Boycott

At the very top of the list of influential people still with us (unlike say, Jesus, Ganhdi, the Kennedys or John Lennon), is the Dalai Lama. He is a remarkable man, Nobel laureate, Buddhist top dog and living in exile in India since 1959 when the Communists violently took Tibet from the Tibetans. I have read all his books, watched the many docs on his life, studied his philosophy, and have a tremendous respect for this peaceful spirit. His is an important voice in these troubled times. Let me try to phrase my point a little more clearly. Based on their respective track records, with whom would you be more likely to concur on the subject of world peace and human rights, The Dalai Lama or George W. Bush?

Thought so.

And once again it seems like the Olympics will be a political stage instead of an athletic arena in 2008. Beijing is trying its best to spin the recent violence in Lhasa as orchestrated by the Dalai Lama to publicize the plight of his followers. Whoa, China, let me get this right, the most peaceful man on earth, who left his country almost 50 years ago rather than fight, who has even vowed to resign his role as the highest manifestation of peace, love and kindness on the planet if the violence continues, a man who once suggested that rather than kill a mosquito who has come to dinner at the table of your forearm, you should "whisk it away" instead of murdering the little bloodsucking motherfucker, is causing these crimes? That this man is behind a cheap political stunt of violence and bloodshed? To draw international attention to China's abhorrent human rights record during a sporting contest? I beg your pardon? Hear this Beijing: WTF?

So I am officially boycotting the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, PRC. But, in my place GWB is going to go and watch. There are now over 4,000 American soldier/athletes dead in Iraq. And more than 500,000 Iraqis, depending on whom you believe (see article below from the WAPO). And wasn't this because of Saddam's human rights violations? Oh, that's right, it was about WMDs, sorry. China isn't in the same boat apparently. Yo voting public? WTF? How do we allow this to continue?

And please, if you are in need of a good (albeit ironic) belly laugh, see John Negroponte's comment below about Bush. Yo George: WTF?

And, lastly, to the Olympic sponsors: Coca-Cola, GE, McDonalds, Panasonic, Samsung, UPS, Visa, Anheiser-Busch, count me as officially opted-out of your consumer demographic. I no longer use your products as a result of your obscene profiteering from the pain, suffering and exploitation of others. Yo shareholders? WTF?

The Boycott is ON.



http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7302021.stm

"Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win."
- Sun-tzu, The Art of War

"It is the first responsibility of every citizen to question authority."
- Benjamin Franklin

(WASHINGTON) — A House Republican — chafing over President Bush's plan to attend this year's Beijing Olympics — wants to legally prohibit other U.S. government officials from using federal money to go.
Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va., cited concerns about China's record on human rights during a congressional hearing on Thursday and said Bush's presence would be akin to President Franklin D. Roosevelt sitting in the same stands as Germany's Adolf Hitler in 1936.
"Ronald Reagan would have never gone to the Olympics. I guarantee you that. Never gone," said Wolf, a member of the House Appropriations Committee.
Wolf, who co-chairs a congressional caucus on Sudan, blames China for not using its close ties with the Sudanese government to end the violence in Darfur. Wolf also charges that China has sold weapons to U.S. enemies, jailed countless political prisoners and tried to spy on America's high-tech industry, including companies in his district.
Wolf's legislation would not specifically prohibit the president from attending, which the congressman said would be tough to impose on a commander-in-chief. Instead the bill would focus on barring diplomatic and other federal officials.
Any American seen waving in the stands "will go down in history as cooperating in the genocide Olympics of 2008," Wolf said. "And history will never, ever, ever forgive them."
Last month, Bush said he planned to raise worries about human rights abuse in China with President Hu Jintao when he attends the games in August.
Bush was asked about reports that a laid-off Chinese factory worker faces subversion charges for saying human rights are more important than the Olympics.
"I am not the least bit shy of bringing up the concerns expressed by this factory worker, and I believe that I'll have an opportunity to do so with the president and, at the same time, enjoy a great sporting event," Bush said.
Wolf said the administration is missing its opportunity to deal with the crisis in Darfur.
Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte, who was testifying on foreign aid programs, responded to Wolf's comments by saying only that "there is no greater spokesman for human rights in the world than our president." http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1720130,00.html

A team of American and Iraqi epidemiologists estimates that 655,000 more people have died in Iraq since coalition forces arrived in March 2003 than would have died if the invasion had not occurred.

The estimate, produced by interviewing residents during a random sampling of households throughout the country, is far higher than ones produced by other groups, including Iraq's government.

It is more than 20 times the estimate of 30,000 civilian deaths that President Bush gave in a speech in December. It is more than 10 times the estimate of roughly 50,000 civilian deaths made by the British-based Iraq Body Count research group.