When Red China, the Green Olympics, and the Yellow River Collide

Beneath all of the anticipation and hype about who will win the gold at the upcoming Summer Olympics in China, another more important contest is being waged. Like two lunging sumo wrestlers grappling for control, two powerful forces are hurtling towards each other on a collision course with destiny, scheduled to explode onto our TV and PC screens this August, and rated “R” for violence and around the world, personally armed with the most dangerous weapon ever used against China’s Communist Regime – the free and unfiltered truth about China captured on video.

Armed with tens of thousands of the latest media gadgets, these temporary guests stand poised to share with the world not only the truth of these Olympic Games, but more importantly, the truth about the Chinese people’s lifelong “Olympic” battle with their government over free-expression.

During the last Summer Olympics in 2004, it was considered cutting edge if a cell phone could capture a quality digital image. Four years later, cell phones and PDA’s now double as video cameras, catching action whenever and wherever it happens. Because of this, there’s a strong possibility that it won’t be the giant truck-mounted NBC cameras that catch the most interesting action this Olympiad, or even the 22,000 credentialed foreign journalists – it will be the YouTube downloads and the CNN iReports, from handheld devices in the capable hands of thousands of curious onlookers and uncredentialed citizen journalists. Whereas the host government can easily control the venues and primary locations to ensure there’s no “Peking”, the nooks and crannies and the alleys and streets will be impossible to completely control. What remains to be seen is which message will be more compelling – the sweet, or the sour?

Hello, Dalai
This summer’s Games will be another round in this wrestling match for control of information, and the resulting violence could run Olympic circles around Tiananmen Square, that bloody massacre viewed in full color in 1989, as Chinese tanks literally crushed civilians trying to exercise their freedom of expression. Who could forget that gripping scene as one demonstrator, perhaps only 5 feet tall, but standing much taller in the world’s eyes, boldly faced the approaching column of Chinese tanks, placing his very life on the line.

 

If I were Tibet on this one, I’d say that the chaos in the months leading up to the Olympics is only a foreshadowing of what the actual event has in store for us. Is it just me, or can you sense catastrophe is imminent when – even though France selected their speedy 400-meter sprinter champion Stephane Diagana to carry the torch - it was STILL put out THREE TIMES by protestors before it left Paris! Tensions in China are already on high alert due to recent religious conflicts, as the Chinese government now wants Tibetan Buddhist monks to denounce the Dalai Lama and accept the Chinese-appointed Panchen Lama.

In fact, the Tibet Daily Newspaper recently quoted Tibet’s very patriotic deputy Communist Party chief Han Peng as saying, “We should strengthen patriotic education so as to guide the masses of monks to continuously display the patriotic tradition and uphold the banner of patriotism.” I mean, I’ve heard of double-speak, but triple-speak?

Bad Air Days
Adding insult to injury will be a first hand view of the environmental atrocities being committed throughout China’s large cities and Olympic venues, and showcasing for the world the worst air pollution on the planet, responsible for over 656,000 deaths each year. Even after promising the world’s first “Green Olympics,” spending $12.2 Billion on 20 key projects, banning 300,000 heavy-polluting vehicles, and enforcing alternating driving days, the International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge has already gone on record as saying that, “Events lasting longer than an hour might have to be postponed on “bad air days.” In fact, with less than 100 environmentally friendly “Blue Sky Days” last year, several athletes have already dropped out of competition, including the world’s fastest marathoner Halle Gebrselassie, citing the suffocating smog, Singa-poor air quality, and Shang-high levels of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and smothering particulate matter (PM10).

It Takes An Olympic Village
If you thought the violent demonstrations in Paris or Tibet earlier this spring were disturbing, just wait until 08-08-08. I’m confident that at this very moment, numerous carefully orchestrated protests are being organized for maximum impact and visibility to the over 2 billion people expected to view these events. This might be the single best and last chance of their lifetimes to show the world the “true” China, and they won’t let this opportunity pass them by. Think about it. If you were a nation living under repression for 60 years, and your government invited the entire world over for a party, what would you do?

