Post Global, the interactive discussion site produced by the Washington Post and Newsweek, is now moderating a discussion based on this question: “Should countries tell China that if it does not pressure Burma to open up, they will boycott the Beijing Olympics?”. Panelists include James Fallows, who responds:
If a country makes a threat, it must be ready to carry it out. The plain fact is, virtually no country in the world, certainly not the United States, is ready to carry out the threat to boycott the Olympics. Therefore other countries should pressure China. And talk with China. And leave in the background the suggestion that China’s grand and gala opening-to-the-world event, toward which so much of its money and attention is now being devoted, will be forever tainted if the Chinese government continues to look like the evil Burmese junta’s only foreign friend. But it would be foolish to waste time with ultimatums to the effect: Olympics or Burma, take your pick. The Chinese would know that the foreigners didn’t mean it. [Full text]
