Does an Olympic Boycott Make Sense?

As the Olympic torch makes its way around the world, amid much demonstration and protest, there has been an increasingly vocal discussion about whether the United States (and Canada…and many Western European countries) should boycott the opening ceremonies for the 2008 Beijing Olympics or even the games entirely.
The United States boycotted the Games in 1980, to protest the Soviet Union’s involvement in Afghanistan and robbed hundreds of atheletes of the chance to compete for an Olympic medal. History reminds us that few situations are as black and white as they may at first seem. (e.g. In 1980, the US …read more