I know you are thinking, “ya Dave, like they care.” But the time has come for China to free Tibet. This latest round of protests calls into question China’s ability to act as a world leader and unfortunately unless people begin to put their money where their mouths or hearts are, nothing is going to change.
So with that in mind I have made a decision. If Tibet is not freed, I am going to boycott the Olympics and their sponsors. These include (click on links to reach their contact pages):
Coca-Cola, GE, Johnson & Johnson, Kodak, Lenovo, Omega, Samsung, McDonalds, Visa, Panasonic, Adidas, VolksWagon, Staples, and many Chinese companies.
Most, if not all of these companies had a section on corporate citizenship, so it is time to see how seriously they take it, or if it is just lip service. I took the time to compose an email and send it to each of them.
I am writing to inform you of my intent to boycott the 2008 Olympics and its supporters. The recent riots in Lhasa and Xiahe have proven that the time to free Tibet is now, and unfortunately the only way the Chinese government will listen is to loose money and face.
Thank you for supporting the Olympics, I think it is a worth while endeavor, but in this case, human rights must come first.
Regards,
Dave Hamel
I don’t expect these companies to pull out. They have already put in millions of dollars into supporting the games. But if enough people say, “Hey! This concerns me enough to actually think about where I am spending my money.” then advertisers should listen. That is what they want! They want people to think about their brands when they need a new watch, or DVD player or mutual fund. The issue becomes what will I be thinking, and at the moment, nothing nice.
The hope is that these advertisers can say to the Olympics, “Hey, sponsoring you isn’t quite the deal it used to be because people are not watching. They’re not watching because of what your hosts are doing in Tibet, you need to stop that.”
simple really
CHINA = SHAME
CHINA PEOPLE MUST BOW THIER HEADS IN SHAME, THEY ARE A DISGRACE!
Are you an idiot? I see from your email address (which others can’t see) that you are from the UK. Lets take a look at England’s long and lustrious history of oppressing other cultures and genocide shall we?
We could talk about the Aborigines in Australia still fighting for their land, or the First Nations here in North America wiped out by the Hudson Bay Company while sanctioned by the Royal Family of England.
Or we could talk about the India East Company and the changing of Calcutta into a slum to aid in the production of cotton to line the pockets of the English. Or we could chat about Amritsar where English soldiers opened fire on women and children.
Or, if so inclined we could talk about apartheid in Africa and all the “wonderful” things England has done to keep the sun from ever setting on her empire.
China does not equal shame. That just shows your ignorance of the Chinese people and the situation over there.