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Boycott of Chinese Olympic Games

  • Thread starter Thread starter L8DBACK2
  • Start date Start date
If i'll go to Beijing Olympics, i'll buy many-many tasty foods, esp. sweet sourpork, shrimp dumplings, lobster balls, shabu-shabu, noodles, peking duck, black gulaman, etc.. :D :D :D and i'll deliver to phils...
 
beijing duck is the only one in their in beijing, the rest are either fusion food or southern food.
 
Phantim3dx said:
beijing duck is the only one in their in beijing, the rest are either fusion food or southern food.
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What about peanut butter chicken from the buffet? :D
 
PRSURF said:
Noup, he didn't like politics!:o :p
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I guess they're not used with those subjects. It must be kind of taboo there.

Personnally, I love beef meat!
 
Phantim3dx said:
what the hell is peanut butter chicken?!?!?!
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Phantim, brother, don't forget your roots, man. When you come home, I'll take you to a Chinese buffet. Then you can have real Chinese food. :D :D :p
250px-Chinese_buffet2.jpg
 
damelo said:
I guess they're not used with those subjects. It must be kind of taboo there.
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In general, Chinese people don't talk politics (or anything) with people of a completely different background, for fear it may lead to unwanted consequence, especially abroad where they are the "foreigners". Unless they talk anonymously on the Web like me, then you will see they are everywhere.

IMO, westerners can debate politics politely and still have a sip of coffee together afterwards. However, politics with Chinese people is very often a matter of life and death (thus Tiananmen Incident, or the entire Cultural Revolution). In fact, one just needs to take a look at daily routines in democratic Taiwan's Legislature



I'm not trying to mock Taiwan democracy, as it is improving and getting closer to resemble the Western model. But IMO it is not suited in mainland China, at least not in the near future. I was talking to a Taiwan friend after the Taiwan Election a week ago, and he (who goes to mainland almost every year) commented to me that it was strange that mainland intellectuals don't care about democracy (whereas Taiwan democracy was achieved by the constant advocacy of intellectuals, in a (previously) similarly authoritarian state). The reason is a bit complex, but one cause definitely has to do with the memories of China for the past 50 years, where TOO MUCH "democracy" (i.e. Cultural Revolution) led to anarchy and drove the Chinese economy to the ground. Granted, it is not Western democracy, but it is "democracy" in the literary sense of the word that almost everybody participated in politics.

I agree with the notion that most Chinese intellectuals, especially the ones who really know the meaning of Western democracy, ignore politics. Granted Chinese government censors a lot of stuff but let's say that if you want the information it is everywhere (kind of like some countries having trouble eliminating drugs although they are banned). My grandparents in China, intellectuals, have a full shelf of "illegal" books sold on the streets, mostly published in Hong Kong written by Chinese political refugees in Canada etc. Similarly anyone can get around the Internet blockage by using an alternative IP Proxy address.

But to most Chinese Intellectuals, they don't care too much about domestic politics. They will read about "secrets of high ranking officials", whose claims may or may not be true, and discuss among family or close friends, but they don't care too much about it. The economy is the most important thing for China. Which country would you rather be in, a poor African nation with "democracy" or China without democracy? Unlike some common perception in the West, lack of democracy rarely affects the quality of life in China. It is the lack of livelihood, lack of opportunity, lack of substance, lack of education and lack of health that affects everyone, and almost all recent protests has something to do with one of these but not directly with the system. True the system can improve but it is no longer a huge problem to risk your life with. Also, more and more people realize to continue the economic advance the key word is not "democracy" but "stability". The Chinese economy is booming, and it could not have been had there been too much political instability. In fact, almost all of the Asian countries that had significant economical progress achieved the standards of living with more or less a lack of "democracy".

Hong Kong -- No democracy during British rule, none during Chinese rule
Taiwan -- No democracy until 1996. Both Chiang Sr. and Jr. ruled until their deaths.
Singapore -- Lee Kwan Yew ruled form 1959 (birth of the nation) to 1990, and then remained behind the scenes for years.

As you can imagine, most mainland intellectuals look at these Asian/Chinese countries/places for the economic model, and hope mainland China can catch up.

