Photo by Carolincik

So no doubt you have heard about the demonstrations that have been occurring during the torch runs both here in the U.S. and the around the globe. I want to make perfectly clear that I believe that all human rights issues are important. I think that Tibetans, actually all people, should be free to practice whatever they believe. However, I think that the current protests will do little to impact the way that China handles this and future situations.

The problem is that there are thousands of years of history in play and we are asking the largest nation in the world to turn on a dime and become something that they have never been. If China did anything tomorrow would we believe that this was anything other than a simple show, a facade, built to insulate themselves from protests leading up to the games? Would we really think that once the camera crews and the athletes left that there wouldn’t be more issues with Tibet?

The problem here is the IOC (International Olympic Committee). They had to know that this would be an issue, and yet they still chose to reward China with the games. It’s my belief that it wasn’t because they wanted to award the games to one of the largest nation’s, rather it was a simple marketing play. At the time of the decision everyone was hot on China. Every marketer was trying to figure out how to get the eyeballs of billions in one of the fastest growing economies. The IOC knew how much this would be worth to their partners and how many dollars were at stake.

If anyone wants to protest they should be protesting the IOC. It wasn’t good will or good faith that the games would give China a moral responsibility to change, like IOC President, Jacques Rogge likes to tout, it was a simple marketing and money ploy. People should be asking tough questions of the IOC and it’s committee, but they aren’t. China was thrust into this position without being ready to answer the bell. Even before the human rights issues, questions were raised about the air quality, the ability of the host nation to protect their workers, and more. The IOC took a chance that people would look beyond these issues but that hasn’t happened, and they need to share, if not take the brunt of the blame.

If anyone is going to have an impact it is going to have to come from the athletes and not the public. The Chinese Government, in my opinion, will only become more defensive and isolated during the public protests. However, if the the athletes started taking a stand then both the host nation and participating nations would have to figure out their positions pretty quickly. I know that the IOC has already stated that they would not tolerate political statements within the venues and podiums, etc. But I do think that the athletes can make simple statements to create awareness. It was one of the most simple gestures, two fists raised in the air, by Tommie Smith and John Carlos in Mexico City in 1968, that made an impact still discussed today. The athletes need to be the ones to make a stir, but I am not sure that any of them will. It’s not that they don’t care but its that no one is an amateur anymore. There are still too many corporate dollars tied up in these athletes for anyone to make waves and potentially create controversy.

So, what do we have left? We have a stalemate. The protests may make you feel like you are making change, but true change has to hit the games where it hurts. In the pocketbook. And the only way that is going to happen is if the athletes themselves decide that these issues are worth taking a stand for. Short of that, any pressure and any reaction is going to be a farce, a sham, that will be made to appease the public while Tibet simply waits for the NBC camera crews to go home before they once again have to start fearing for their lives.