Each candidate should state his/her position on going to the Olympics or not. This is a campaign tie

[CK_John]

breaker and will show the mind set of the nominees. IMO, the candidate to first address this issue will decide the nominee and the GE.

[izzybeans]

1. Olympic boycotts have always sparked revolutionary changes.

:sarcasm:

I'd ask them what substantive steps will they take to bring China in line with worldwide labor standards. instead.

[CK_John]

4. Notice I did not advocate a boycott, but said they need to show leadership and address the issue, n/

[izzybeans]

6. True I think I read into it because of a wider discussion.

Sorry.

I want them to dig beyond the Olympics to the issues at hand. I don't want to get into tit-for-tat 1980 vs. 1984 Russia, U.S. b.s. People blow their dreams trying to reach those games.

[anigbrowl]

2. That's a good point. I've been wondering when it will come up.

Which is sort of a pity, because it's a tricky issue. The Economist happened to have a reporter in Tibet at the time o the violent outbreak but their reports got very little coverage. It seems the Chinese were actually very hands of; at least half the deaths were due to fires lit in Chinese-owned shops by rioters (eg in one fire a whole family hiding upstairs burned to death).

[laconicsax]

3. I agree. If anything, this forum needs more stuff to argue about.

[progdog]

5. The Olympics are about athletics

Not politics. In 1980 we boycotted the Moscow Olympics because Russia invaded Afghanistan. Now look where we are. Olympics are not the right venue for protest. JMHO

[CK_John]

7. Inserting head in the sand will not avoid an international decision. n/t