There are many reasons why the Olympic Games which will be attended by hundreds of thousands in China and countless millions will watch on their television and PC screens should be boycotted by the UK - we are after all a nation (of which may of us remain proud) with a record of brushing aside naive placators and duplicitous collaborators and standing up to and fighting (all be it eventually) and destroying evil regimes. As 20th centaury history tells us, twice allowing the placators inatialy to get their way has resulted in disaster on global proportions.
One good reason for a national an very meaningful protest by the fair playing British people by means of a viewing boycott of the high profile Olympic Games that most people should understand is highlighted by Christopher Booker his column today; that being the support given by the oppressive Government of the Peoples Republic of China to that bloody dictator in Zimbabwe, one Robert Mugabe.
If that is not reason enough the horrific pictures linked on Dr Richard North's blog Posted on EU Referendum shows a firing squad for Tibetan prisoners, the date of the images is unknown though it is thought to be within the past 15 years. But, of course, such barbaric rituals are now redundant. Instead, the Chinese government has acquired (as Dr North explains) a fleet of modern "execution vans" from Europe.
One good reason for a national an very meaningful protest by the fair playing British people by means of a viewing boycott of the high profile Olympic Games that most people should understand is highlighted by Christopher Booker his column today; that being the support given by the oppressive Government of the Peoples Republic of China to that bloody dictator in Zimbabwe, one Robert Mugabe.
If that is not reason enough the horrific pictures linked on Dr Richard North's blog Posted on EU Referendum shows a firing squad for Tibetan prisoners, the date of the images is unknown though it is thought to be within the past 15 years. But, of course, such barbaric rituals are now redundant. Instead, the Chinese government has acquired (as Dr North explains) a fleet of modern "execution vans" from Europe.
The US-based Dui Hua Foundation estimates that 7,500 to 8,000 executions took place in 2006. That means an average of 22 people were killed a day.
It is unacceptable that the British Government is not only in reality ignoring the Chinese governments excesses with only mild protests, it is also actively encouraging further business links with what is undoubtedly one of the worlds most oppressive regimes. Our governments efforts are particularly focused on small businesses with export potential.
Evidence of this trade encouragement by both the UK Government and our political overlords the European Union (EU), which first commenced in earnest in 2000 and has remained a high priority ever since, can be found with the EU's regional agencies across our 'regions' - Regional Development Agencies (RGAs) that were formed in 1998 following Labour's landslide election victory in May the year before. In the North East of England the puffed up RDA, OneNorthEast (ONE) - once the pride of John Prescott - actively supports links between local businesses and the Peoples Republic of China all with the apparent support of principle business organisations and the China Business Association which is funded from both Beijing and the EU (with British tax payers money) with very active support from ONE and Westminster.
It can only be assumed that the business community are unaware of the horrible details of continuous abuses of human rights that are ongoing it China. Well to be fair there is not a lot of time to read newspapers or listen to the Radio, watch the news or indeed access media comment on the web when most businesses are franticly battling against the increasing barriers to growth erected by our political masters.
Why else would thinking business people allow their representative organisations to work with the RDAs who are in turn directly supporting evil regimes - principally China who is not only killing and repressing their own citizens - in blatant disregard to natural justice but is also keeping the mass murderer Mugabe not only in power but also in Luxury (see the Booker column linked above)
Those that support the attitude that if UK business trade with China it can 'only get better' should consider that following the Berlin Olympics of 1936 in fascist Germany evil dictators had persuaded the placatory and naive Olympic movement organizers of the day to hold games in Rome in 1940 and Tokyo in 1944 were eventually decisively stopped from staging the Olympics (which would have given their faciest regimes popular credability) at huge and tragic cost.
In anticipation of comments (based on personal bitter experience) from activists from two business organisations (the FSB and the NECC) that I am a member of that will react to this posting with the comment that: '' but all this is politics and does not effect us'' or comments very much to that effect business people should retort with a poinient quote from European theologian Martin Niemoller:
"In Germany they came first for the Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time no one was left to speak up."
Lest we forget the cost, not leaset in human tragedy, when the plactors get their way.
It is unacceptable that the British Government is not only in reality ignoring the Chinese governments excesses with only mild protests, it is also actively encouraging further business links with what is undoubtedly one of the worlds most oppressive regimes. Our governments efforts are particularly focused on small businesses with export potential.
Evidence of this trade encouragement by both the UK Government and our political overlords the European Union (EU), which first commenced in earnest in 2000 and has remained a high priority ever since, can be found with the EU's regional agencies across our 'regions' - Regional Development Agencies (RGAs) that were formed in 1998 following Labour's landslide election victory in May the year before. In the North East of England the puffed up RDA, OneNorthEast (ONE) - once the pride of John Prescott - actively supports links between local businesses and the Peoples Republic of China all with the apparent support of principle business organisations and the China Business Association which is funded from both Beijing and the EU (with British tax payers money) with very active support from ONE and Westminster.
It can only be assumed that the business community are unaware of the horrible details of continuous abuses of human rights that are ongoing it China. Well to be fair there is not a lot of time to read newspapers or listen to the Radio, watch the news or indeed access media comment on the web when most businesses are franticly battling against the increasing barriers to growth erected by our political masters.
Why else would thinking business people allow their representative organisations to work with the RDAs who are in turn directly supporting evil regimes - principally China who is not only killing and repressing their own citizens - in blatant disregard to natural justice but is also keeping the mass murderer Mugabe not only in power but also in Luxury (see the Booker column linked above)
Those that support the attitude that if UK business trade with China it can 'only get better' should consider that following the Berlin Olympics of 1936 in fascist Germany evil dictators had persuaded the placatory and naive Olympic movement organizers of the day to hold games in Rome in 1940 and Tokyo in 1944 were eventually decisively stopped from staging the Olympics (which would have given their faciest regimes popular credability) at huge and tragic cost.
In anticipation of comments (based on personal bitter experience) from activists from two business organisations (the FSB and the NECC) that I am a member of that will react to this posting with the comment that: '' but all this is politics and does not effect us'' or comments very much to that effect business people should retort with a poinient quote from European theologian Martin Niemoller:
"In Germany they came first for the Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time no one was left to speak up."
Lest we forget the cost, not leaset in human tragedy, when the plactors get their way.
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