April 10, 2008

As it sputtered toward San Francisco this week, the Olympic torch became less a symbol of a peaceful sporting competition than of a spirited international protest. China hopes the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing will be a celebration of its expanding economy and openness to the outside world. Be careful what you wish for. Instead, the Olympic Games have opened China to global protests of its policies in Tibet and its support of the genocidal regime in Sudan. Elie Wiesel lent his moral authority to the protests, leading other Nobel laureates in denouncing Beijing’s brutal repression of the Tibetan independence movement.

China’s supporters, including the corporations that have billions invested in Olympics sponsorships, argue that the protests are politicizing an event that should be about the athletes and worldwide harmony. But it has always been impossible to separate the Olympics and politics. Hitler showed how the international spotlight could be used for propaganda purposes; the Seoul Olympics offered a sharp contrast, demonstrating the games’ power to boost a nascent democracy and economic power.

With the Seoul example in mind, calls for a boycott have been muted. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are urging President Bush to at least skip the opening ceremonies. Such symbolic gestures, like the demonstrations, can send a powerful message — nonviolent, non-disruptive, but unmistakable. There is a real possibility that the demonstrations could get the Olympic hosts to rethink their policies, especially toward Sudan, where an oil-thirsty China aids and abets the government-backed genocide in Darfur.

So let the games begin. But keep the heat on — even if you have to use a torch.

• Comment: comments@njjewishnews.com