Unflattering stories are already leaking out, including one published recently where Beijing magazine vendor Liu Qifel noted that he had assumed the Olympics would bring real improvements to life in the city, but it hasn’t turned out that way. “Look at this street. The old buildings have been newly painted. The buildings facing the street have been decorated, but the buildings behind them are unchanged. I don’t like those façade projects because they are useless to our ordinary citizens.”

I believe that “façade” could very well become the central theme and buzzword for these entire Games, with the Chinese authorities suddenly in the crosshairs, given two probable, yet undesirable, choices, both of which will have them seeing Red. Either the Chinese government will attempt to lock down ALL communication, confiscating and/or neutralizing recording devices which may have captured unflattering footage OR the world will be flooded with the sights and sounds of human rights atrocities captured by the numerous digital eyewitnesses both at the Games, but even more importantly, across the Chinese nation as the world’s tourists and sports enthusiasts crisscross this most populous country on earth.

With the Great Wall of Silence broken, information and images will begin pouring out of China like a breached Missouri levy, and the “China Cabinet” (which is seldom used and mostly for show) will be forced to make apology after apology to explain away this embarrassing footage, and give new meaning to “Dancing Beijing” – which just so happens to be the official logo of these 2008 Olympics.

Somewhere buried in the founding Communist doctrine of China is the belief that if you give people a inch, they’ll take a mile. In fact, if you anagram the word “China”, it spells: “a inch.” Bad English, but you get the idea. Interestingly, you can also rearrange the letters of the word “China” to spell “Chain,” a haunting reminder of what that country has fastened around its citizens as they continue their 60 year struggle against their government’s Sumo grip on the freedoms that we in the USA take for granted.

So what will it be? Broken records? Broken recordings? Or broken dreams?

On the Chinese calendar, 2008 is the Year of the Rat, and by the end of the Summer Games, the entire world may smell it. China wanted to host the Olympics to show how far they’ve come. Beware what you wish for.

Comments

[Itsjustal:]

Interesting article....

My thought is that we are watching the collision between communism and capitalism, and that with time, capitalism will win. The Olympics are good for the average Chinese citizen. They will mix with folks who do not suffer from a true lack of rights.

As the Chinese middle class grows and becomes educated, they will want the same liberties that others enjoy to compliment their growing wealth.

Everything takes time. Give it another couple of decades, and perhaps we might see China evolve into the world's foremost democracy while the U.S. evolves into a second tier socialist state.

Who knows today?

Again, I think it was a good article highlighting issues that China faces. It offers good food for thought.

The prior poster indicates that China is a great place to invest. It is at that. Tumult breeds opportunity.

2008 Aug 01 09:26 AM

[chennian:]

I'm just amazed by how Westerners think about China. My impressions is Westerners have too much free time to meditate over something they don't understand. But I'm sure very shortly Westerners may have to spend more time to think about the problems they face.

2008 Aug 01 09:38 AM

[Itsjustal:]

I am amazed at the ethnocentricity and veiled threats made by some Easterners when confronting frank appraisals of their circumstances. China's centralized system of government will not stand the tests of capitalism combined with the growing demand for liberty. These conflicts may create bigger problems for China than the West faces in coming decades unless China's central government yields to the desires of its people. How about that, Mr. Chen?

In the meantime, let's all agree that China is a great place to invest until such time as civil war erupts. (Okay, I agree that I'm stretching it here....)

2008 Aug 01 09:50 AM

[self-righteous:]

What another master piece of self-centered and self righteous confirmation bias, what can I say, bravo! How ridiculous that the author even played the English word "China", while Chinese people probably don't even care about how “China” is spelled in English since most of them don’t speak English.

It is true that Chinese people have been abused for centuries, pretty much by everybody, Japanese, British, Russian, French, Chinese, …, and of course, USA (the United Saints of America, like the author himself). It is sad, but who knows, because of an abused past, an average Chinese might consider Chinese government the lesser of the two evils compared to genocide level foreign invasions and ruthless interferences. To an average Chinese today, the feeling might be: What have other governments really done for us, or, to us? Talk is cheap, and self-righteous preaching is nothing but annoying. Do they really care about the well-being of Chinese people? When they earthquake in Sichuan killed almost 100,000 people, what did they do to truly help the suffering people?

