On Friday of this week, the 2022 Olympic Games will begin in Beijing, China. They do so amid allegations of human rights violations in the communist country. The CCP has consistently attempted to conceal their genocide of Uyghurs in the Xinjiang area, and this is only the most recent example.
With that reality looming over the games, how foreign athletes, including those from the United States, should react has become a topic of debate, and Rep. Nancy Pelosi has decided to express her preference. U.S. athletes should play it safe and keep their mouths shut, according to the House Majority Leader.
Nancy Pelosi tells U.S. Olympic athletes not to "speak out" against the Chinese Communist Party in Beijing lest they risk "incurring the anger" of the Chinese government. pic.twitter.com/kzwSYdMJyM
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) February 3, 2022
Imagine if the United States competed against the Soviet Union with that message. A demand for quietness sounds tremendously un-American, especially given what we now know about the Olympic Games’ cultural importance in opposing the Iron Curtain at the time. Pelosi may have legitimate worries, but now is the time to speak up and exert pressure on the Chinese.
By detaining US athletes for speaking out, the CCP will not risk causing an international incident. Expulsions from the nation and a lot of hand-wringing from Chinese officials are more likely, but a confrontation should be welcomed. Make them own their oppression in front of the entire world.
It’s a travesty that China was ever given these games to begin with. The 2008 Olympics in Beijing were marred by pollution, allegations of corruption, and even cheating incidents. China’s human rights violations are not fresh revelations, and there was ample reason to isolate them. Despite this, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), being the total trash fire that it is, gave China another hosting opportunity, no doubt due to greased palms.
