ToDaZeD Standing Ovation
well, it’s a start...
Donald Tusk, Poland’s prime minister, became the first EU head of government to announce a boycott on Thursday and he was promptly joined by President Václav Klaus of the Czech Republic, who had previously promised to travel to Beijing.
...German chancellor, Angela Merkel, yesterday became the first world leader to decide not to attend the Olympics in Beijing.
...While announcing that German leaders were staying away from Beijing, [Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Germany’s foreign minister] denied they were boycotting or staging a political protest against the Chinese military and police campaign in Tibet and surrounding areas.
erm… what, then? The fried food? The pollution? The “organ banks?”
*clicky* for special version of the ‘torch run’
While expressing scepticism about a complete boycott, he did not rule one out. “This is not the right moment to talk about a boycott ... We should watch how the Chinese government deals with the situation in the next weeks and months."
Need some tulips for that tip-toe?
China had hoped to use the games to highlight its economic development and growing openness. But it is increasingly proving an opportunity for critics to bash China’s one-party political system, human rights abuses, treatment of minorities and tightly controlled media.
“Bash?!” I thought bash was reserved to describe undeserved criticism?
"We don’t support a boycott and don’t intend to boycott the opening of the games,” a British Foreign Office spokesman said. “None of the 27 [EU states] are [sic] calling for a boycott yet.”
The French foreign minister, Bernard Kouchner, has described the boycott proposal as “interesting”, while Sarkozy this week hedged his bets and said his attendance depended on China’s conduct.
Treating people “as if” they are behaving in a civilized manner only works if the concept of “Civilized” is one with which they are already familiar.
‘T seems that will soon include those artists formerly known as The British....
Next entry: Across The Line
Previous entry: Slow Twist in a Light Breeze
