Trouble in Chinatown
"River water and well water don't mix." - Chinese Proverb
The Olympic torch relay has become a stage for protests and rowdy displays oft saved for the drunken aftermath of sports games.
This is what troubles me.
China isn't exactly known for its (edit: good) human rights record. If we've seen this kind of protests on the 2 (and certainly, the San Francisco stop will be like to follow London and Paris) stops thus far, can we expect more of the same in the 70-something stops to be made on the torch's tour in China?
I hope not. Because when a big, bad country cracks down on people in a harsh way - especially when those people are citizens of other countries - it makes for bad politics, and makes those countries unhappy.
Unhappy countries can do unhappy things.
Honestly, I believe in the Olympic spirit... And I don't think politics should taint it. But when it does, if war (not so far-fetched as it sounds) threatens, well. The Olympic spirit and the human-rights crackdown that is often associated with China, and even war, are incompatible.
I'm just waiting for Jesse Owens to show up and defeat the Master Race. I'm not sure how that is going to happen.
Anyway.
I digress.
The Olympic torch relay has become a stage for protests and rowdy displays oft saved for the drunken aftermath of sports games.
This is what troubles me.
China isn't exactly known for its (edit: good) human rights record. If we've seen this kind of protests on the 2 (and certainly, the San Francisco stop will be like to follow London and Paris) stops thus far, can we expect more of the same in the 70-something stops to be made on the torch's tour in China?
I hope not. Because when a big, bad country cracks down on people in a harsh way - especially when those people are citizens of other countries - it makes for bad politics, and makes those countries unhappy.
Unhappy countries can do unhappy things.
Honestly, I believe in the Olympic spirit... And I don't think politics should taint it. But when it does, if war (not so far-fetched as it sounds) threatens, well. The Olympic spirit and the human-rights crackdown that is often associated with China, and even war, are incompatible.
I'm just waiting for Jesse Owens to show up and defeat the Master Race. I'm not sure how that is going to happen.
Anyway.
I digress.