President Joe Biden showed the world just who the Big Man on Campus (BMOC) is in superpower circles. First, he told China his administration would boycott the upcoming Olympic Games in Beijing. Specifically, diplomatic envoys; athletes are not part of the embargo. Then, in confusing style and creating new meanings for words, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki announced her feisty boss man was large and in charge of the worldwide situation: “Not sending a U.S. delegation sends a clear message that we cannot conduct ourselves with business as usual. We feel this sends a clear message.”
Clear as swamp muck: We will allow our country to participate in the Games even though we are appalled at the human rights abuses while we continue to do business. Psaki further intoned:
“U.S. diplomatic or official representation would treat these games as business as usual in the face of the PRC's egregious human rights abuses and atrocities in Xinjiang, and we simply can't do that.”
But instead of China cowering in the corner after a beat down of words from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., it offered to meet Biden behind the bleachers to settle the score. Did anyone think China would kowtow to the self-described Scrappy Scranton Joe?
Awkward
China didn’t take long to respond to Biden’s diplomatic boycott. It was, in a word, embarrassing. No one from the Biden administration has been extended an invitation. In a media briefing in Beijing, foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian relayed his country’s response: “U.S. politicians keep hyping a ‘diplomatic boycott’ without even being invited to the Games.” Oops. Emily Post is tsking from beyond the grave her displeasure at the egregious social faux pas. According to the rules of the Olympic Games:
“[I]n accordance with the Olympic rules, for politicians to attend the Games they must be invited by their own countries’ Olympic committees first and the final decision relies on the International Olympic Committee (IOC).”
Joe Biden (Photo by Leigh Vogel/Getty Images)
And it only continued to get worse. Zhao rattled off a few threatening comments, continuing with this statement: “This wishful thinking and pure grandstanding are aimed at political manipulation. It is a grave travesty of the spirit of the Olympic Charter, a blatant political provocation and a serious affront to the 1.4 billion Chinese people.” And then he promised China would retaliate: “The United States will pay a price for its mistaken acts.”
Nikki Haley, former ambassador to the United Nations and a woman with national political aspirations, had a few words to say as well: “A diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Olympics is a joke. China doesn’t care if Biden and Team show up. They want our athletes.”
Somehow progressives, Democrats, Republicans, and the current administration have turned sports and athletes into spokespeople for their political whims.
How Do We Get Ourselves Into These Messes?
Biden continuing to do business with China for its technology gadgets and gizmos yet threatening on the public stage a “diplomatic” boycott paints a ridiculous picture. Biden is not tough on China. Biden has not been invited to the 2022 Winter Games. The United States is talking out of both sides of the mouth regarding economics versus optics. Just another cheap and impotent shot intended to make the administration look like it’s tough on bullies.
~ Read more from Sarah Cowgill.
