The shameful, polluted Olympics

I have long thought the USA should have boycotted the Olympics. Their human rights record is the first reason and the environment second.

Yeah, I was thinking about that. Why would they give it to China? Everything China has done so far is an example of what NOT to do when hosting the Olympics. They should have seen this coming.

As Cyndi Lauper once sang, "Money Changes Everything". Everyone, one way or another, is in debt to China. That's the main reason why the US and other countries are participating. A blind eye was turned to all other issues in selecting China for the Olympic Games.
China holds all the cards (except the Race one, ironically enough).

Politics and money that lead to these kind of decisions are the reason I am turned off to watching the Olympics. Athletes that use drugs or genetics in order to compete is another. All the focus is on the WIN and not the original reason for the Olympics.

Yes, pollution takes its toll big time in China, and the athletes will probably not be the same after the exposure... Not that we will not be choking more here at home with Bushites still pushing big oil and "clean coal" generation! It's all about money with these people... They will not care until one of their offspring is choking up blood on the streets... but, it will be too late then!

This reminds me of Rome......

I can not look down on anyone for going to the Olympics to compete. This is a big thing for them. some of them have been working there hole life and you expect them to just stay home? On the other hand I do not support companies like Coka making money off of the games.

People are doing their thing....Put (THE BIG WHY!!!??) does not make sense, Oh I for got MONEY!!!! that's why...

28 years ago we boycotted the Moscow Olympics. It proved nothing and it changed nothing. All it did was penalize athletes who had trained all their life to compete.

I support and encourage any casual visitor or spectator to stay home. President Bush could have sent a powerful message by staying home. But it would be a huge mistake to prohibit the athletes from competing. That decision should be left to the individual athlete.

The IOC should be roundly condemned for the decision to put the Olympics in China. The pollution problem would have been sufficient cause, let alone the human rights issues. If they are not already regreting their decision, they will before it is over.

Certainly, the health and well being of the athletes should trump any political considerations.

this is what the US is going to be in 20 years in.

I am glad that this is happening because people will see China for what it really is, the big polluting sleeping giant.

We abuse human rights and so does China. I believe the Olympics have become so politicized that they have become meaningless to me.

China is known for its bad environment and terrible human rights. but China has come along ways since the days of Mao. With all its bad press nobody ever mentions the 200 million Chinese that have been lifted from poverty. nobody ever talks about the IMPROVED human rights that china has made in the last decade. This new version of China is only 20 years old. the world expects China to automatically transform itself to a pseudo western style of life in 20 years. it took us 400 years to do it and we still suck at it. nobody ever mentions how proud most of the Chinese people are about their country. nobody ever mentions how china is transforming and fast tracking alternative energy and green technology faster than any major economy. no body ever mentions that china has a two part government. one which is a democracy just like ours. Nobody ever mentions the investments that China has made in poor countries . what you hear is china has gone to those countries to rape them of their resources. nothing about the infrastructure china is building in those countries nothing about the troops that china has sent to help in aiding conflicts. nothing about the jobs china has brought to these countries. anyway I get it China has a long way to go and its by no means perfect . but think about this china is still a relatively poor nation and it has a billion plus people to cater for. and remember this new version of china is only 20 years old. China's has done a lot in terms of human rights and green technology and its by no means close to the standard most people would like it to be but its changing gradually. and its by far a lot better than most people know or even care to admit. granted its kind of hard to see how the other half lives if you only get one version of what China is.

I am not sure we should even be there. Certainly isn't good for anyone's health.

And why are we complaining now? We've known this for a long time. Two days before the Olympics is kinda usless...

I think it is a great thing that we all get to see so much of their air quality. At least then it makes it harder for a Republican to argue against cleaning ours up. If I hear anyone poopoo-ing the whole global warming thing all I have to do is say "take a look at China" case closed.

All so people can buy crappy shit at Wal-Mart...

They won't make a dime off me.

BOYCOTT.

Beijing, you so crazy.

I hate that little person running around icon...it's just stupid...

...even though you can't see it very well through the smog...

Boycotting the Olympics would have been a bad move
with the world right there in their faces points can be made,the more contact the Chinese people the more
they can see what their missing . Plus this is a once in a lifetime event for the athletes politics should have no part
of the games.

I'm still impressed the media has failed to recall the reason China couldn't host in 2004. Can you imagine dealing with their pollution, and a SARS outbreak?

I would like to remind everyone: There is no USA without China, and no China without USA. The economic ties aside, The Chinese people deserve this honor. They are not responsible for their governments actions and should not be punished as such. The flip side is we the democratized nations of the world are responsible for our governments actions and should be punished as such.

Think about it....

The Olympics are not a place for politics.

The world is destroying itself in the name of money while everyone just watches.

wow enough of the china hating already its getting old now people.

US citizens need to boycott Wal-Mart before we have any grounds to boycott the Olympics

America boycott Olympic because China has a poor reputation for human right abuses???

My god, are you that out of touch?

America has a brutal reputation as well.

Have you been asleep for the last 10 years?

The United States has even been voted off the U.N. Human Rights Commission in Geneva.

There are plenty of reasons to be irritated by China being awarded the olympics but human rights violations? America better keep their trap shut on that one.

Every day, China becomes a little more like us, and we them.

Hey "thejournalist" you act like the people of China are getting some sort of prize or something by having it there. Their gov. has put people out of work, out of their homes and threatened them if they talk to anyone. They probably hate that it is there. What, do you think they are going to somehow benefit from it? Its not like here where there is money at stake, they wont see any of it!

on the BBC I heard a report from a correspondent who went running a 6K in beijing, he said days later he was still coughing up some crazy black shit.

no way in hell i'd participate in aerobic activity in that city.

I coughed up an entire tar-covered alligator last time I tried to go outside in Beijing for more than an hour. That place is not safe.

Our athletes will participate, Bush will particpate, but I for one will not. I am boycotting the Olympics by avoiding NBC during the duration of the Olympics.

What can be done to help? I don't want to be one to create more shame on a country than already exists.

The spotlight wouldn't be on China if it weren't for the Olympics. Although it doesn't feel right supporting the games in China, it turns out to be a good thing by being there.

The best way to change someone isn't by ignoring them.

Yes the pollution is a big problem,but China had enough time to clean up before the games begin.

i was just there and almost everyone had some kind of respitory issue. i don't understand how they expect athletes to perform under those conditions.

There is just so much to learn from another countries problems, it's kinda like school where no one like to be with the "dirty" kid.

hey... we should kiss their butts now because they will probably run the world in the next 10 years.