Should the Olympics be boycotted?

The French philosopher André Glucksmann supported a 1980 boycott of the Olympic Games in Moscow. Today he explains why a boycott of the Beijing games would be pointless. "The Tibetan protest is a cry for help addressed to the world and the Olympic Games are an opportunity to stir consciences, alerting them to the tragedy of a population that risks being wiped out. But before promoting the boycott, a few questions need to be asked: what would its concrete effects be? How many governments are ready to risk their economic relations with China? Are there any more efficient initiatives? Might this boycott not have the reverse effect of reinforcing the Beijing regime?  ... Tibet is not seeking independence, but respect of its autonomy and culture. The intellectual has to be as realistic as the Tibetans."

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