meant more to you than integrity.

LOL I am sorry guys and girls. I have been living and working in china for the last 8 years. If Canada or any other country boycott it would not even register to the normal people of this country. No one here would tell them.
If any one noticed that a bunch of countries were missing they would make up a story to tell them and it would blow over here very quickly.
The whole thing in Tibet was 2 weeks old before any one even heard about and they did a good job of making tibet sound bad.
Boycott the games will not make any difference to any one except the political leader of the country they will lose face and may slap Tibet around evne worse cause they will blame them. Or if your really lucky they could be insulted enough to want to fight other countries Boycott is not going to help any one.

The Olympics, while tremendously important to the athletes, is cosmetic. It’s a celebration among nations of the spirit of mankind. And China, honest to god, should not get to take part.

As a previous poster said, the 1980 boycott might not have accomplished much, but it was the right thing to do. And a boycott now might not stop China’s human rights abuses, but it’s the right thing to do.

To say that an Olympic boycott is just a convenient political tool belies what an Olympic boycott implies. It’s a poor argument to say they should go in spite of the daily murders and you should, indeed, grow up.

It frustrates me to see such a well spoken Canadian athlete who has dedicated his life to Canadian Athletics be bombarded by what at first glance seems to be well educated individuals. The comments on this page are naive and uneducated. Adam’s simple points were very clear. A national boycott of China has not and never will be proposed. Adam questioned why the Olympics are targeted when it comes to boycotts and why tourism, trade and economics are not. What a great question! I urge the people that posted before me to question their life. If you are going to boycott a dedicated, patriotic Canadian in his quest to share Canada’s ideals with a nation that has much as to learn and not boycott everything and anything else that has any tie to China your decision should be re-evaluated. So many personal possessions are fabricated in China. It is impossible to boycott everything that is China.
Adam further argued that the Olympics bring with them awareness. So much attention has been given to China now that the Olympics are approaching. This was Adam’s very point. If the Olympics were not being hosted by China would their Human Rights record be under such scrutiny by so many?
Professional athletes deserve as much respect as do any other professional and definitely deserve to have a voice and a say in decisions that have profound impact on their lives.
I applaud Adam for his article.

I would’nt go and I dont buy anything from china,its a little more expensive but its worth it to know I’m not supporting one of the worst human rights abusers in the world.
Shame on these athletes who put there petty goals above mankind.

I never knew that amateur athletes could be as selfish and self-absorbed as pro athletes but this article has disabused me of that notion.

Look, I don’t care how hard you’ve trained or for how long. It’s beside the point. What China is doing to Tibet cannot go unanswered. If all countries keep their mouths shut and just show up for the Games then they are basically saying that what China is doing is okay.

I don’t expect many countries to boycott, since China represents a huge market for most of them. As a result, politicians won’t have the guts to take a stand that might be bad for business. You can also forget about the corporate community banding together to boycott the Olympics. They’re too busy printing up banners that read “The official (insert product here) of the Olympic Games” to care about a few poor oppressed wretches in Tibet.

And no, I don’t think that a boycott of the Games in and of itself will change anything about the way China conducts its affairs. But we should boycott them anyway simply because it is the right thing to do.

And any athlete with a conscience shouldn’t even need to wait for his or her country’s government to announce a boycott. They should be doing it on their own.

I realize that these athletes train very hard for this one moment and perhaps they have become a little too focused on that one narrow goal. They seem unable to see the big picture. Despite all the work they’ve put into their sport, it is meaningless when compared to the suffering going on in Tibet at the hands of the Chinese government.

You can say “I’m not political” or “I’m just here to run the race” or whatever other rationalization helps you sleep at night but make no mistake about it: when you march into a stadium wearing your country’s flag it’s political. If you show up in Beijing, you are telling the world that you don’t really care about what’s happening in Tibet.

“Imagine having your dream shattered as a 19 or 20 old”

It’s probably not nearly as bad as being beaten, jailed or even killed because you want basic rights and freedoms in your country.

We all love sports, but there are more important things in life than sports. Of course we should debate whether a boycott can be effective or not, but it’s absurd to expect sympathy for the “plight” of relatively well off Canadian athletes.

