The New York Times has an excellent read about the general sentiments of the Chinese youth towards Tibet. In essence, these youth are mostly establishment supporting patriots with an unwavering sense of pride in their government. For the most part, their concerns with Tibet range from nonchalance to outrage against the western media for their supposedly unfair coverage in relation to their just Chinese government. I suppose the paradigm shouldn’t be too hard to believe; check out these YouTube videos for some examples:

So where many individuals really don’t see the point in boycotting the opening ceremonies of the Olympics, or for some reason want a “friendlier” relationship with a government whose policies we oppose, they forget that there are time sensitive components in diplomacy and action. The Chinese government will not be force to comply with international outrage unless their very citizens do as well.

And what better way to do so than to make a statement at the Olympic Games? Chinese Youth are growing up in an age where they feel largely triumphant: their economy will one day overtake the United States as the largest in the world, there is more home/auto ownership now than ever, and they are essentially guaranteed good jobs by the government. The culmination of this sense of global legitimacy or even superiority was culminated in their award of the 2008 Olympic Games, their showcase to the world. Yet if we can give them the international spotlight, and reinforce their feelings of legitimacy, we can certainly take it away. Turn off the spotlight, make their citizens discover that international community’s outrage isn’t just lip service, but that they have legitimate beef. And with it, perhaps they will turn inwards and at least examine the policies of their government. Is there a risk that China will start to completely ignore the complaints of the West? Sure. But as demonstrated by their strict pollution controls before the games, the creation of dozens of new Olympic venues, and even their censorship of their citizens in the interim before the games, what they crave is acceptance and legitimacy. We can give it to them, but only if they make inroads towards a mutual vision of legitimacy that all parties can work towards. No, a simple boycott of the ceremonies won’t be a panacea for all things ill in the world, but it’s a start. And hopefully we’ll go further.