Day: April 8, 2008

Poll: China Shouldn’t Host Olympics

Buck Banks

bigbadmama.jpgThe Olympic torch made its only U.S. stop today in San Francisco, and while it’s still early in the day, expect some protests and juicy news footage on the evening news.

In a poll released today, Zogby International found that fully 70 percent of likely voters surveyed think that the International Olympic Committee should not have let China host the 2008 summer Olympics, based on its longtime crappy human rights record and its current crackdown in Tibet.

The sentiment crosses party lines, with 70 percent of both Democrats and Republicans saying the IOC screwed up, and 68 percent of independents agreeing. But just a year ago, public opinion was less, um, anti-China:

A Zogby Interactive poll conducted in May 2007 found 44 percent had a favorable opinion of the IOC’s decision to award the 2008 Summer Olympic Games to China, while 39 percent viewed the decision unfavorably.

Of course, it’s not just the current crackdown in Tibet that has Americans down on the Chinese. Let’s review. In the past year:

OK, so there are lots of reasons to hate Chine besides its human rights violations in Tibet. Which reminds me — here’s a word from the Dalai Lama:

I am deeply saddened by the loss of life in the recent tragic events in Tibet. I am aware that some Chinese have also died. I feel for the victims and their families and pray for them. The recent unrest has clearly demonstrated the gravity of the situation in Tibet and the urgent need to seek a peaceful and mutually beneficial solution through dialogue. Even at this juncture I have expressed my willingness to the Chinese authorities to work together to bring about peace and stability.

Chinese brothers and sisters, I assure you I have no desire to seek Tibet’s separation. Nor do I have any wish to drive a wedge between the Tibetan and Chinese peoples. On the contrary my commitment has always been to find a genuine solution to the problem of Tibet that ensures the long-term interests of both Chinese and Tibetans. My primary concern, as I have repeated time and again, is to ensure the survival of the Tibetan people’s distinctive culture, language and identity. As a simple monk who strives to live his daily life according to Buddhist precepts, I assure you of the sincerity of my personal motivation.

But let’s get back to the Zogby survey and what Americans feel about the Olympics in China:

The online survey finds nearly half — 48 percent — think U.S. political officials should not attend the opening ceremony of the games because of China’s poor human rights record, while 33 percent believe U.S. officials should attend and 19 percent are unsure. Most Democrats (52 percent) and independents (51 percent) would support U.S. political officials boycotting the opening ceremony, while Republicans are more divided — 42 percent believe U.S. officials should not attend, while 41 percent believe they should be present at the opening ceremony. Support for a U.S. boycott of the opening ceremony is strongest among younger Americans — 56 percent of those age 18 to 29 would support skipping the opening ceremony, compared with 37 percent of those age 65 and older.

So, should the IOC have granted the 2008 summer Olympics to China? Probably not, based on the country’s human rights record. But then again, what other country was willing to spend money like a drunken Chinaman? They are building 12 sports stadiums. They’ve built a railroad. They’ve built new hotels. They’ve spent googobs of money on preparations for the Olympics, but they still are bad people.

OK, maybe not really bad people. After all, they are our second-biggest creditor (after Japan), and it’s not nice to say bad things about people to whom you owe googobs of money. They might just call in the debt, and then where would we be? The United States of China, that’s where.