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Olympics 2008

Imagine a lifetime of hard work being squashed for political gain.   This may be a reality for hundreds of United States athletes training for the 2008 summer Olympics in Beijing. Although human rights have been violated in China, they will still be the host country of the Olympics 2008. Despite the fact that China “invaded and still occupies Tibet… [and] infringes billions of dollars in U.S. patents, has held American activists and entrepreneurs hostage, and vetoes most United Nations initiatives toward stabilizing the Middle East and Iran's nuclear program” President Bush has “engaged China rather than boycott[ed] it” (Friedlander) and made no effort to improve human rights in China. The strife between Tibet and China needs to end, and other nations need to take part in helping to find a solution; however, the International Olympic Committee decided to award China the 2008 Olympics knowing of the pollution and other problems China had. Although it may seem that the IOC gave the Olympics to China knowing about the problems, “the 2008 Olympic Games were awarded to Beijing in part because China promised to improve its human rights situation” (Boycott) and although there has been no drastic change or improvements to the conditions, the Olympics are not until August and China can still improve their situation. Without knowing how human rights conditions will be in August, the United States should not boycott the 2008 summer Olympics in Beijing and take away the right to United States athletes who have been training for these Olympics to arrive. Many people believe the United States should boycott the Olympics because China promised to improve their pollution and human rights conflicts but they have not fulfilled that promise. There are little, if at all, human rights in China which leaves an open room for questions and concerns from the world towards China. There is no doubt that China is a communist country where the famous one-child-policy originated due to the...