Compared with basic human rights for over a billion people, the privilege for a handful of athletes to compete in the olympics is frivolous.

I agree with Adam. If a couple of polititians want to make a point against China then they should impose complete sanctions against her. Don’t punish a couple of innocent athlete’s alone, by not alowing them to represent their country at the greatest sporting event in the world. The people commenting above about Adam being childish and selfish are very big hypocrates. Why don’t some of them do something for humanity? Its easy to be brave behind the computer screen. Adam represents Canada on and off the sportsfield with great integrity and passion and I respect that. Not only is he a World and Olympic Champion Kayaker he is an ambassador for the Right To Play foundation, an organisation which is all about humanity. Adam you rock!!!

Oh grow up people…boycotting the Olympics would have no effect other than you feeling good about yourself. Not happy with the war in Iraq…you gonna boycott the U.S.?….Human rights violations in the Middle East…gonna stop buying gas?….Children not getting enough to eat in parts of Canada….you gonna move? It’s amazing how willing you are to sacrifice the dreams of others, but apart from sitting on your fat a**es writing in to express your “outrage” at the thought of Canada’s best representing Canada on the world’s stage, what have you done to make this world a better place?

pwinter713, how do you know any of us don’t make “sacrifices” of our own to back up our views and opinions. That’s an arrogant assumption.

Who needs to grow up?

Adam, I agree with your decision to participate because you would be robbing yourself of this opportunity if you chose to stay home.

But, refusing to be a political pawn doesn’t mean you aren’t one. Whether you go or don’t go you are a pawn for someone. Refusing to be a pawn doesn’t change that. Much like a person saying they have no religion or belief in God. By saying that they have taken a position so they are not neutral on the subject.

I hope you do well at the Olympics just remember you are still a pawn.

I don’t know how much a boycott would help the people of China. But the idea that it won’t affect China is clearly wrong based on the amount of effort that they themselves have put into it.

But more to the point of the article, why should we care about the dreams of the athletes. We have thousands of troops in Afghanistan risking their lives to perhaps marginally improve the lives of Afghans. And here are a bunch of athletes complaining about losing the privelidge to compete for their country.

Our athletes talk an awful lot about sacrifice, but seem to be unwilling to do it for their fellow man. I don’t see why we should do it for them.

For all those that disagree with Adam, I hope that you all are spending as much time time writing your MPs to implore them to end all trade with China as you do chiming in on sports blogs. You may not be buying anything that says ‘made in China’ but all Canadians are benefitting economically from the trade Canada does with China and unless you are prepared to do whatever you can to stop that trade, then you are nothing but a hypocrite. Consumers around the world looking for cheaper products to consume empower the Chinese government and tacitly support their human right violations. Take a look in your own mirror before asking others to make a stand for you.

Personally, I think atheletes competing in the games will have an incredible opportunity to protest Chinese human rights violation. Much more so than sitting on their couch watching on TV.

The Austrailian Gov’t is on record as saying they will not stop their atheletes from speaking out during the games. If other nations were as bold as the Aussies you could only imagine the impact and awareness that would be generated.

This is the highest profile sporting event in the world. Why waste an opportunity to make a difference. I can’t wait for the first athelete to jump up on the podium wearing a Free Tibet shirt.

I’m really surprised and appalled by some of these comments. Don’t like China’s government? Great. Don’t like Adam’s viewpoint on the Beijing Olympics? Fantastic. There is no need to belittle what this guy does, or attack him personally.

I look forward to seeing the Canadian team represent our country with pride and dignity in Beijing.

Good luck in Beijing Adam!!

So many people who know for certain what’s “the right thing to do” — and are so happy to instruct our athletes on the matter!

Adam acts (http://www.righttoplay.com/site/PageServer?pagename=Liberia_AthleteForum2007) on his beliefs and uses his position as an athlete to effect positive change in the world. If he chooses to go to China (no, not as a political pawn, but as an individual with the freedom to choose) it won’t be because he is ignorant, uneducated, or selfish. It will be because he has decided for himself that it’s the right thing to do. You may not agree with him on this issue, but he’s certainly not alone. Do you think everybody who rejects a boycott (including the Dalai Lama) simply needs to “grow up?”