Some folks need to teach themselves the "true" history and the horrible things that so called "civilized" nations did to other "salvage" nations to "enlighten" them, in order to understand, why most Chinese people, as an abused child, are OK or even support the current Chinese government. There are 1.3 billion Chinese, why would the author and the others think that the very few angry and disgruntled Tibetan exiles speak the so called "TRUTH" for 1.3 billion? Most of their families were ruling slave masters before 1959, of course they would cry out loud no matter what changes have taken place in Tibet after 59, for better or worse.

By the way, about the brave lone man standing in front of the tanks, undoubtedly, what happened in TianAnMen Square in 89 was a total tragedy. So, let us just focus on this famous footage itself, if the solders didn't care at all, they could have run down the man without hesitation instead of trying to maneuvering around the guy all the time in the footage. If the author had time, I would suggest him to watch the documentary “TianAnMen” (The Gate of Heavenly Peace).

2008 Aug 01 12:09 PM

[Itsjustal:]

"Self-righteous" forgets that the student bravely facing down the tanks in Tianamen Square was never heard from again...nor were those students crushed to death by the same tank squadrons.

Sooner or later as rank and file Chinese enjoy the fruits of their capitalist labors, that lingering memory of brave students will ignite the growing clamor for more personal rights and liberty. Hopefully, the ruling party will see the wisdom in listening to the people from whom their true political power is derived. It will become an anachronism in a couple of more decades, I think, unless it evolves, too. Change from its current system of governance is inevitable.

In the meantime, let's all watch China grow itself economically through its use of smart thinking and very hard work. I think the period from about 1992 until ???? will mark China's modern Golden Age. For an outside observer like me, this already is a remarkable period in geopolitical history, and I hope for the very best for all of China.

2008 Aug 01 01:42 PM

[Stone.cn:]

I believe the author has never been to China, or even any place in Asia. But that's OK and that's why he wrote this article.

As he said, let's just wait 08-08-08 together and see through the "eyes" of hundreds of thousands of foreigners' in China. I don't think Mr. Douglas J. O'Bryon will see the show he "would like" to see, though.

2008 Aug 01 02:25 PM

[notsosmart:]

i have been to china. a total mixed bag.the govt doesnt really care about its people. does the u.s. govt?they want to be the #1 world power & they dont care how they do it. lets see how they act after the olympics.not too many remember the pre war olympics in germany & the prestige it gave hitler.well only 55 million died in ww2.this place is still a communist dictatorship & you can invest your money there if you feel confident about this.

2008 Aug 01 04:38 PM

[lonie:]

Lots of people have been to China ;on vacation for two weeks ensconced at a five star hotel and having their ' ass wiped ' come out thinking they know all about it .

Go live there for 10 years ,rustle for yourself ,go to the back country , not to the tourist traps then you will have a small but real perspective of it.

In general it is a hell of a lot better than most of the writing i read about it. Most of you got your info about it from the Boob Tube in America.

As far as corruption ; i think it may be about on par with America.

2008 Aug 01 08:39 PM

[wok-king:]

In the mid-19th century, the British FORCED opium on the Chinese, then they collaborated with the Germans, the French, Italians, Dutch, the Americans, among others to enforce unequal treaties as a way of carving up China like a watermelon. Followed by the Japanese thirst for expansion and the famous Rape of Nanking during WW II, it is no wonder that the the people sought to unify the country. The good and bad of Chairman Mao's reign during the period 1949-1976 is history; but how the present and future leadership sets the vision for China will certainly be influenced by the taste of economic growth, the rising middle class, and the acclimation to what's happening in the world outside the bamboo curtain. Remember, our country was established as a Republic and it has taken fine-tuning over the course of the past two centuries bring us to today.

2008 Aug 03 12:00 AM