Shut Up About a Boycott!

Olympic boycotts do not work.  Just ask Jimmy Carter.  All the U.S.-led boycott in 1980 achieved was depriving an entire generation of American athletes of their Olympic moment, setting up a retaliatory Soviet-led boycott in 1984, and forcing the world to go through eight years of Cold War political tensions trampling all over the Olympic ideal of peaceful competition.  And, 40 years later, the political reasons behind it have become completely overshadowed by the negative pall of the boycott itself.

But that hasn't stopped members of Congress and other politicians, including former Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, from calling for the U.S. to boycott the 2022 Winter Games because of China's human rights record.  (Yet they evidently have no problem with Qatar's human rights record, since no such boycott calls have been made about the 2022 World Cup.)

Simply put, these politicians need to shut up.  Because a boycott is not going to happen!  It's not something the USOPC has considered or will consider.  Nor should they!  There will be a U.S. team marching into the Bird's Nest in 11 months whether they like it or not.

U.S. politicians aren't the only ones who are pushing for a boycott.  A group of 180 rights organizations sent a letter to the White House calling for a boycott.  The Canadian government, meanwhile, has suggested moving the Games, as have several U.S. senators (as if moving an Olympics less than a year out is even remotely possible).

In response, Chinese officials have called these criticisms both "irresponsible" and "politically motivated."  I can't say they're entirely wrong about that!  I don't know enough about the situation in China (which both North American countries have said amounts to "genocide") to have an opinion on the subject, but the boycott calls are 100 percent about politics.  Bad politics.

The IOC didn't seem too moved by the politicians' letter, either.  They made it clear that they're a sporting organization, not a political entity.  As such, they have no official stance regarding the actions by the government of any member country.  Their role is to organize and put on the Olympic Games, and preparations continue for Beijing to host as scheduled in February.

As 1980 proved, an Olympic boycott would accomplish absolutely nothing!  Carter's boycott was in protest of the December 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.  Do you know when the Soviets finally left Afghanistan?  Not until 1989...after Reagan was elected, served two full terms, and was no longer President.  I guess you really showed them, Jimmy!

It would be the exact same thing here.  A U.S. boycott won't make the Chinese government suddenly change their stance.  If anything, it'll piss them off and make them feel even more empowered.  So, it's not like an Olympic boycott would do anything to improve the situation.  It would bring light to it, that's it (which may be all these politicians are trying to do).

Meanwhile, as 1980 also showed, you'd leave a lot more damage at home.  Because you'd basically be saying "screw you" to an entire generation of American athletes.  And for what?  These athletes dedicate years of their lives to their Olympic dream.  Some may only get one shot at being an Olympian.  And you're gonna take that away?

Haley at least acknowledged the athletes in her tweet, but she still doesn't get it.  She seems to believe that, despite the negative impact it'll have on the athletes, the U.S. "must" boycott because, in her opinion, that doesn't "outweigh" the "genocide" and could "empower China moving forward."  Whatever that means.  So, apparently, the Olympians should just be OK with not going so that the government can make some sort of political point.  Because that worked out so well last time!

Another group that's conveniently forgotten is everyday Americans.  Everyday Americans aren't gonna know what's going on in China (and a majority probably won't care).  They're just gonna know that the Olympics are going on an the U.S. isn't there and wonder why.  And, frankly, a political disagreement with the host country (from the opposition party, which, oddly, didn't seem to have any problems with China until six weeks ago) isn't a good enough reason.

Then there's NBC and the U.S.-based Olympic sponsors.  They pour billions of dollars into the Olympics.  Money they can't get back.  The Olympics would go on without them and they'd have absolutely nothing to show for their investment.  And again, for what?

Of course, it's ultimately up to the USOPC whether the U.S. sends a team to Beijing or not.  And they're committed to going.  As they should be.  In fact, both the USOPC and Canadian Olympic Committee have the exact opposite feeling of the politicians about a possible boycott.  The USOPC's statement, released last month exactly a year before the Games, summed it up pretty well: "We oppose Games boycotts because they have been shown to negatively impact athletes while not effectively addressing global issues.  We believe the more effective course of action is for the governments of the world and China to engage directly on human rights and political issues."

That really is the best approach to take.  While not going would send a message, it would hurt way too many people.  Going, however, can open the doors to a discussion that might actually solve the problems.  If only some politicians could see that.