Joe Biden Administration announces diplomatic boycott of Beijing Winter Games

It’s not that anybody ought to have anticipated the Joe Biden administration to drag the massive card and preserve U.S. athletes away from Beijing in February. It could have led different nations to do the identical, and may need truly been the uncommon occasion of somebody standing as much as China for all of the atrocities it commits. However given how a lot everybody wants China’s cash, all we ever see is administrations worldwide enjoying pattycake with them. That’s all an administrative boycott is.

Who provides a flying fuck if some underling we’ve by no means heard of makes an look on the Video games, and claps awkwardly whereas somebody tries to inform them the foundations of curling? And even Vice President Harris? It’s not why anybody watches. Is China going to really feel that pinch? One way or the other, I doubt it.

It’s just about like the whole lot else this administration has finished. It’s good that they’ve a minimum of acknowledged an issue, which is greater than we’ve gotten previously. However then it’s a half-measure at finest, whose fundamental function is to indicate that they acknowledged the issue and actually needed to do one thing about it however this toothless gesture was one of the best they may do. After which act bewildered why we didn’t eat it up and name us ungrateful.

Would a full boycott get China to alter something? Virtually actually not. I don’t know what would, and would want weeks of classes in worldwide diplomacy. It could price NBC tens of millions in advert income, and you may be certain their execs had been barking on the administration about that actual fact. However it might a minimum of present some gumption. An precise abdomen for actual change.

Yeah, I do know, you may’t punish the athletes. Most of them have their very own seasons in their very own competitions that preserve them afloat, although the prospect on the huge bucks comes from making a reputation for themselves on the Video games. Mikaela Shiffrin doesn’t get automobile adverts due to her work through the ski season. She will get them from profitable medals on the Video games. There are a lot of like her. However ought to a pair hundred athletes’ happiness matter over a rustic that’s committing genocide in opposition to the Uyghurs? Or disappearing of one in every of their very own in Peng Shuai? Or their anti-democracy strikes in Taiwan and Hong Kong? In all probability not.

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NBC will get their money from advertisers, as the IOC cashes the checks from NBC it already got, all the while trying to parrot China’s state media telling us everything is fine with Peng Shuai. Nothing to see here.

We’ve all known what the Games are for a decade or more. The U.S. really shouldn’t ever participate. If it really wanted to, it could hold its own event and keep all the money for itself (this will happen one day I’m sure). Wave enough cash at athletes, you’ll get the best. But that’s another discussion for another time.

It’s yet another quarter- to half-measure from the administration, and they’ll get huffy if we don’t act like it’s the best thing to ever happen to us. And not much will change. I guess I should be used to it after a year of it.