Wotka World Wide

Monday, August 18, 2008

What price the Olympics?

How much of a price has China paid to stage the Olympics? The government has appeared heavy handed and uncaring, which is essentially the everyday state of affairs anyways. Really, it just seems like China is trying so hard to prove they can hang with the West. It is like a high school popularity contest for nations. Which is scary given the price they have paid to stage these games, estimated at over $50 billion. This is far more than was spent on the response to the devastating earthquake that killed thousands earlier this year in Sichuan, including the thousands of children that perished in poorly constructed government schools while most buildings withstood the shock. They have also had their totalitarian practices magnified for the world, which makes their sales pitch a little harder to take. It is like the Wizard of Oz: look at all the lights and smoke, pay no attention to the man behind the curtain. But the simple fact is no one can control the thoughts and desires of 1.3 billion people, no matter how many resources they commit to the purpose. Oh, but they are trying, with an estimated 30,000 internet monitors that spy on their fellow countrymen with impunity, such that an off the cuff comment on a web page about how things are run can land a person in jail with a night of beatings and interrogations to remind them to keep their thoughts to themselves, and then only if they are lucky. And the countless thousands of watchers that trail everyone of interest, which could be anyone. It will reach a point where half the nation is employed by the state to keep an eye on the other half.
But the world is watching, and China cannot truly advance as a nation until they open up. Check out this article in the Times Online, which details a number of the ridiculous and flagrantly wrong things that have occurred for these games to happen, and think about that while you get chills watching America win gold next time. It came with a price, and millions have paid it so we can get two weeks of good tv. I just hope it means that the nightmare that is China's government will cease to exist somewhat sooner as a result. China's leaders have high regard for honor, but it is obvious to everyone that they have shamed themselves to look advanced and sophisticated to a bunch of Westerners, and all the billions watching, including their own citizens, can see right through the facade.

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