Opinion Today: Mitt Romney on the right way to boycott the Beijing Olympics

(And the wrong way.)

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story March 16, 2021 By Ezekiel Kweku Politics Editor, Opinion If you love the Olympics, and I do, then you've probably grown comfortable with some amount of moral tension. They are a global display of the artistry and human drama of sport; they are also a feeding trough of corporatist globalization. But China's long list of human rights abuses tautens this tension. Part of the reason that countries expend the massive amounts of time and money it takes to put on the Games is because they are also a showcase for the host nation. Would participating in these Winter Olympics, which will be in Beijing in February, make the United States complicit in a propaganda campaign by an authoritarian regime? If so, what should be done? Senator Mitt Romney's combination of experience and influence gives him a uniquely valuable perspective on this knotty problem: He's on the Committee for Foreign Relations, ran Salt Lake City's organizing committee when it hosted the Olympics in 2002, and has been outspoken about America's posture toward China. In an Op-Ed this week, the conclusion that he comes to is that prohibiting American athletes from competing in the Beijing Olympics would not delegitimize the Beijing Games and China's government, but rather cede them an uncontested propaganda victory. "When President Jimmy Carter applied an athlete boycott to the Moscow Olympics in 1980, the result was more medals for Russians and dashed dreams for American athletes," he writes. "No one seriously believes it improved Soviet behavior." Romney argues, instead, for a solution that marries idealism with practicality — which is to say it's the good kind of compromise. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Doug Chayka The Right Way to Boycott the Beijing Olympics The United States can repudiate Chinese policy without unfairly punishing our athletes. By Mitt Romney Here's what we're focusing on today: Editors' Picks Mark Bittman Cooked Everything. Now He Wants to Change Everything. The acclaimed food writer offers a sweeping indictment of our modern food system. By Ezra Klein On the News America Could Use a Liberal Party The new division in politics isn't between liberals and conservatives. It's between liberals and illiberals. By Bret Stephens The Pandemic and the Future City Lessons from Alexander Hamilton and the book trade. By Paul Krugman How the Left Made Cuomo Vulnerable The governor tried to ruin the Working Families Party. It helped ruin him instead. By Michelle Goldberg Can Anything End the Voting Wars? As battles over voting rules burn hotter, the stakes are still lower than both sides seem to think. By Ross Douthat Andrew Yang Isn't Doing His Signature Policy Right There are better ways to follow the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s call for a guaranteed income. By Bryce Covert Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Ideas How to Tame the Presidency After Trump Congress needs to find creative ways to engage the executive branch that favor cooperation over conflict. By John A. Dearborn, Desmond S. King and Stephen Skowronek The Drugs at the Heart of Our Pricing Crisis Biologic drugs rack up billions in annual U.S. sales. Here's a solution to lower the costs. By Peter B. Bach and Mark R. Trusheim What Biden and F.D.R. May End Up Having in Common President Biden promised to be "the most pro-union president you've ever seen." Following through on that might mean going it alone. By Steven Greenhouse What You're Saying letters The Need for a Strong Privacy Law An expert calls for "meaningful data protection." Also: No worries about a baby bust; organized labor at Amazon; dancing in the pandemic. Forward this newsletter to friends to share ideas and perspectives that will help inform their lives. They can sign up here. Do you have feedback? Email us at opiniontoday@nytimes.com Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Contact Us If you have questions about your Times account, delivery problems or other issues, visit our Help Page or contact The Times. Continue reading the main story Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for the Opinion Today newsletter from The New York Times. To stop receiving these emails, unsubscribe or manage your email preferences. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018