We should have known.
When the Chinese were awarded the Olympics, I feared that China, instead of loosening up on their power for 2 weeks, would only tighten it. An international event only lends more pressure to do everything right, to make the best appearance to an international audience. China would likely face many protesters and ample opportunity to suppress speech (and worse).
I confess that I’ve never quite understood how granting the Chinese the Olympics would somehow push China a little closer toward democracy. Apparently the Chinese Communists were not given that memo.
Thus many of the events linked below: the human rights violations, the increased internet censorship, the alleged cheating of Chinese gymnasts, the cruel substitution of a Chinese singer for a lip syncing girl deemed more “pretty,” the fireworks in the opening ceremony that were partly computer generated, strike me as the tip of the iceberg.
US News: Preparing for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, China’s Authorities Go After Human-Rights Advocates By Paul Mooney
EpochTimes: Part of Olympics Fireworks Display Faked By Samuel Spencer
Cover Up as Beijing Olympic Dancer Crippled in Fall By Xin Fei and Jason Loftus
AFP: Olympic child singing star was a fake: ceremony director
Telegraph: Beijing Olympics: Faking scandal over girl who ’sang’ in opening ceremony
CNN: Report: China human rights have not improved
AP: 8 Activists Detained After Olympics Protest — 8 Tibet activists detained after protest near Olympic venue, British journalist seized By AUDRA ANG
HRIC: Human Rights Situation in China Worsens as Bush Calls for a More Open Society
BBC: China rights ‘worsen with Games’
Edinburgh News: China ‘betraying’ Olympics with human rights violations
State-media story fuels questions on gymnast’s age By JOHN LEICESTER
ESPN: Earlier state media report listed gymnast He’s age as 13
In regard to human rights violations, where are the protesters of 2003 who marched the streets against the invasion of Saddam Hussein’s Iraq?
Where are protesters who condemn President Bush very vociferously for G-Bay and Abu Ghraib?
Where are the Hollywood actors and actresses and various other media whores making public appearances in protest?
Perhaps they’re protesting the invasion of Georgia by Vladimir “KGB” Putin? Ha, of course not. Protest Mother Russia?
Filed under: Crazy liberals , 2008, age, Beijing, censorship, China, Chinese, Communism, free press, free speech, gymnast, human rights, human rights violations, internet, Olympics, passport, rights, Tibet
“I confess that I’ve never quite understood how granting the Chinese the Olympics would somehow push China a little closer toward democracy. Apparently the Chinese Communists were not given that memo.”
Well, it worked in Seoul, I guess that was the hope for China too. But admittedly, south korea was at that time more open than China is now, so I think that hope was a bit optimistic.