Word: olympicsized
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Gere does have a point: the unrest in Tibet stems from years of brutal Chinese religious, economic and political repression. And well before Gere's statement, many other activists had called for a Games boycott, for myriad reasons. Press watchdog Reporters Without Borders argued that a boycott should be considered...
But a boycott would backfire miserably. Besides hurting athletes who have spent years prepping for the Olympics, a boycott will cost activists whatever ongoing leverage they have over China. Once a boycott is declared, activists almost surely would lose any interaction with Chinese officials, who would simply write them off...
Some foreign activists believe a boycott will gain support among Chinese liberals, and a few Chinese rights activists such as lawyer Gao Zhisheng agree. But most average Chinese, whatever their anger at Beijing's repression, eagerly await the Olympics. Across China, nearly everyone I have met is proud of the...
Given that the Olympics are sparking Chinese pride, advocacy organizations with some of the longest experience dealing with China, such as the savvy International Campaign for Tibet, have harshly criticized Beijing's rights record but have not called for a boycott. Even the Dalai Lama has not advocated one, citing...
"Knowing full well that something like this - maybe not as intense, but something of this sort - was likely to come before the Olympics," says the Western diplomat, "is different than knowing exactly what to do when it comes. I'm not sure the leadership has a specific playbook for it...