There's a new crusade a-brewing among conservatives about the 2008 Olympics being held in Bei-jing.They're calling for President Bush to boycott the opening ceremonies to protest against China's human rights policies.
France's Nicholas Sarkozy, Germany's Angelea Merkel and a number of other heads of state have already declared that while they won't go as far as to actually boycott the Bei-jing Olympics, they plan to avoid attending the opening ceremonies.Hell, even the UN's Ban Ki Moon isn't going.
President Bush has already said just the opposite...he's going to the Olympics.
It absolutely slays me to see people like the folks at the National Review and talk show hosts like Laura Ingraham and Dennis Prager saying that they can't imagine him going, and that he should listen to conservatives on this.
No offense, but since when has this president listened to conservatives about anything? On the rare occasions when he has,(Harriet Miers for example) it has taken practically a civil revolt.
And when it comes to doin' bidness..well, that's sancrosact with this president.
Here's how it works in this particular instance:
Mr. Bill and Dubbyah built the Chinese economy, and under the current occupant of the White House, one out of every six US manufacturing jobs have been relocated overseas...a lot of them in China. Go to a Walmart's sometime and look at the labels - just be careful of the paint.
And where does that money go, after it leaves the pockets of the American consumer? A lot of it goes to the Chinese military or to places like the Sudan to trade arms for oil, but a whole lot of it ends up either purchasing US government debt(something like a trillion dollars worth)or as hedge funds in the hands of private investment firms, like the Bush family fortune's own favorite, The Carlyle Group. The Arabs aren't the only ones who enjoy having their money manged by ex-presidents and high level ex-politicians and diplomats with major connections with The Right People.
Does anyone seriously expect a bunch of Tibetans, slave laborers or genocide victims in Darfur to stack up against that kind of clout? Not freaking likely, bubba.
No, President Bush will be attending, just like it was a Rotary function or the local church - because it's good for bidness and one doesn't insult good customers.
Or if it does become too problematic for him to go in person, trust the president to come up with an attractive quid pro quo to mollify the Chinese and smooth things over.
The president has been noted before for such gestures.
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