Quote:
Originally Posted by PepsiFree
Going and allowing the athletes to protest on international television would have more impact than not going. If we don't go, it's a footnote at the start of the games and then they go on as usual. Nobody in the UK is going to care where Canada is. The athletes would be punished by the IOC of course, so I'm sure that would weigh on any decision, but you know.
I agree that China would not give two ####s, but if the point is solely to raise international attention, that seems like a better way to do it. I would argue that more people think of the black power salute at the 1968 Olympics than the boycott of the 1980 Olympics.
The 1980 Olympic boycott, for what it's worth, accomplished very little.
|
I don’t know where you get your information, the 1980 boycott basically prevented a Soviet propaganda victory, at a time in history when the world stopped working during the games no one really paid attention to those games at all. It was the beginning of the end of an empire that collapsed 9 years later. We’re you even born at that time?
They put in millions of rubies and it came to nothing. In contrast The 1968 protests were cool but the long jump record set by Bob Beamon(2feet beyond the previous record) got more press.
The boycott was extremely effective in that the Soviets did not even show up for the next one. Make no mistake about it China will be putting on a full court press to avoid a boycott( in fact they are already threatening there own sanctions). This is massive for China, the fact that they see so afraid of it is proof of how devastating it would be to that horrific regime.