Letters to the Editor
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China's bad omen
On the giant screen, they saw only some heroic images of Olympics past, and the regrettable performance of a cheesy cover band, wearing goofy outfits and wigs, singing "Ice Ice Baby."
An invocation of the spirit of Vanilla Ice -- not a good omen for the Chinese, considering what happened to Vanilla Ice after the song made the charts. First he was forced to give credit to David Bowie and Queen for the bass line, then he had beef with Suge Knight -- yikes!! -- over the lyrics.
Finally, in the ultimate diss, Beavis and Butthead refused to comment on the video, merely turning off their TV in horror.
Perhaps that's what many politically conscious viewers will do when the Beijing Olympics broadcast as well.
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Free Speech zones?
Gavin Newsom spent weeks telling people he wasn't going to restrict protesters to constitutionally-suspect "free speech zones." Then he secretly created one giant one in Justin Herman Plaza. Away from the action. Away from the news cameras. I am outraged.
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Let's see what they do in BA
I hear it's gonna be crazy. The fellas down under can really throw massive demonstrations when they feel like it. In any case it's a long and painful walk of shame for the Chinese government thugs. I mean what did they expect? flowers and candies? the olympic torch world tour has turned into a global exercise in police brutality. How fitting.
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Chinese-Americans? Really?
I wasn't at the San Francisco Olympic torch protests, so I'm not an eye witness, but I would question Mieszkowski's claims that "Chinese-Americans" came out in full-force. If I take the term to mean those who were either born here or came here when quite young, I would safely venture that this generation of Chinese-Americans are pro-everywhere else except China. I can't picture an American-born person of Chinese descent being against Tibetan independence. That said, I would assume most of the people on the pro-China side today were probably from China, and consider themselves Chinese, with strong ties to China, even if they've lived here for decades.
If there is a group of Chinese-Americans (US born) who are pro-Chinese government, then write in, and call me crazy.
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What a fiasco
The fiasco is not the expected security fiasco but a public relations fiasco.
I know it's just beating a dead horse after all these years, but the public were today subjected to a government disinformation campaign that the media simply disseminated. "Here's the route. Here are the best spots. Make sure you take public transportation. It'll be an historical day, with tens of thousands cheering."
King Kaufman makes the good point elsewhere that this is less than a victory for the perpetrators of this fraud - San Francisco, Olympics, China, and not least, the local media. The torch relay had to run away from not only the people that went to protest but also the people that came to cheer. And this is a PR event? It all seems rather shameful. Not a shame, but shameful.
On my way into SF on the train this morning, I saw many people who were obviously going to the ceremonies, and most of the ones I saw probably to cheer. But Gavin Newsom, Willie Brown, and the others responsible basically stuck a finger in their eye. If I were these fans, I would be mad as hell that not only was I (unavoidably) subjected to a political conflict I may not have cared to be part of, I didn't even get to see the damned torch after all that, I was lied to, and they wasted my time basically canceling this event for expediency.
And if (as according to some reports) I were bused in from far afield to support the Chinese cause and then the symbol (for the moment) of that cause, the torch, ran away frightened from protest, I would feel just a little bit more betrayed - yet another instance where "the people" are asked to make a sacrifice while the powerful enjoy their rights (no doubt the Chinese consul was clued in about the real route in plenty of time).
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re: ajournalistically apolitical
Predictably CCTV9 reported today on the crowds of thousands in San Francisco that greeted the Olympic torch relay with screen images of plenty of waving red flags to fill the screen.
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Letters so far miss the subtext
The letters posted so far miss the subtext of the article. China is running the torch around the world like no prior host has done. This is an assertion of China's ascendancy as a world power. Know what else is an assertion of Chinese power? The Burmese junta can blow off the outside world because China backs them and no one is able to do anything about it. The Sudanese regime can blow off the outside world because China backs them and no one is able to do anything about it. Unmentioned in this article is that China is also supporting the Cambodian government as it becomes more of a dictatorship and ignores calls for reform. China occupies Tibet and again, no one is able to do anything about it.
And we're worried about Muslim fundamentalists?
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I love a parade...
Moving the parade to an undisclosed location is deeply ironic. It’s a funny thing to be trundling a torch about for droves of spectators to see, without them there to see it.
The other great irony is that China has been very vocal about not wanting the Olympics to be ‘used’ as a political event. At the same time, they have extended the torches tour to its longest journey in history, in order to tout their arriving as a nation of world class status in the twenty first century. What could possibly be more political than that? But being a nation of world class status in the twenty-first century involves more than hosting a series of games, or an increasing amount of wealth. It involves respecting human freedom and dignity, freedom of speech, religious expression, the rights of workers, and the treatment of the environment. Many athletes are not arriving in Beijing until the last possible moment, for fear of breathing the air. Then there are the sheer number of people China imprisons and kills each year, not to mention its various exports of lead-paint ridden children’s toys, poisonous pet-food and toxic tooth-paste.
I was pleased to see Nancy Pelosi’s house resolution today condemning China’s actions in Tibet, which passed by a vote along the lines of 413 to 1. I was also heartened to see Hillary Clinton’s call to boycott the opening ceremonies. That Gavin Newsom has so little faith in his citizens to assemble for the peaceful expression of their views is deeply troubling. As the alleged progressive mayor of a progressive city, his actions are better suited to the autocratic workings of governments like China’s. Newsom strikes me as little more than a philandering glad-hander, squelching the voices of dissent in his capitulation to whatever pressures. So the torch gets put out. Boo hoo.
If China imagines the world will turn a blind eye to its dirty laundry and stand humbly in blind Olympic awe, it has made a major miscalculation. China has crafted its hosting of the games into one of the most blatantly managed pieces of political propaganda in history, and its authors aren’t winning any medals.