"Those who don't know don't care."

Educate, educate, educate. It's imperative these issues are kept in the awareness of the world citizenry, and in the 21st Century that means using the media, which means generating publicity, which means using events which are widely watched. You can't make everyone care that's true, but I'm all for throwing my pebble at the wall. If enough people throw pebbles, down the wall will come.

"Juxtaposing trivial pleasures with China's brutality shows that stopping (other people's) pleasure is essential to your campaign."

I'm not attacking the games (they should never have been awarded to China in the first place) I'm not some miserly killjoy out to poo-poo people's fun. I personally enjoy the games and want to see these athletes competeing, but not at the expense of the millions of innocent people. Do yourself an favour and do some googling on how the Chinese leadership have approached the building of the stadia required for the competitions - forced movement of entire communities. Is that a price worth paying for entertainment? Would you pay it? Your family?

Beach vollyball sums up what a load of crap the modern olympics will become if we keep letting marketing men run it - a triumph of presentation over content. If they were all wearing long dresses I would understand, but I suppose attracting grasshopper minds is the main aim these days.

What are the alternatives then? Accept the oppression of these people, the destruction of Tibet and the struggle of ordinary Chinese people for freedom as a hopeless cause and walk away? Try to make a fast buck in China whilst the going's good?

"Boycotting the Olympics will move us closer to as new Cold War. Is that what you really want?"

Never - there's far many pockets to be lined and fortunes to be made in China for any serious disagreements to ecalte to a new cold war. Did you read the press reports of HH The Dalai Lama's meeting with Bush? The Chinese will whinge on a bit, but they know the world thinks they're in the wrong and largely ignores the issue. The Taiwanese desire for independence is far more likely to spark a confrontation than an Olympic boycott - and that may happen sooner that you think.