Beijing Olympics

The Beijing Olympics are approaching, with all the fireworks and medals you would expect. But it's safe to say that China doesn't have the best human rights record. It's actively supporting the Sudanese government, which is in turn supporting Janjaweed militants in Darfur. At the same time, Tibetan protests marking the 49th anniversary of the uprising against China's invasion in the region turned violent, with anywhere from 22 to 100 dead.

And what are people saying? Boycott!

Boycotting the Olympics, though it might send a strong message to the Chinese government, is the wrong approach. It's my belief that the Olympics should transcend politics. Our athletes are not a representation of our government. The Olympics are about competition, proving that you are in fact the best of the best. Many people train their whole lives to compete at the Olympics, and a boycott might ruin their small window of opportunity.

It seems callous to put their success over human lives in Tibet and Darfur, but you have to realize that an American boycott would be more symbolic then anything else.

Yes, Beijing and the surrounding area has received a huge economic boost from the construction and maintenance of various Olympic venues. I'm not sure whether the Chinese government would really care if all those workers lost their jobs.

Besides, it's naïve to assume that Americans not going to the Olympics would stop the whole thing cold. There were 11,100 athletes at the 2004 Sydney games representing 202 countries. A boycott, even if other countries joined in, would put a dent in the games but wouldn't bring them to a close. It would just crush a lot of dreams.

What boycotts end up being is a waste of time. If the U.S. government really wanted to do something, which I don't think it does, it would impose sanctions. They have enough reason. We've blockaded Cuba because they're a Communist nation, and they're not funding genocide. And half the products coming from China are contaminated in one way or another.

I'm not suggesting that we impose sanctions — Wal-Mart would be run out of business. I'm just saying, before you go around feeling all righteous and shouting "Boycott!", think it through.