Oh, sure, what are a few deaths of protesters among friends?
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (AP) - International Olympic CommitteePresident Jacques Rogge poured cold water Saturday on calls for a boy cott of the Summer Games in Beijing over China's crackdown in Tibet, saying it would only hurt athletes. "We believe that the boycott doesn't solve anything," Rogge told reporters on this Caribbean island. "On the contrary, it is penalizing innocent athletes and it is stopping the organization from something that definitely is worthwhile organizing."
Demonstrations against Chinese rule in Tibet on Friday—the most violent riots there in nearly two decades—left at least 30 protesters dead, according to a Tibetan exile group. China ordered tourists out of Tibet's capital and troops patrolled the streets on Saturday.
I've generally not favored economic boycotts (as of Cuba) because they have unintended consequences and don't usually accomplish their intended goals. But it's hard to think of good arguments for letting China have this giant propaganda tool.