I do not claim to represent Chinese intellectuals, as by definition intellectuals will have different opinions. But the above is what I think will represent most mainland China intellectual thoughts. In fact since 1989 massacre, very few intellectuals have done anything to advocate democracy since then, one part due to the oppression, but IMO more importantly due to realizing (and feeling satisfied from) the economic progress. The only ones that made all kinds of anti-governmental trouble under the "democracy" slogans since then are Tibetans (different ethnicity who don't care about the Chinese) and Falun Gong (least educated Chinese who think "Master" Li HongZhi can make a retarded kid become normal with a single, magic touch of his. )

PS: this thread needs to be moved to "UN".
 
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Thx sinobball!

You know, Maybe Politics in Europe don't go that violent, but already if you watch French Parliament session on tv, they look like kids booing the opponents, etc... :D :D

As a politic system, Democracy is often inefficient, so I don't say it is the best system to rule a country. At least, no absolute democracy. But, I love freedom of thinking, and freedom of speech.

Well, little out of subject, sorry...
 
damelo said:
Thx sinobball!

You know, Maybe Politics in Europe don't go that violent, but already if you watch French Parliament session on tv, they look like kids booing the opponents, etc... :D :D

As a politic system, Democracy is often inefficient, so I don't say it is the best system to rule a country. At least, no absolute democracy. But, I love freedom of thinking, and freedom of speech.

Well, little out of subject, sorry...
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Thats right.
 
sinobball said:
In fact since 1989 massacre, very few intellectuals have done anything to advocate democracy since then, one part due to the oppression, but IMO more importantly due to realizing (and feeling satisfied from) the economic progress.
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The problem is, that perception of economic progress being more important than democracy can only happen when the government (democratic or not) actually does care about economic progress. China can say its government does, but there are many countries whose presidents/dictators/politicians clearly don't, and then a whole nation is screwed.

Trust me, being from Argentina I know a thing or two about this :(
 
well sino during the 1989 incident a good portion of (i dont know the %age anyone, i go by what the oldies here in acadamia in beijing have told me privately, and my chinese professors back in the states) scholars/professors decided to move out of the country and resettle in foreign countries. heck 2 of my professors back in the uni days came from fudan uni and some other uni. during there courses they told us one of the resons they moved during the 89 incident was it hapened once already in the cultural revolution where scholars were targeted, 1989, students and future prof were being targeted for preaching more western ideals on demcoracy, so for that to happen a 3rd time they werent going to take a 3rd chance and see if theyd be seen as an enemy of the state by the CPC.
 
alermac said:
The problem is, that perception of economic progress being more important than democracy can only happen when the government (democratic or not) actually does care about economic progress. China can say its government does, but there are many countries whose presidents/dictators/politicians clearly don't, and then a whole nation is screwed.

Trust me, being from Argentina I know a thing or two about this :(
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And only country to develop under democracy was the US... With very peculiar conditions. So...
 
Yes, and they will go to preserve good diplomatic relations with China.

DO you know French TV show "Les Guignols de l'info"? They had a subject about it, about the badges, interviewing Bernard Laporte former French NT rugby coach and new state secretary for sports, his character was saying: We don't protest because we are going to China. Guys from RSF(Reporters without Boarders) can say anything, they won't go to China(note: RSF's president has no landing right in China), but we go, and want to stay free so no protest. We know the Chinese, they arrest you without reason, then jail you for a while.
This is a charicatural show, and something that tries to call people's minds. I want to precise, this is not from me, but from what I remember and then translate, so it's not as funny as in real. Sorry.
Basically, it describes the situation in my mind. Officials have to go for economic reasons, and can't protest for relationship reasons. Whatever they think. Representation at this level is a State matter probably, why not a referendum?
 
I hope that the Olympics dont get boycott. I am a person that think that SPORTS SHOULD NOT BE MIXED WITH POLITICS. THE OLYMPICS IS SOMETHING VERY PRETTY THAT BRING ALL THE COUNTRIES TOGETHER FOR AN EVENT OF PEACE AND FRIENDSHIP. On the other hand, I want that the Tibett problem been solve with a happy ending.
 
LuDux said:
No one will notice if President Bush or British Prime Minister Gordon Brown or anyone else is absent from the opening ceremonies.

Those who invited them will
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Boycotting anything in the Olympics serves one purpose and one purpose only in China:

It rekindles Chinese nationalism and unites all Chinese behind the government to reject anything Western or perceived Western, which is already pretty obvious on the Internet.

Not your intended effect, I don't think.
 
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