The USOC Is A Disgrace

The 2006 Winter Olympics were a disaster for the USA. Our team acted out petty jealousies, failed to live up to even reasonable expectations and all around embarrassed America even more than Jimmy Carter or George Bush usually do. Joey Cheek ignored the miscreants and won a gold and silver medal in speed-skating, then used his 15 seconds of fame and glory and his $40K winnings to advocate for the victims of Dar Fur. He single-handedly transformed a disaster for the US Olympic Committee into a PR bonanza of international goodwill.

Cheek makes the mistake of pursuing his own foreign policy. He is the president of Team Darfur, an organization of Olympic athletes (including a few who have been overtly pressured by China to drop their involvement) who use their fleeting stardom to remind their fellow citizens and competitors that the tragedies of Dar Fur and elsewhere only happen when people avert their gaze and stay silent. Cheek’s organization practices patient, calibrated pressure on China over their support for the regime responsible for the Dar Fur chaos, a strategy that has worked over the years more than loud, obnoxious anti-China bashing. Cheek understands that China’s people should be treated with respect but the regime reminded of its growing responsibilities as an international stakeholder. Cheek had consciously implored his Team Darfur members to lay low about Dar Fur at the Olympics while offering insightful commentary on the matter if and when asked by media or other competitors.

In a sign that it still has much to learn, China’s pathetic paranoia induced them to revoke Cheek’s visa. Cheek should not be viewed as a threat to China, but a partner, a member of a more mature human rights campaign that takes a long view towards international relations and the power of informed, patient activism. China also has been leaning on other countries’ Olympic Committees, leading to some Team Darfur members calling to ask to be dropped from the organization because of the Chinese-originated pressure from their Olympic committees.

The USOC rewarded Cheek’s efforts yesterday by throwing him under the bus, Obama-style, when the Chinese despots revoked his visa, preventing him from attending the Beijing Olympics. They didn’t stick up for their savior from two years ago, meekly characterizing it as a private matter between Cheek and the Chinese despots. No support for their old champion. This follows USA Basketball pressuring its superstars to shut up about Dar Fur (Kobe Byrant and LeBron James have both filmed PSAs advocating steps to end the Dar Fur violence).

Once again, for the spineless whelps like the USOC leaders, Google and Yahoo! owners, etc who make apologies for and overlook the abuses of the Chinese regime…. when the President or House Speaker ignore Chinese abuses, they do so out of a respect for national security, leveraging and balancing issues of differing importance to America’s most important security and economic relationship. When you do it, its for a few extra bucks or less stressful socializing… a reason that does not measure up to the moral compromises you make.

China’s actions are at least understandable, whereas the USOC has no such ground to stand on in defense of its actions. It displayed craven cowardice, failing to stand up for a member that gave his country a rare reason to cheer in 2006 and who has conducted himself with the best interests of America in mind ever since. Worse, pressuring participating athletes to hush about sensitive topics smacks of a subservient attitude in a competition of iron wills and national pride.

To hell with the USOC leadership responsible for this disgrace and censorship. What the hell happened to national pride and free speech? What happened to representing America? Most Americans would want nothing to do with suppressing criticism of policies that lead to the deaths of hundreds of thousands.