“Pathetic argument” – harsh and unwarranted, and entirely undeserved. It’s time for you die hard liberalists to get a little perspective of why you are even concerned with China “all of a sudden.” It is not as though human rights issues there have just begun. I am not downplaying the importance of gross violations of human and humanitarian rights but I do feel there are much stronger ways of making a political statement then leaving it to the dispensable area of amateur athletes. Are we putting our goals over mankind? Instead of answering that question, have you opened your eyes and read a newspaper from time to time? Human rights violations have been happening all over the world, we stood by in 1994 and basically watched as genocide took place in Rwanda, did you jump at the chance to stop that? Did you attack your political representatives for being lazy and focusing too much on their own political agenda instead of putting the goals of “mankind” first? Doubtful, very doubtful. Where is this intensity and passion for political agenda and protest the rest of the time? Why does it just show up when a sporting event is to be held in one country of question? Why are we so selective about what country to point the finger at? How have we become so blinded by media propaganda that we no longer are critical of what we read, we just jump on a political band wagon that makes us feel good because we can take a true stance for the “true strong and free?”

We are all so quick to jump on Adam because China is the enemy and we are weak if we do not protest in some way or another. “Shame on Adam” you say? How dare you put your Olympic dreams above mankind? Are you educated at all? For brevity’s sake let’s do a brief recap of some political events to put things in perspective for you. Half of the problem is that we look at the political issues through a skewed lens derived from a mostly American political agenda so it’s no surprise that we would magically agree with whatever the American’s have conjured up.

My point is simple: Two such arguments for why Canada should boycott the Olympics, A) China recently invaded Tibet. B) There are human rights violations occurring in China.

In 1980 Canada boycotted the Olympics because they agreed with the western thinking that it was wrong for Russia to invade Afghanistan. When low and behold what did the US do in the following two decades? Funny, but there was no problem in going to Salt Lake City for the Winter Olympics nor to Atlanta for the summer Olympics in 1996. I don’t recall any such discussion on the matter at those times, and slap me on the wrist for even suggesting we should have right?

China has had unconfirmed reports of rampant human rights violations. Shall we even touch the subject of Guantanamo Bay or the US and British soldiers abuse and torture of other political captives? And reports that Guantanamo bay is similar to a modern day concentration camp run by the US? Why is it we have been all to happy to attend every sporting event and political event alongside the US giving them full support, but when the US points a finger at China because they are threatened by the growing power in the East. We like the sheep waiting for a sign from our leader jump at the chance to agree and point our fingers as well. You can point your fingers all you want at Adam and his fellow athletes but at least ask some different questions and think about why you point your finger in the first place and why you haven’t done it before.

I think everybody that is against the athletes participating would not end the action there but would include tourism, trade, and ALL professions. This seems pretty obvious to me, I didn’t think it was really necessary to point this out, but I was wrong.
Being so closely alligned to the US puts us in the position to be influenced by their ‘propaganda’, but none-the-less, because of such close ties with the US, a full boycott of the US is harder but should of course still be encouraged.
And if you were wondering where the discussion was with regards to the other Olympics in the time before there were blogs, then you weren’t looking very hard.
The only reasonable argument against the boycotters so far is the one about the exposure that this is going to bring. Period.

Adam, I agree with you whole heartedly. I’m very disappointed to see others on the blog making personal attacks on you for posting your views. Very few people truly understand the spirit of the Games– they are not meant to be political. To say that because you go to China wearing the Canadian flag you automatically agree with everything they do is completely ignorant. If anything, the worldwide media will bring attention to the human rights abuses. What would a boycott ever accomplish? The Chinese media is state controlled, the average Chinese person would not even know that the US didn’t come. It didn’t solve anything in 1980, and it won’t solve anything now. This has nothing to do with putting your athletic ambitions above the rights of political prisoners– what many of the bloggers have failed to understand is that the current conflict in China should be addressed on a governmental level, not by involving the athletes. Have any of you heard about the famous soccer game during the Christmas Truce in 1914? A great example of athletes bridging the differences between their governing nations, and understanding that they are all human and the human spirit transcends conflicts between governments. The Chinese people aren’t evil, certain members of their government are. Let the athletes celebrate the human condition as they have always done, and leave the politicking to the respective governments.

