Gulf Coast Bands Music Forum - View Single Post - Should the U.S. Boycott the Beijing Olympic Games?

wilthrill · 05-01-2008, 11:03 AM

So let me see if I have you straight....

Your theory is that if we DID boycott it would embarrass/piss off China so bad that THEY would start a war with us and the rest of the world would blame us?

I don't see it that way.

Right now the United States can still put pressure on China.

For example we are their largest market and their economic future (at least for the next decade or so) is directly tied to us allowing that access to continue. I realize that they have bought a lot of our currency and could hurt us too but they, at this point, still need us more than we need them.

We also are, for the moment, more powerful militarily than they are. We COULD actually kill everyone on the planet and there is NOTHING China or Russia could do to stop us. They could launch a first strike and kill most of us but we have systems that could still RESPOND and destroy every human on planet earth several hundred times over. The Russians have a big country but NOWHERE to hide. Obviously this isn't an option we'd ever want to use but China and Russia both KNOW it exists and thus MAD still works with respect to them.

And we also can try to influence them on the world stage at events like the Olympics. Now as I said earlier I don't think that WE ALONE should boycott because we basically would just screw our own athletes and we could accomplish what we want by having the guts to bring it to the world's attention. It would be nice to be able to say, "ok, you guys want to oppress our athletes in CONTRAVENTION to the spirit of the games, screw you NOBODY is going to come to your games". As noted earlier the Europussies make this a pipe dream because they are LITERALLY INCAPABLE of showing backbone. And so I think we a pretty much stuck with raising a stink and trying to embarrass the Chicoms into at least pretending for TWO WEEKS that they (and again when I say "Chicom" I am speaking of the leadership not rank and file citizens) are not brutal thugs.

It seems to me that your position is that we shouldn't even complain at all because we might anger the Chicoms (I hope I'm not misstating your position. Correct me if I am).

We CAN actually complain and raise hell without launching the nukes.

And if China's response to those complaints is to start a war I think the rest of the world will clearly recognize CHINA as the aggressor.

I guess my main theme is that in twenty years we will NOT be able to influence China AT ALL. Currently we still can and thus shouldn't waste our best chance because we are afraid to offend the THUGS who run that country. I have not advocated ANY act of war on our part. Complaining or even getting the rest of the world to boycott the Olympic GAMES is not an act of war. It might make the Chicoms mad but it in no way gives them the right to start a war and since we could utterly annihilate them they'd be foolish to do so. They may be many things but they are not fools!!!!

05-01-2008, 11:03 AM	#23 (permalink)
wilthrill Band Whore Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 818 Rep Power: 44	So let me see if I have you straight.... Your theory is that if we DID boycott it would embarrass/piss off China so bad that THEY would start a war with us and the rest of the world would blame us? I don't see it that way. Right now the United States can still put pressure on China. For example we are their largest market and their economic future (at least for the next decade or so) is directly tied to us allowing that access to continue. I realize that they have bought a lot of our currency and could hurt us too but they, at this point, still need us more than we need them. We also are, for the moment, more powerful militarily than they are. We COULD actually kill everyone on the planet and there is NOTHING China or Russia could do to stop us. They could launch a first strike and kill most of us but we have systems that could still RESPOND and destroy every human on planet earth several hundred times over. The Russians have a big country but NOWHERE to hide. Obviously this isn't an option we'd ever want to use but China and Russia both KNOW it exists and thus MAD still works with respect to them. And we also can try to influence them on the world stage at events like the Olympics. Now as I said earlier I don't think that WE ALONE should boycott because we basically would just screw our own athletes and we could accomplish what we want by having the guts to bring it to the world's attention. It would be nice to be able to say, "ok, you guys want to oppress our athletes in CONTRAVENTION to the spirit of the games, screw you NOBODY is going to come to your games". As noted earlier the Europussies make this a pipe dream because they are LITERALLY INCAPABLE of showing backbone. And so I think we a pretty much stuck with raising a stink and trying to embarrass the Chicoms into at least pretending for TWO WEEKS that they (and again when I say "Chicom" I am speaking of the leadership not rank and file citizens) are not brutal thugs. It seems to me that your position is that we shouldn't even complain at all because we might anger the Chicoms (I hope I'm not misstating your position. Correct me if I am). We CAN actually complain and raise hell without launching the nukes. And if China's response to those complaints is to start a war I think the rest of the world will clearly recognize CHINA as the aggressor. I guess my main theme is that in twenty years we will NOT be able to influence China AT ALL. Currently we still can and thus shouldn't waste our best chance because we are afraid to offend the THUGS who run that country. I have not advocated ANY act of war on our part. Complaining or even getting the rest of the world to boycott the Olympic GAMES is not an act of war. It might make the Chicoms mad but it in no way gives them the right to start a war and since we could utterly annihilate them they'd be foolish to do so. They may be many things but they are not fools!!!!