Comments on: Opinion: To boycott or not to boycott… http://www.libdemvoice.org/opinion-to-boycott-or-not-to-boycott-2432.html Our place to talk - an independent website for supporters of the Liberal Democrat party in the UK. Sun, 12 Feb 2012 01:13:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Buyhard Bob http://www.libdemvoice.org/opinion-to-boycott-or-not-to-boycott-2432.html#comment-55802 Buyhard Bob Sat, 12 Jul 2008 21:44:12 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/opinion-to-boycott-or-not-to-boycott-2432.html#comment-55802 Are you boycotting Chinese products? If so, please go to http://buyhard.net46.net, where you can register details of your 'non-purchases' (i.e. things you put back on the shelf when you realised they were made in China). Are you boycotting Chinese products? If so, please go to http://buyhard.net46.net, where you can register details of your ‘non-purchases’ (i.e. things you put back on the shelf when you realised they were made in China).

]]> By: man http://www.libdemvoice.org/opinion-to-boycott-or-not-to-boycott-2432.html#comment-47469 man Fri, 02 May 2008 09:06:42 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/opinion-to-boycott-or-not-to-boycott-2432.html#comment-47469 I don't think it is a kind of liberal act to boycott the Olympic Games. One thing I don't understand is do people real know what happened in Tibet?I'm affraid no!I live in Tibet and I do protest the illegal riots of the criminals there,and,I suggest people who are still in puzzle of the fact to go and see what really happens! I don’t think it is a kind of liberal act to boycott the Olympic Games.
One thing I don’t understand is do people real know what happened in Tibet?I’m affraid no!I live in Tibet and I do protest the illegal riots of the criminals there,and,I suggest people who are still in puzzle of the fact to go and see what really happens!

]]> By: BCOlorado http://www.libdemvoice.org/opinion-to-boycott-or-not-to-boycott-2432.html#comment-45641 BCOlorado Sat, 12 Apr 2008 22:08:51 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/opinion-to-boycott-or-not-to-boycott-2432.html#comment-45641 I think the decision for the USA athletes to attend the 2008 Olympics should first be left to them. I do believe that the Athletes should not be punished. The IOC should make better selections of host countries. Perhaps the IOC should build permanent facilities for the games. The US should boycott traveling to China to attend the Olympics. Then during the Olympics the USA should also boycott China and their products. Don't the people always suffer while the government prospers? Media attention to the problem is the answer. Go ahead America continue the protests you started around the torch carrying. The USA government officials also need to make one decision - Stay at home in the US - attending the Olympics only to boycot the opening ceremony defeats the purpose (and it mixes politics with sport). USA Olympic committee might want to create an armband so Athletes can show their support for change in China - That'd look cool during the opening ceremony - A media event that now will no doubt be viewed by many wondering minds all over the globe. I think the decision for the USA athletes to attend the 2008 Olympics should first be left to them. I do believe that the Athletes should not be punished. The IOC should make better selections of host countries.

Perhaps the IOC should build permanent facilities for the games.

The US should boycott traveling to China to attend the Olympics. Then during the Olympics the USA should also boycott China and their products. Don’t the people always suffer while the government prospers? Media attention to the problem is the answer.

Go ahead America continue the protests you started around the torch carrying. The USA government officials also need to make one decision – Stay at home in the US – attending the Olympics only to boycot the opening ceremony defeats the purpose (and it mixes politics with sport).

USA Olympic committee might want to create an armband so Athletes can show their support for change in China – That’d look cool during the opening ceremony – A media event that now will no doubt be viewed by many wondering minds all over the globe.

]]> By: Laurence Boyce http://www.libdemvoice.org/opinion-to-boycott-or-not-to-boycott-2432.html#comment-44399 Laurence Boyce Sun, 30 Mar 2008 23:56:10 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/opinion-to-boycott-or-not-to-boycott-2432.html#comment-44399 What I mean is that things have now got a bit out of hand. How much are the London 2012 games going to cost? Something shocking no doubt. How much did the London 1948 games cost? Does anyone even know? Over time, the Olympics does seem to have developed a ridiculously inflated sense of its own importance. I think it's time that the great drug-taking festival was brought down a peg or two. What I mean is that things have now got a bit out of hand. How much are the London 2012 games going to cost? Something shocking no doubt. How much did the London 1948 games cost? Does anyone even know? Over time, the Olympics does seem to have developed a ridiculously inflated sense of its own importance. I think it’s time that the great drug-taking festival was brought down a peg or two.

]]> By: Oranjepan http://www.libdemvoice.org/opinion-to-boycott-or-not-to-boycott-2432.html#comment-44396 Oranjepan Sun, 30 Mar 2008 23:06:40 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/opinion-to-boycott-or-not-to-boycott-2432.html#comment-44396 Laurence, I challenge you to define what the original ideals of the Olympic games were. Olympia was the greek pantheon, a form of representative measure of the demos, rather than any prescription from on high - amateurism was an unequal sham from the start. So don't complain about an illusion of the grotesque, especially when you provide a likeness open for description. Laurence, I challenge you to define what the original ideals of the Olympic games were.

