Comparisons drawn between the upcoming Olympics in Beijing and the 1936 Olympics in Berlin are almost too easy. We cannot trust the measures taken in preparation by China, such as the relocation of 200 factories and removal of 60,000 buses and taxis from the congested roads. Just as the Nazi agenda held onto its facade of peace, using the Olympics as a debutante ball, China is readying itself for international spectators and scrutiny.
Despite protests, the US ultimately did not boycott the 1936 Olympics. US Olympic Committee president Avery Brundage held pro-Nazi sentiments, alleged a “Jewish-Communist conspiracy” behind boycott motivations, and received a contract for his company to build the Germany embassy after the Olympics.
Similarly, the West has too many business ties to China to criticize them. Labor rights suppression yields cheap goods, covered in toxins for companies who sell them for massive profits.