For example, if you feel so strongly about the situation then maybe you should tell the Canadian govt to ban Chinese exports, which of course would never happen. But after all, the majority of Chinese human rights abuses occur within their manufacturing industry. Others on the blog have argued that the games are political by virtue of the fact that countries like Rwanda haven’t had them. Again, a very ignorant statement. The poor people in Rwanda don’t even have clean water to drink, much less the funds necessary to put on a games. Look at the history of the Olympics, countries from the US to Russia to Germany to Spain to Mexico have been represented. There is little to no political motivation for picking a venue. Boycotts have never solved anything in the past and its not about to change.

And also, everyone, keep it civil on the blog; don’t attack Adam personally for his views. That’s cowardly and a good example of an argumentum ad hominem, also known as a personal attack fallacy. Translation: Personal attacks do not prove or disprove the validity of Adam’s statement. Stick to the issues at hand.

Great article Adam, train hard, and go get ’em in Beijing!

Clearly, mr. olymichope, you have missed the point! It is not about the Chinese peasants understanding, it is about the government of China and the rest of the world. By going to the country, you are tacitly accepting the way China does business and you are in fact supporting it. The olympics are an industry for the two weeks the athletes are competing, the several months they are there training, and the several years that it takes to build the stadiums, etc. To say that the olympics are not political, sir, is ignorant (to use your argumentum ad hominem). Does “politicking” not include economics (as well as civil rights issues)? Do you mean to imply that sport never has anything to do with politics? Perhaps we might prefer it not to but I would think that it does, in certain circumstances. And I think this cicumstance is a perfect example of it!
The spirit of the games, I would think, is more than just gleefully competing with brethren from other countries. And if you think there is no political motivation when choosing who is selected to host the games, this again, sir, displays a profound ignorance that is further evinced by your lack of understanding of the Rwanda example. To be clear, do you think they would select North Korea or Iran for the games? Not bloody likely.
Also, boycotts save things all the time. Perhaps, though, the inherent non-participatory strategy often doesn’t show to prove that it does, but there are plenty of examples. The point of a boycott is to ACT by not participating. How could you think this does not work? If you dont support something, you don’t participate. No matter how big or seemingly ineffective the boycott, it is a choice based on a moral decision, therefore it has clearly worked for those participating, just as my refusal to buy Chinese is working for me, I’m doing my part. Pretty simple really!
P.S. YOU sould also refrain from argumentum ad hominem.

What personal attacks are these? Many of us are just disagreeing with van Koeverden’s OPINION and offering our own. We’re allowed to do that, right? This isn’t China, right?

Look, the Olympics have always been political. The games are awarded to governments and governments put them on – not “the people”. By that fact alone, they are political. It’s that simple. Berlin 1936 – Hitler used them as a propaganda tool; Mexico 1968 – Black atheletes used them to demonstrate “Black Power” on the podium; Munich 1972; Moscow 1980; LA 1984, it goes on. You cannot divorce politcs from the Olympics. By nature, they are one and the same.

Btw, someone mentioned the soccer match that broke out on Christmas day, 1914, between British and German soldiers as some kind of example of the “Olympic Spirit”. But that had absolutely nothing to so with The Olympics, and makes no sense to the argument. If the Taliban and Canadian soldiers decided to play road hockey together, would that be commandeered by the “Olympic Movement” as well? Come on.

Adam I think your original comments are correct. The Olympics has put tremendous pressure on China to “grow up” and a boycott would do little.

I for one am boycotting anything Made in China until Tibet is given some kind of independent status. Something similar to the Vatican City (….possibly).

Meanwhile keep up the training! Go Canada Go!!!

Yes, I agree, the olympics have a political element(unfortunately). I fail to see the connection between boycotting the games and teaching the Chinese government a lesson. If we have learned anything over the past 60 years of CCP rule, its that they couldn’t care less what we think of them. Instead, a boycott would shun the Chinese people, and give the government amunition to further spin western rhetoric. Instead of isolating the Chinese people from western contact, we should be taking every opportunity to enagage them. The Chinese democratic movement was spurred by a growing realization of the western world in the 80s. Further exposure to different lifeways will only help broaden the worldview of the Chinese. They in turn will see the discrepency between the outside world and their reality. The olympics is the BEST thing that could ever happen to the Chinese people.

