address human rights and accept accords with the United States over global issues. 160 Further, in light of correspondence between the administration and Soviet human rights groups, the U.S. government sought to boycott the Olympic Games. Although this is regarded as a stance against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, a memorandum from Brzezinski to Carter shows that in the lead up to the games the Soviet authorities had ‘launched a tough, intensive crackdown against human rights organizations…in a long term effort to impose political conformity, but also part of a specific, pre-Olympic “vigilance” campaign’. 161 The government, therefore, was well aware of human rights violations and consequently, ‘participation in the Moscow Olympics… would also have the effect of ignoring a major…crackdown against human rights activists.’ 162 The boycott openly exposed the Soviet internal issues and developed the United States as a morally aware state by refusing to participate. In the struggle to win hearts and minds of countries around the world, Carter’s human rights policies challenged the Soviet Union in an area that affected all. For people under oppressive leadership it sought to enlighten and embolden them against such rule. For nations that were seeking aid from communist or capitalist countries it identified potential issues that could be thrust upon them if they followed a communist path. In turn, this strategy meant the U.S. could combat communism through words rather than actions while attempting to promote the administration’s regionalist ideals that would allow for global independence. 160 ibid. p.634. 161 Zbigniew Brzezinski to Jimmy Carter, NSC Weekly Report #144, June 6, 1980 p.2. 162 ibid.,p.3.
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