It’s going to be a rocky Summer Games for the Chinese. I hope no one is going to die due to the protests, but given China’s low tolerance for demonstrations, it seems likely that a lot of political prisoners will be the result of the 2008 Olympic games. As the games have shifted from the Olympic spirit to the corporate spirit, I have to wonder if the shimmering shine is coming off of the Olympic “brand”. Are the Chinese games going to be a tipping point that changes how the world perceives China, or how it views the International Olympic Committee?
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Louise | 07-Apr-08 at 8:54 am | Permalink
I don’t know about the corporate business, but they have always been political. Frankly, I think they’ve been pretty much of a farce for a very long time. Performance enhancing drugs. Political statements. You name. I haven’t detected much of an “Olympic Spirit” in them, ever.
JimBobby | 08-Apr-08 at 6:31 am | Permalink
Whooee! The torch run’s just gettin’ started. There will be more protests as it goes all around the world.
The IOC selected Beijing over Toronto. They must have expected some of this sort of trouble. Perhaps, buoyed by ping-pong diplomacy from 40 years back, they thought the Olympics would revolutionize China’s human rights record. The modern games have always been about politics. Witness Jesse Owens in 1936 and the black power salutes of 1968.
China is the worst of the worst when it comes to human rights. I’m glad to see the games are shedding some light this trading partner whose ass Canada and the US have kissed unceasingly for the past decade or more. Torture, execution and forced relocations are the norm for political dissenters in China. Luckily, China doesn’t police the streets where the torch will be carried.
JB