I’m sorry, but to think that hosting the Olympics will somehow be a catalyst to bringing in democracy and stability is just naive. Look at Germany after 1936, or Yugoslavia after 1984. Things got decidedly worse afterwards.

If the IOC decides to give the olympics to a non-democratic nation, then they must also bare responsibility when things go wrong and the inevitable criticism that follows. It was a bad idea to hand the Olympics to China in the first place. If the Olympic spirit is suppose to be about bringing people together in peace and in celebration of the human spirit, then why would the IOC think China, with their track record, deserve to host them? The Generalisimo obviously over-estimated the influence of the Olympics if he thought the Chinese government would clean up their act by this time.

No, a boycott would not likely change how China operates, but that’s not really the point. Just by showing up in Beijing and smiling and waving to the cameras, we would be acknowledging to the world that we don’t really have that much of a problem with a totalitarian regime. As for trade with China, I also think it’s the wrong thing to do, and I do what I can not to buy Chinese products. I also believe that if Canada (and the rest of the world) didn’t have so much invested in China, there would be a boycott – no question. Business, then, and not human morality, determines what is right and what is wrong in today’s world. And that it very sad.

Everyone that is cutting Adam up here should be ashamed of themselves. Yes you are allowed to have your own opinion, but i think it stops at publicly incarcerating the guy for his opinions. Last time i saw Adam in the news he was coming back from Africa volunteering with RIGHT TO PLAY. Next time you judge a book by its cover don’t say anything until you actually know what you are talking about.

I don’t think you can compare Germany in the 30’s and the small-scale winter games in Sarajevo. The Beijing olympics are a big ticket event and are going to have huge coverage in all mediums.

When the Canadian delegation marches into the olympic stadium, they will be representing us; our way our life, our democratic society, our basic values. I suspect that they will perform as nobly as ever in that task.

I personally don’t feel that I have the authority to tell a billion people that their way of life is wrong. Especially when a huge proportion of Chinese people don’t think it is. All I can do as a Canadian is protect my values at home, and project an image to the world of what I’m all about. I expect the atheletes to do the same.

The more exposure Chinese people get the better. I really don’t think massive change can come from without (in the form of boycotts, economic sanctions, etc..).

I think its pretty easy to sit up on your pedestals and look down at these ‘self absorbed’ athletes. THE GAMES ARE IN BEIJING, IF THERE IS ANYONE THAT DOESNT WANT TO SUPPORT THAT, FINE. But dont take away what he has done so you can prove to yourself that you care about other people. To be honest with you, you masterhab are as self absorbed in your own ways as everyone else is on this blog cutting him up.

So you want to boycott the world’s largest sporting event to make a point, crush the dreams of thousands of athletes, along with all the friends and families that support them. And yes for a great cause. I’m pretty much certain that 100% of the said athletes going are not saying “my sport is much more important than anything happening to the people of Tibet.”

The great thing about the Olympics is it is an amazing opportunity for people to speak in front of a large audience, and not only that they are role models so maybe people will actually listen. Maybe instead of boycotting the games, something that has clearly done minimal from changing anything, how about you protest to let athletes speak their mind at the games. And like it was said before. I cannot wait for the first athlete to jump up on stage in front of cameras, in front of the millions of people watching around the world “Free Tibet”

And so you say you don’t buy things with “Made in China” on it, well no offense I find it hard to believe that you don’t own any Chinese made products, including clothes, electronics automobiles, ect. ect..

For all of us who have chosen a “game as a profession” because we may have to make this sacrifice of boycotting the Olympics that’s our own problem. Well how many of you out there condemning Adam for his beliefs, have a job that uses Chinese made products everyday there. While now that you take a second to ponder this thought, are you going to quit work now that you realize that you are supporting Chinese trade?

How many of you stand up for every single case of human rights violations, and give money to every single cause? What sacrifices are you making?