Olympia was the greek pantheon, a form of representative measure of the demos, rather than any prescription from on high – amateurism was an unequal sham from the start.

So don’t complain about an illusion of the grotesque, especially when you provide a likeness open for description.

]]> By: Oranjepan http://www.libdemvoice.org/opinion-to-boycott-or-not-to-boycott-2432.html#comment-44395 Oranjepan Sun, 30 Mar 2008 22:59:15 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/opinion-to-boycott-or-not-to-boycott-2432.html#comment-44395 Not sure if a boycott of the ceremonies is actually necessary, just a reminder that they are interminably long and sentimental propaganda rituals that would send you to sleep if not for the prospect of a protest to liven it up - how about a streaker ot two?? So long as all competitors are aware of and engaged in all the diverse variety of political issues surrounding contemporary events whether social, environmental or human (from Tibet and Taiwan to air pollution, heritage and wildlife issues, through to democracy in economics and education, to justice and prison conditions etc) the regime will not be able to escape universal pressure to improve conditions. Global events provide a platform to raise humanity, giving prizes to prise us away from disruptive distortions - the focus must remain firmly and squarely on the competition and the level of competitivity. Change will only happen behind the lens, not in front of it - and any improvements will only be able to be felt after the cameras have rolled away again. Not sure if a boycott of the ceremonies is actually necessary, just a reminder that they are interminably long and sentimental propaganda rituals that would send you to sleep if not for the prospect of a protest to liven it up – how about a streaker ot two??

So long as all competitors are aware of and engaged in all the diverse variety of political issues surrounding contemporary events whether social, environmental or human (from Tibet and Taiwan to air pollution, heritage and wildlife issues, through to democracy in economics and education, to justice and prison conditions etc) the regime will not be able to escape universal pressure to improve conditions.

Global events provide a platform to raise humanity, giving prizes to prise us away from disruptive distortions – the focus must remain firmly and squarely on the competition and the level of competitivity.

Change will only happen behind the lens, not in front of it – and any improvements will only be able to be felt after the cameras have rolled away again.

]]> By: Aaron Trevena http://www.libdemvoice.org/opinion-to-boycott-or-not-to-boycott-2432.html#comment-44388 Aaron Trevena Sun, 30 Mar 2008 21:43:16 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/opinion-to-boycott-or-not-to-boycott-2432.html#comment-44388 Boycotting which impacts on the regime's prestige and luxury is far more effective than products. Regimes like china, burma and zimbabwe don't care if the populace starve, they will always look after themselves. The only way to hurt them is to go after that which directly affects them - their commercial and lucrative partnerships (very little if any money from big oil, gas, etc deals ever reach the population of a country), their luxury goods, their arms supply, their prestige events. Boycotts and sanctions are very much a blunt instrument. Boycotting which impacts on the regime’s prestige and luxury is far more effective than products.

Regimes like china, burma and zimbabwe don’t care if the populace starve, they will always look after themselves.

The only way to hurt them is to go after that which directly affects them – their commercial and lucrative partnerships (very little if any money from big oil, gas, etc deals ever reach the population of a country), their luxury goods, their arms supply, their prestige events.

Boycotts and sanctions are very much a blunt instrument.

]]> By: Darrell http://www.libdemvoice.org/opinion-to-boycott-or-not-to-boycott-2432.html#comment-44378 Darrell Sun, 30 Mar 2008 19:46:55 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/opinion-to-boycott-or-not-to-boycott-2432.html#comment-44378 No, I dont think its pathetic at all...unless you want to strike out at not just the Chinese government but also the Chinese people too which is surely not the aim of this exercise.... No, I dont think its pathetic at all…unless you want to strike out at not just the Chinese government but also the Chinese people too which is surely not the aim of this exercise….

]]> By: Martin Land http://www.libdemvoice.org/opinion-to-boycott-or-not-to-boycott-2432.html#comment-44374 Martin Land Sun, 30 Mar 2008 19:35:16 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/opinion-to-boycott-or-not-to-boycott-2432.html#comment-44374 Isn't it pathetic? Some mealy mouthed hypocrites talk about boycotting the Olympics because of Tibet, whilst buying enough Chinese Goods every Saturday to turn it into the world's largest creditor and the world's largest manufacturer. Truly, truly amazing. Isn’t it pathetic? Some mealy mouthed hypocrites talk about boycotting the Olympics because of Tibet, whilst buying enough Chinese Goods every Saturday to turn it into the world’s largest creditor and the world’s largest manufacturer. Truly, truly amazing.

]]> By: Laurence Boyce http://www.libdemvoice.org/opinion-to-boycott-or-not-to-boycott-2432.html#comment-44303 Laurence Boyce Sun, 30 Mar 2008 09:16:09 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/opinion-to-boycott-or-not-to-boycott-2432.html#comment-44303 We should boycott the Olympics because they have turned into a grotesque distortion of the original ideal. We should boycott the Olympics because they have turned into a grotesque distortion of the original ideal.

]]>