When Hitler knew that the American athletes had left the ports of the East Coast headed the Berlin Games, he found excuse to refuse to all Jews Athletes to compete. Up to that day he had managed to show that he was not oppressing or discriminating against Jews.

The USA would have boycotted the games back then, cause the world's eyes were on Hitler. (Margaret Lambert see: http://www.hbo.com/hitlerspawn/

Now we didn't need proof that China has been extremely discriminating and murderous against Tibet and Chinese people themselves if they dare to dissent. Foreign journalists visiting Beijing had to sign endless docs promising not to talk to anyone or interview anybody. Chinese Taxi drivers couldn't be bald and had their words scripted. Until proven wrong, the Chinese government faked the women Gymnasts passports to get them to snatch the gold from other compliant nations. What is the result of that investigation, by the way?

Shame on them and Shame on the USA and specially Bush, for not boycotting the games. While people were cheering, innocent Tibetans or free Chinese spirits were beaten in prisons and killed.

People should open their eyes and see that the USA is simply dependent on China for its staggering foreign Debt, and thus sweeps Human rights under the carpet. Any American who brag for apparent freedom should revisit Reality and make a correction of their assessment.

The only freedom granted in both nations, is the freedom for large Corporations to enslave their brain washed people, and the free pass given by their governments to commit crimes, that go unaccounted for.

Now I lift every item I intend to purchase.. if it says made in China, I put it down again. Psst!... do something!

To that Monster John Krich who spread lies like manure on a field of more lies I say this: nice article (just kidding about the other stuff).

Would consist of 300 million Americans whipping themselves. Everyone gets a medal, then they donate them to brown people in poor countries. And it wouldn't be televised.

Perhaps Mr. Krich has been in Bangkok so long he's failed to notice that the U.S. no longer has any moral high ground upon which to stand. Per capita, the U.S. imprisons more people than China. Americans yap about Tibet but invaded Iraq, and the list goes on--Gitmo, extraordinary renditions, illegal domestic spying, etc.. As a self-described China watcher perhaps Mr. Krich should become an American watcher instead to get up to speed on moral high grounds. Did he not hear the snickering when Bush and Rice tried to chastise Putin for invading Georgia?

Dear John Krich:

I only watched the Olympics from my living room, but I could tell you completely missed the point of the Games.

No mention of the marvelous sprinter from Jamaica, Usain Bolt, who set three world records without hardly trying. No mentioned of Michael Phelps, the swimmer who bestrode the swimming competition like a Colossus. No mention of volleyball, or basketball, or gymnastics, all of which had their moments of high drama.

No, you spent two loooong paragraphs bitching about a massage you weren't happy with, and the rest of the article you complained about Chinese politics and various aspects of Chinese society.

And here's a classic line:

"Maybe I was too preoccupied getting from place to place, but it doesn't seem that these games yielded much in great athletic drama, either."

The games "didn't yield much in great athletic drama"? You were there, but you missed the whole thing. You spent the whole time bitching and kvetching and you missed one of the best Olympics ever.

You're an idiot.

Apparently he was justified, blame America, the Jews, etc etc etc

Just because a country has embraced Capitalism with such gusto, doesn't mean everything about it is going to change in 20-30 years. I lived in China in the late 80s and it was an amazing place. Not so hot on the restrictive, oppressive government, but there was much to like. There was also a very different way of doing things - a different world view. Back then as now you will find people who had an "amazing" time and those who considered it a "hardship post." It all depends on the perspective and what an individual actually experienced. It seems to me John Krich is a bit of a sensationalist - kicking everything up a notch or two to get a rise out of people. Well, there's a ton of journalism like that out there, isn't there? But here's my one big beef with Krich and every single American screaming about the injustice of China's government. Clean your own house first, then start worrying about other countries. Seriously. For Americans to constantly shoot off at the mouth about how horrible other governments are in the human rights department make me CRAZY. How are we in the human rights department? Iraq, anyone? We kicked their asses good, killed tons of people, screwed up their infrastructure and talk about how we're the "greatest nation on earth" and China is a human rights demon. Please. I'm not anti-American, I'm just tired of the hypocrisy.

"Still, the government could also use its newly gained self-assuredness to loosen the reins somewhat."

Yeah and they could use those quarter of a million cameras sold by GE to the Chinese to do an even better job of oppressing their people.

NBC and parent GE stockholders did great and the Chinese government got its much-desired seal of approval, so the marriage of global corpratocracy and dictatorship wins out again. The people of China? Well, the NFL starts soon and there will be another earthquake somewhere else for us to send some aid to, so why worry about them. NBC will run images of the latest disaster and give out helpful URLs and Fox will run football and we get to feel good about ourselves all over again.

...but that the fans were not as well catered to for mobility and ease of access to stadia...

Please understand that I am not, for a moment, saying "best Olympics EVAR!" or anything equally inane. There were, without question, things that could have been done better (like completing the original "Bird's Nest" design so the place wasn't such a hotbox; like better instructions to Beijing's fleet of cabs; etc).

But why is it that ALL of the Beijing blogs that I have seen, ALL of the Beijing expats I regularly drink with, and ALL of my personal experiences with venues and access are saying the exact opposite of some of the commentariat? I encourage you to do a web search of your own.

Is it because journalists expected pampering above and beyond the massive blocks of almost invariably vacant seating allocated for them at each and every venue?