Can we talk about China, please? Raise your hands, how many of you had a problem with China prior to oooh, two months ago? OK, OK, duly noted.
OK, and, now, how many of you realised suddenly that you had a problem with those dirty commies taking over the good and pure and democratic Olympics about a month or two ago when the news bulletins started announcing that? Exactly.
You know, this country has no call to have a problem with China- not when we're asking them to make our clothes, and, hell, every single other thing that isn't made in Pakistan or Mexico instead. We get a kick out of contributing to their booming economy and love it when they have the highest GDP. We must, right? Because we keep supporting the companies who do their business over there!
But, no, that's not the problem with China, the fact that we've got no problem supporting their business compromises. No, China is evil, because, well, they're commies, now, aren't they? China was so much better off under that feudal system they had beforehand. Or, well, really, when the English came in, that's where China needed to be, that's when everything was going so well, until that pesky uprising of the Harmonious Fists. It's a really screwed up country, and that's thanks to the West, mostly (as you know if you know your Chinese history).
I just don't get it. What call has America got to act like China's having the Olympics is some cosmic accident? The last two times they were in this country, they were in Salt Lake and freaking Atlanta. If you want to talk about culterally backwards...
So what if they had a little girl sing to a recording of the national anthem? So what if they're "bribing" people to attend the Olympics in order to fill seats? The latter happens in America all the time- they're called comp tickets, and, you know, it's good business, actually. And, when they sang the anthem, there were people singing *besides* the little kid. It's not like here in the US where they pay some celebrity and everyone else sits and watches. The Chinese people actually sang their anthem with the kid, you could hear it.
It seems to me that people are being picky about things that just don't matter. And coming from me, that statement should resonate, because I am certainly guilty of it. As long as we make it through without a hostage situation, and no one gets bombed, it won't be the worst Olympics ever. Heck, they didn't even do anything tasteless like display a desecrated flag (I'm looking at you 2002 Winter Olympics).
There are plenty of other countries who could not have handled this challenge or responsibility. China, for all that we differ, is obviously not one of them. Now, if they should decide to hold the 2016 Olympics in Madagascar, or the Congo, the world must either be a much different place, or there might be legitimate reasons for objection.
If the only reason you have a problem with the Olympics in China is because you've been told you need to have a problem, please, shut up. If you genuinely have a problem with China's practices and way of running their government and doing business, please, I hope you don't shop at Wal-Mart. But, tell your local government representatives that you don't support the way our government does business with China. Do something besides make fun of the Olympics.