At first they came for…
Well done those Parisians, for having managed to extinguish that Olympic flame a few times. But I can’t help feel this is like the last gasp before the world learns to shut its mouth in front of China.
But before I get onto that, I have a question. Who still supports that anti-terrorist legislation then?
From Paul Lewis yesterday on CIF:
Several protesters were dragged away. I saw one woman asked to place her anti-Chinese posters in plastic bags. She told me she had been told by two officers that her materials, which complained about China’s treatment of animals, were “inflammatory”.
Demonstrators who did not obey police requests to stand in designated areas were repeatedly threatened with anti-terrorist legislation.
That should be a nice slap in the face for all those who still think that our government is only likely to use its mountain of anti-terrorist legislation against potential terrorists. So much for allowing the protests to be a “triumph of democracy” eh?
Anyway, we knew this was going to happen. And shame on Duncan Goodhew too.
But is there something amiss here? Aaron says:
You see this is the problem with challenging the Beijing Olympics: it’s so thoroughly hypocritical. Western life is utterly intertwined with the behemothic and authoritarian Chinese state . Our homes are filled with products made by those who suffer under the Chinese communist party and its poisonous and corrupt polity.
It’s not just our politicians – and their sycophantic engagements with Chinese officials – that help justify this brutal regime, it’s all of us. We’re all part of the system that crushed the nascent Tibetan uprising. We support the Chinese system of political and religious oppression by buying its products. We help justify it.
I’m not sure I entirely agree. After all I watch American television (an export) but that doesn’t mean I have agreed to buy into GW Bush’s policies. Aren’t we allowed to separate out the two?
But regardless of whether we’re hypocritical or not, it feels almost like a last gasp. We’re almost doing it because it will be the last time we can.
China is an economic giant already. In a decade it will be more powerful than ever, and then the leeway that European governments have on Tibet or human rights abuses will be even less. There isn’t going to be any liberal intervention in China, though George Galloway will probably head over to tell them what fantastic revolutionaries they are.
Hillary Clinton can urge Bush to boycott the Olympics, but if she were elected President, there is no way in hell she’d be able to do the same.
---------------------------
| Tweet |
Sunny Hundal is editor of LC. Also: on Twitter, at Pickled Politics and Guardian CIF.
· Other posts by Sunny Hundal
Filed under
Blog ,Civil liberties ,Foreign affairs ,Our democracy
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
Reader comments
I think Mr. Eugenides sums it up best: -
Generally speaking, and with some exceptions, I am not in favour of sporting boycotts, at least not in isolation. It seems particularly harsh, for one thing, to pick on sportsmen and expect them to salve the conscience of a nation when businessmen line their pockets unmolested by such high-minded considerations. No-one, I notice, is proposing that we stop buying Chinese widgets, or boycott the Jade Inn on the high street, so why should it fall to kayakers and three-day-eventers to wrap themselves in the flag of Amnesty International?
However, he goes on to say that pretty-much everyone’s a git in this scenario.
“I saw one woman asked to place her anti-Chinese posters in plastic bags. She told me she had been told by two officers that her materials, which complained about China’s treatment of animals, were “inflammatory”.
Sometimes I hate Britishness. What kind of sociopathic lunatic goes on a protest against a dictatorial regime so she can say she doesn’t like the way they treat puppy dogs…?
Sunny, isn’t this similar to the argument about global warming? It’s all so big and it’s going to happen anyway, so what the hell can we do about it?
This doesn’t feel like a last gasp to me. This feels like one of those times when people wake up at the eleventh hour. You are right, it may be the last chance we get to land a punch on China, while it is still dependent on exports to fuel its growth and before it becomes a fully fledged superpower. All the more reason to use the publicity from the games to get people to boycott Chinese goods.
I have been banging on about China for years and it finally feels like people are starting to take notice. I’m damned if I’m going to let up now.
Reactions: Twitter, blogs
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
You can read articles through the front page, via Twitter or RSS feed. You can also get them by email and through our Facebook group.
» Why Quantitative Easing doesn’t make common sense
» Barclays was also bailed out – Diamond doesn’t deserve a bonus
» Ten myths about private rented housing
» Even on the left, morality has its limits
» The NHS bill could be a Waterloo moment for the govt
» Ken Livingstone and gay rights – it just isn’t an issue
» Abu Qatada deportation: what about our principles?
» New study shows a Robinhood tax would boost growth
» In defence of Sky News’ re-Tweeting ban
» Another reason to continue banker bashing
» An attack on the wind industry is an attack on UK jobs
|
5 Comments 15 Comments 17 Comments 26 Comments 42 Comments 21 Comments 13 Comments 49 Comments 11 Comments 78 Comments |
LATEST COMMENTS » BenSix posted on Fabians change policy on unpaid internships » Have Labour realised the election is more than three years away? | My Blog posted on Labour's wonks are becoming part of the problem » Owen Blacker posted on Dorries says Osborne wanted Lansley "shot" » Richard Blogger posted on Dorries says Osborne wanted Lansley "shot" » Daniel Henry posted on Dorries says Osborne wanted Lansley "shot" » nonny mouse posted on Dorries says Osborne wanted Lansley "shot" » Socrates posted on Dorries says Osborne wanted Lansley "shot" » Bloody Yank posted on Why Quantitative Easing doesn't make common sense » Bloody Yank posted on Why Quantitative Easing doesn't make common sense » Robin Levett posted on An attack on the wind industry is an attack on UK jobs » kernowjim posted on High pay - in football and banking - shouldn't be about morality » ROFLMFAO posted on Fabians change policy on unpaid internships » Cherub posted on High pay - in football and banking - shouldn't be about morality » jojo posted on Venables journo has manslaughter conviction » Sun journos nicked in hack enquiry shocker « andrew henley posted on Venables journo has manslaughter conviction |