There is other, and possibly better ways to make a stand against China, than boycotting the Olympics, and harming innocent people from our own country. And I’m not making a comparison to the sacrifices made to those of the Tibetan’s whore are beaten, killed and tortured.

Good Luck in Beijing Adam, and the rest of the Canadian Olympic Team

We knew about the situation in China long before it was chosen to host the upcoming Olympics. Nothing new there…
1) So why was it chosen? Could it have been a political decision based on Western market interests?
2) Why is the media suddenly paying so much attention to what it going on there? Could it be that the spotlight is on the country now because of the Olympics, and so offers an excellent opportunity to make great press using a long-standing issue that is generally otherwise ignored?
3) Why should the athletes be asked to make a counter “political” statement, and sacrifice a long-term commitment to both a personal and national goal? Did they choose to hold the Games in China? And do you think the athletes have enough clout to influence decision-makers in the future? If yes, why are the Games going to China?

As an Olympian, I not only competed against, but lived with, trained with and shared the same Olympic dream with athletes from around the world. For me, the Olympics successfully provided an apolitical common interest. The inherent neutrality of sport opened doors of communication and provided opportunities for international friendships. However small the step, each new international friendship is a step towards peace. The only moment in my life to date where I can honestly say I felt world peace was at the closing ceremonies for the 1996 Olympics. It was while Stevie Wonder was singing “Imagine”. I didn’t have to imagine, it was real. People from every corner of the planet were focused on that moment, there in the stadium, not worried about tomorrow or yesterday. It was real for those few minutes of my life, a community of cultures celebrating life together. Yes, there are other avenues to achieving world peace. Which is great, the more roads the better. Perhaps we will get there faster. So why put up a road block on the Olympics instead of making this avenue more accessible to others? I fully support Adam’s statement that the Olympics is meant to be an apolitical arena, an inclusive competition to celebrate humanity and diversity. I would rather work towards this than not participate at all.

Anyone who thinks a boycott of the Olympics would do any good is just fooling themselves… for good perspective on the issue read the recent article in Macleans. Why should we sacrifice the dreams of Adam, probably our best athlete in any sport, to atempt to fufill a political agenda that will not happen no matter what we do. Western nations can compete at the olympics and this will have a far bigger affect then a boycott. A boycott will pull us father away form China than ever before. Better relations with China means more influence. That is the way in which we will make change, not a foolish boycott. As for Adam, best of luck and make Canada proud.

First, I believe the boycott of the 1980 games was a response to the USSR shooting down a Korean commercial jet that had accidentally flown into military air space.
I think that there are a lot of issues being ignored from this debate, if we’re to call it as such. Mr. Van Koeverden is correct in directing his ire at the inability (or lack of motivation, or desire) of governments to act using diplomatic and economic sanctions. However, if our government did impose economic sanctions, would you support an athletes boycott?
Let’s look at it from a broader perspective. A boycott is based on creating a wide network of support to oppose a specific power. To be effective this includes engaging individuals who might not consider themselves as political. However though building awareness on the issues they might decide to change where they shop, where they travel to, and in this case where they race. Second, along with Tibet there is also the issue of human rights abuses that occur frequently in China, in particular highly exploitive and unsafe working conditions and the use of child labour. More important, it is highly likely that many of the goods that will be consumed and promoted at the Olympic games were manufactured under these conditions; or used inputs that were derived under conditions that would be deemed unacceptable in Canada. In this instance there is a stronger connection between the Chinese regime, the Games and the athletes. Ironically, Mr. Van koeverden is an ambassador for an organization that seeks to improve conditions for children facing the hardships of conflict and poverty. It appears that his devotion to this cause, which is noble, does not extend to China. Last, if Mr. Van Koeverden doesn’t think the Olympics are political perhaps he should look up John Carlos and Tommie Smith.

If what you philosiphying liberals want is to boycott the olympic games because it makes you feel like your political activists your just fooling yourselves. Sacrificing someone elses hard work isnt a reasonable way of expressing your miscontent for the terrible things happening in China. The olympics are a huge SPORTS event and not a G8 summit. Lets settle political problems elsewhere and cheer for our country and its athletes. Adam your a great model to athletes and kayakers everywhere good luck in beijing. GO VANK!