The Joe Biden administration pulled the big card and kept the U.S. athletes away from Beijing in February. It would have led other nations to do the same, and it might have been the rare instance of someone standing up to China for all the atrocities it commits. All we ever see is administrations playing pattycake with China. That is all an administrative boycott.
Who would give a flying fuck if someone who has never heard of curling made an appearance at the Games and 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 Or even Vice President Harris? It isn't why anyone watches. Is China going to feel the pinch? I doubt it.
It is similar to everything else this administration has done. It is nice that they have at least recognized a problem, which is more than we have seen before. This toothless gesture was the best they could do, but it was a half-measure, whose main purpose was to show that they recognized the problem and really wanted to do something about it. We didn't eat it up and called ourselves ungrateful.
Would a boycott get China to change anything? It's almost certainly not. I don't know what would require weeks of lessons in international diplomacy. It would cost NBC millions of dollars in ad revenue, and you can be sure their executives were angry about that fact. It would show some gumption. A stomach for change.
You can't punish the athletes. The chance at the big bucks comes from making a name for themselves at the Games, though most of them have their own seasons in which to keep afloat. The skier doesn't get car ads because of her work. She gets them from winning medals. There are many like her. Is happiness over a country that is committing genocide against the Uyghurs important? They might be disappearing of one of their own. Or the anti-democracy moves in Taiwan and Hong Kong? Probably not.
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. There is nothing to see here.
The Games have been known for a decade or more. The U.S. shouldn't ever participate. If it really wanted to, it could hold its own event and keep all the money for itself. You will get the best athletes if you wave enough cash at them. That is a discussion for another time.
If we don't act like it's the best thing to ever happen to us, they'll get angry. Not much will change. I think I should be used to it after a year.
