Spectators of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing will take home precious memories of Usain Bolt winning the 100m and 200m dash in record time, Korea emerging as the team to beat in baseball, the glorious extra innings rule, and Michael Phelps winning 11 gazillion gold medals. Oh, and that guy running around the ball in the opening ceremony was pretty cool.
Now that the buzz of olympic ecstasy is starting to fade, the question remains: Was it worth it to bring the Olympics to Beijing? It sure was if you ask Jacques Rogge, who declared that the Olympics brought “unprecedented global scrutiny” to China. Rogge, congratulating the IOC’s efforts, declared that the “changes in China are obvious today,” and that “others will become apparent with time”.
Outside of a few fancy new stadiums, here are the changes: Approximately 2 million people displaced from their homes, leaving scores homeless. 200 protestors who chained themselves to their homes–including a 77 and 79 year old woman– deported to labour “re-education” camps. Other protesters beaten unconscious with electric batons. 150 Tibetans killed by police during a peaceful demonstration (warning: link graphic).
If Rogge and the IOC believe they indeed succeeded in opening a dialogue between China and the rest of the world, then they will have to answer questions such as “How is it that all 77 applications for protest permits were rejected and yet the IOC did nothing”? Rogge instead focused his efforts on critiquing Lightning Bolt’s celebration of his world record sprint.
The Chinese government and it’s lame apologists’ attempts to spin China’s denial of human rights in Tibet as pet project of meddlesome Euro-liberal activists and a bunch of terrorists was probably the most disturbing facet of China’s coming out party. The documentary “Leaving Fear Behind”, shot by a 34-year-old Tibetan film maker who has since ‘disappeared’, interviews Tibetans inside Tibet–risking their lives and livelihoods to tell their story–and gives a valuable insight into Tibetans’ views on the games. It also casts significant doubt on the validity of Rogge and the IOC’s claims about the Olympic legacy and its long term effect on China’s rights situation.
According to one monk: “If the 2008 olympic games take place, then they should stand for freedom and peace. As a Tibetan, I have neither freedom nor peace”.
5 responses so far ↓
1 Westbaystars // Aug 31, 2008 at 12:12 am
Rogge is just the latest in a long line of evolving “truthiness” that is taking over the globe. It all started with Microsoft, telling the world time and time again that it took security seriously and had fewer security flaws than any other operating system. (It turns out that they were only comparing to any previous Microsoft operating system.) They said it over and over again until someone would believe them. (Some of us still don’t.)
They then trained the Bush Administration on how to take a total blunder and pretend it never happened. By completely ignoring the problem, and not acknowledging it, Microsoft’s trainers claimed, it would just go away. And as you can tell, the Iraq War only lasted a month at most, paid for itself, Katrina showed how well the federal government could react to a natural disaster (didn’t the head of the organization get a medal?), etc., etc., etc.
What you pointed out Rogge doing with Bolt is another common Microsoft tactic. Instead of addressing your own problems, try to distract everyone to focus on something else. Microsoft is using proxies like SCO and others to create FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt) in the minds of decision makers regarding their only threat - the Free and Open Source Movement.
This is a practice that, if memory serves me, Bush Sr. liked to use. Around Christmas time, to get Americans’ minds off their own troubles, he’d throw a war party in South America or the Middle East to distract everyone and create this wonderful unity. Bush Jr. tried it and, while it worked to get him barely reelected, it eventually failed.
Is there an appeals process in the IOC? Does it work better than that of the ISO? There Microsoft rammed a 60,000 page “standard” through by hook and by crook, then the people Microsoft paid off decided that four legitimate appeals by member countries who actually tried to make Microsoft’s proposal work had no validity, without addressing a single issue in anything but circular logic.
Rogge doesn’t care about any of these issues. He’s going to continue to ignore them and get his big bonus for pulling off a wonderfully organized Olympiad that made record profits. No amount of evidence or logic works against these types of people. They play outside the bounds of logic - and morals.
The thing is, by watching the Olympics, you contributed to his success. You consumed it because you couldn’t resist it. Like you can’t resist the cheap products made by child labor in sweat shops. Like you can’t resist burning fossil fuels directly (in automobiles) and indirectly (home lighting and appliances). There are an endless number of atrocities that you are committing right now by any consumer action you take.
Does that mean that you should stop being a consumer of sports, cheep shoes, and gasoline? No. That’s not what I’m saying at all. If you want to do something, pick a battle and really fight it. Do something about it. The above article is something (the facts are well laid out - and I have not contradictory opinion), but it doesn’t rally me to pick up a torch and pitchfork and chase Rogge through the streets of Beijing.
You can probably tell what windmills I go after. If I had 1-man yen for every time I’ve heard, “Remember three years ago when you said that we shouldn’t go with ______ technology. I understand now. You were right.” then I’d be able to afford a new Mac Air. So I’m not really any better at spurring people on to change the world for the better and tackle a few windmills.
2 DJ // Sep 2, 2008 at 2:11 pm
Microsoft=Bush=the Chinese Communists. Yup. Makes sense to me.
3 Jackson // Sep 2, 2008 at 9:39 pm
I understand where Westbay-san is coming from. I think his point, as usual couched in Buddha like riddles, is that it should come as no surprise that those with the chance to abuse power will do so regardless of the overall detrimental affects, and Bush, Microsoft, and the Chinese Communist govt. share the similar quality of abusing power that could be better used to more egalitarian ends.
Furthermore, I think he’s insinuating that the only way to to deal with this is to pick your battles wisely.
Am I at least somewhat on track here?
4 Westbaystars // Sep 2, 2008 at 10:58 pm
Ah, Grasshopper shows great promise.
Translation: Yes, well on track.
While nowhere near as good a writer as Paul Grahm, my essays sometimes take on a life of their own, leading me to places I don’t even expect.
5 Westbaystars // Sep 2, 2008 at 10:59 pm
Spelling correction: Paul Graham.
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