The Olympics In Bejing

From its official international inception in 1896, the Olympics have symbolized a coming together of the world's nations and their athletes for competition.  However, also since its official inception, the competitions begun and the medals won have meant much more than how well how well an indivual has done.  Because of their medal totals, there are winners among countries as well, and how well their athletes do is a source of pride for their countries.  It can also serve as a type of battleground, albeit usually blood-free, between nations vying for superiority.  And because of this, the Olympics have been, and likely always will be, more than just athletics.

While the Nazi party was gaining momentum, there was talk in the US about boycotting the 1936 summer games in protest of both the Nazi's anti-semitic stance as well as its belief in Aryan superiority.  Though this boycott did not go through, the message was clear that the olympics could be used to make a political statement by simply non-attendance.  

This strategy was carried out in the 1980 Olympics when President Carter's demands of Soviet withdrawl from Afghanistan.  Because of the Soviet's refusal to do as commanded, the US boycotted the summer games held that year in Moscow.  As a special "middle finger" to the USSR, the US even held "Boycott Games" in Philidelphia that year for its athletes and the few other countries that followed the US lead that year.

And the Soviet Union gave a big red middle finger four years later by boycotting the games held in L.A., USA.

So should the US boycott the Chinese games in 2008?  The Olympics are clearly not just athletic games but a way to make both political statements and ultimatums.  Though the US has already decided that they will not be boycotting the games, it is unlikely that a grass-roots movement will gain enough momentum to affect, or change the US's decision.  Why?  Because the US doesn't have any demands to make, as we had previously, to decide a boycott.  Should the US?  It doesn't seem like it achieves much other than to piss the host country off, which isn't the best idea with a country as big as China.  And with our objectives being dubious, dealing with internal humanitarian issues rather than external invasions, it seems like it would be a fruitless, though symbolic, choice.