Sports, politics, Zimbabwe and the Olympics

[netmatrix]

The issue of sports and politics mixing has troubled me for some time. I'd love to hear some other people's views on the matter. Firstly some questions:

1. Do you believe countries should boycott the Olympics?
2. Do you believe countries should boycott cricket tours to Zimbabwe*?

I guess my dilemma is this:
I've grown up inherently believing that sports and politics shouldn't mix. Hence, I don't believe we should boycott the Olympics. However, I've found myself not troubled by the stance of boycotting Zimbabwe.

I've also found this to be the popular public perception. And I can't find a good reason for it, other than "it's Zimbabwe". Hardly a convincing reason. After all, at least Zimbabwe's issues are internal, whereas China seems to have internal issues as well as external ones (e.g. Sudan, Tibet?)

So why is it OK to boycott Zimbabwe but not the Olympics?

Could it be that we are pandering to China because it is the next big emerging nation? whereas Zimbabwe isn't exactly the most powerful nation going around? If that is the case, then isn't that unethical in itself? and doesn't it completely defeat the point of having an ethical/moral stance on Zimbabwe?

I'd love to hear your thoughts. Especially why you think the two situations differ, if you think they differ at all.

*For the moment, I would appreciate if we could ignore the issue of financial mismanagement by the Zimbabwean Cricket Board that has come to light recently. I think it would only cloud the discussion as the issue of boycotting Zimbabwe has been around much longer.

Cheers,
NM

 

[Grimwood]

You raise valid points, but from a cricketing point of view the financial mismanagement by the Zimbabwean Cricket Board cannot be ignored. Ethical and moral positions are always up for debate but Zimbabwe's inability to sustain a credible cricket infrastructure is seemingly beyond dispute; that is really what matters to the cricket fan in me.


Prehaps give this thread a go in the politics board? Chuck in arms deal with the likes of Saudi Arabia as well!

 

[jiphoc]

I am originally based from South Africa so I have thus watched Zimbabwe go from on the the most beautiful nations in the world to what we have here today. To put the situation in a single sentence Zimbabwe is under a white apartheid. Politics in that country is so messed up that you people who have spent your whole lives here wouldn't be able to comprehend it. The March election results haven't even been released yet in that country if your looking for an example. Family friends of mine recently came over here (Australia) from Zimbabwe to live and told us that on more then 1 occasion police have stopped their car for no reason and strip searched the women in the car. If they complained they would get beaten or thrown in jail for what? Because they are white.

So are you sure you want our great Cricket team going over to play in this country?

 

[Ice goddess]

The situation in Zimbabwe is appalling.

 

[netmatrix]

You raise valid points, but from a cricketing point of view the financial mismanagement by the Zimbabwean Cricket Board cannot be ignored. Ethical and moral positions are always up for debate but Zimbabwe's inability to sustain a credible cricket infrastructure is seemingly beyond dispute; that is really what matters to the cricket fan in me.

Thanks for your reply. But could I please ask you for your thoughts if you were looking at it from a administrative decision makers point of view (and not a cricket fan - because fan's are all entitled to their own opinion on this and they don't really have to justify it)

Prehaps give this thread a go in the politics board? Chuck in arms deal with the likes of Saudi Arabia as well!

Cheers, I might do that actually.

I am originally based from South Africa so I have thus watched Zimbabwe go from on the the most beautiful nations in the world to what we have here today. To put the situation in a single sentence Zimbabwe is under a white apartheid. Politics in that country is so messed up that you people who have spent your whole lives here wouldn't be able to comprehend it. The March election results haven't even been released yet in that country if your looking for an example. Family friends of mine recently came over here (Australia) from Zimbabwe to live and told us that on more then 1 occasion police have stopped their car for no reason and strip searched the women in the car. If they complained they would get beaten or thrown in jail for what? Because they are white.

So are you sure you want our great Cricket team going over to play in this country?

I appreciate what you are trying to say. But let's face it, for all the human rights abuses in Zimbabwe, I bet I could find a lot more in China. So that doesn't really give a valid reason why it is ok to boycott one and not the other.

The situation in Zimbabwe is appalling.

Look, yeah I'm not saying we should go to Zimbabwe. As I said in my orignal post, I seem to agree with the view that it's ok to boycott Zimbbwe but not China. What I'm looking for are some ethical/moral reasons why we can hold that stance. So far, I haven't really come across any.

I mean the situation is Zimbabwe is pretty bad, but let's not kid ourselves - China's human rights record is no better than Zimbabwe's. And let's face it, China has been like that for far longer than Zimbabwe. Also, let's not forget that China also has undue negative influence over the situations in other countries (Sudan being the prime example). So yes, you can label Zimbabwe as 'appalling', but that's not really a valid reason to justify boycotting Zimbabwe and not China because China has been at it for much longer than Zimbabwe and they also have an effect on other nations.