This misery brought to you by: the Beijing Olympics.

[riverdeep]

The Olympic ceremony starts in two days, some coverage has already started in certain sports- soccer is on as I'm typing. Will this be the most controversial of all recent Olympics, or will the controversies float away in a haze of corporate and feel-good manipulation?

To refresh your memory on some of the controversies:

Crushing dissent:


(Hu and Zeng, holding China's littlest dissident)

Hu was dragged away on charges of subverting state power (for videotaping) while Zeng (arrested for blogging) was bathing their newborn daughter, Qianci. Telephone and Internet connections to the apartment were severed. Mother and daughter are now under house arrest. Qianci, barely 2 months old, is probably the youngest political prisoner in China.

"Before Olympic Games, China quells dissent"
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/01/29/asia/29dissident.php

Confiscating farmers lands without compensation:

(from same article)

Last year, Hu became involved in the case of Yang Chunlin, the former factory worker who organized the "We Want Human Rights, Not the Olympics" petition drive as part of an effort to help local farmers seek legal redress over confiscated land.

"Animal Control", Chinese Style:


(last year, it was dogs)

Thousands of pet cats in Beijing are being abandoned by their owners and sent to die in secretive government pounds as China mounts an aggressive drive to clean up the capital in preparation for the Olympic Games.

Hundreds of cats a day are being rounded and crammed into cages so small they cannot even turn around.

Then they are trucked to what animal welfare groups describe as death camps on the edges of the city.

"Olympics clean-up Chinese style: Inside Beijings shocking death camp for cats"
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-528694/Olympics-clean-Chinese-style-Inside-Beijings-shocking-death-camp-cats.html


Evicting undesirables:


(see no evil- what bicyclists will see as they pass by)

The city has bullied her to leave. One night last year, a bulldozer slammed into the building. Neighbors are paid to keep watch over her, and they notify the police when she has guests. Ms. Sun said officials pressed her doctor into refusing to give her care.

Her building is falling apart. The government, for the sake of appearances, has put up scaffolding with green netting around it. As the runners pass her home in August, it will be easy for spectators to miss the posters, begging for help, taped to the door.

"Before Guests Arrive, Beijing Hides Some Messes"
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/29/sports/olympics/29beijing.html?_r=1&pagewanted=2&th&emc=th&oref=slogin

And many others, including of course, Tibet (although not directly related to hosting the Olympics).

It has been suggested that with the world's attention on China, it will be forced to deal with its problems. However, Amnesty International says that human rights abuses have stepped up as a result of the games and the games are continuing:

A recent report by the human rights advocacy group Amnesty International found that Chinese officials have stepped up their persecution of followers of the outlawed Falun Gong spiritual movement, and detained rural petitioners seeking redress on a range of political issues.

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/267/story/46395.html

All of this leads to a roundabout question, will you be watching and does the political situation enter into your decision or can you compartmentalize the athletics as pure and 'rising above' mere politics? Lastly, do you think the focus on China in the next few weeks will help or hurt (more than it has) China's weakest and most vulnerable?

[SIMPLYB1980]

1. It's horrible, but it's kinda hard for me to criticize another country

until we stop occupying the middle east. I want to be mad at China for what they are doing, I just can't bring myself to do that until we get our shit together. I will watch the olympics for the athletes not for the countries they represent.

[riverdeep]

2. I hear ya.

I'm conflicted about it myself. America as a whole is in little shape to point fingers after the Human Disaster we enabled the last eight years. But...I don't support this administration and never have. Not from day one. If I could not pay taxes and have that mean something (have half the population join me) other than just another schmuck sent to prison for tax evasion, I would. It would've been the only way to stop them, because Lord knows the Dems didn't. So personally I don't feel as bound in recognizing and pointing out evil, theirs or ours.

[SIMPLYB1980]

3. Yep it's a sad state we find ourselves in.

Still it's good to be informed about what is happening around the world and in our own country. I'm glad that people are out their trying to keep us informed about all the underhanded things that all governments around the world are involved in. Now if only "we the people" could do something about it.

[peace13]

4. Unfortunately America has lowered the bar so far that cats in a cage ...well?

We have rounded up humans, stuffed them in cages and piled them naked without so much as a peep from our citizens.

[AmyCamus]

5. Taiwan, Tiananmen, and Tibet...

...it's more than just cats.

[riverdeep]

6. It's covered under here:

"And many others, including of course, Tibet (although not directly related to hosting the Olympics)."

The post was getting pretty long as it was- I just did a snapshot. Anyway, any plans on watching?

[riverdeep]

7. An incident involving the intersection between politics and sport has already taken place,

even before the ceremonies begin:

"BEIJING (Reuters) - Four U.S. cyclists who arrived in Beijing for the Games wearing masks to counter bad air have apologized to Olympic officials and the Chinese people."

"American cyclists apologize for masks"
http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSPEK33436220080806

So these bicyclists come in to Beijing wearing masks, fearing for their bread and butter-their lungs, and get photographed as an oddity. Word is the Chinese get insulted, because that indicates to the world that their city might be polluted-which it is-and the cyclists apologize. Many athletes that can afford it are staying out of China completely, residing in South Korea for example, and flying in at the last minute.