Log In | Register
JACK HUANG
Knowledge is but a means to insight.
Articles Posted: 15; Links Seeded: 272
Member Since: 11/2005Last Seen: 11/28/2009
Member Since: 11/2005Last Seen: 11/28/2009
5 Votes
13 Comments
True or False: China Is Fit to Play Host
News Type: Event — Seeded on Mon Aug 4, 2008 10:23 AM EDT
Article Source: The New York Timesadvertisement
Four years ago, as I rode into Beijing for the first time, the poplar trees along the airport expressway struck me as a false and futile gesture...
Will conditions be healthy enough for the athletes? Now we are getting to the difficult part. From up close, the answer seems to be that the air probably shouldn't be too bad — if traffic restrictions succeed in keeping half of the three million private cars off the streets, if factories do curb production, if construction digging does halt on schedule, if the wind blows from the north instead of the industrial south and southeast.
But that's only one small part of the underlying, animating question (or problem): is China fit to host the Summer Olympics? For some segments of the West, it can be answered by a simple syllogism: the Olympics are good. China is bad. China should not host the Olympics.
Published to:
- Jack Huang's Column, All of Newsvine
- Groups: Old viners, Olympics, Political Analysis, Young Viners
- Regions: New York
- Public Discussion (13)
- Old viners
- Olympics
- Political Analysis
- Young Viners
What's this?
Who's leading the conversation?
This visualization below allows you to see the impact that each user
has on the current conversation.
The top row contains the group of users who have had the most impact, the 2nd
row the group of users who have had the 2nd most impact (et cetera).
Users with similar impact are grouped together, and the average score of the group
is shown to the left of the group. The author of the article is also shown on the
left, in their corresponding group.
Each user's score is based on the number of comments the user has made plus the
number of votes their comments have received. The scores are calculated relative
one another, so while their absolute value is not particularly important, their
relative difference does indicate a larger difference in impact on the conversation.
9.9
2.7
{"commentId":2360265,"authorDomain":"sphinx"}
I think there are quite a number of good, incisive points in this editorial. Here's a highlight:
Much of the argument about Beijing deals with the question of whether politics has a place at the Olympics or not. The human-rights protesters — or, if you prefer, the splittists of the Dalai clique — propose that the Beijing Games can be a platform for criticism of China, along the lines of the celebrated Black Power salutes at the 1968 Games. Yet on the medal stand in Mexico City, John Carlos and Tommie Smith were largely protesting their own country's injustices, not their hosts'. This point becomes more relevant in light of the fact that 10 days before those Olympics, the Mexican authorities sent tanks and troops into a public square to quash pro-democracy protests, slaughtering hundreds of demonstrators. With the peace secured, the Games went on.
It seems that quite a large number of people are calling for making the Olympics the world's largest soapbox for railing against political disagreements with China. It seems extremely unlikely that similar lobbies were created for every past Games (indeed, I can remember nothing of the sort), and it would serve those people well to remember the history of the Olympic Games, not only in terms of laying down international animosity for the sake of competitive camaraderie, but in terms of the political tumult which has surrounded many a Game without managing to disrupt such Games.
Of course, there are those who protest the Games, yet claim to care for the athletes, but more often than not, such care extends only as far as their own self-effacing desire to protest, as if shrill protest were but a natural, inevitable, and entirely unavoidable result of having the Olympics in such a dastardly place as China. What a wonderful way to avoid the responsibility of self-control.
{"commentId":2360265,"threadId":"325409","contentId":"1719380","authorDomain":"sphinx"}
- 1 vote
#1 - Mon Aug 4, 2008 10:45 AM EDT{"commentId":2363631,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}
Jack - Are you unaware of how much politics has played a role in past games, from the clenched fist of black Americans in the 72 (or was it 68?) Olympics to the debates about Taiwan's role and black South African's absence from the 1960 Olympics (as described in my interview here)?
And who can forget the Olympics in Nazi germany? I think politics has always been a part of the Olympics.
It seems extremely unlikely that similar lobbies were created for every past Games (indeed, I can remember nothing of the so
Au contraire one thing I learned from reading this book was just how much lobbying took place before the 1960 Olympics, from South Africa (they wanted the Olympics to take a stand on racism in South Africa, not to mention the lobbying by both Taiwan and China.
The trickier questions are whether a) politics can really be separated from international sports (I would argue it can't) and b) if athletes actions can address or should address said politics. Was there ever a better indictment to hitler's Nazi master race theroy than Jessie Owens kicking nazi ass?
{"commentId":2363631,"threadId":"325409","contentId":"1719380","authorDomain":"sbutki"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":2365826,"authorDomain":"sphinx"}
Jack - Are you unaware of how much politics has played a role in past games, from the clenched fist of black Americans in the 72 (or was it 68?) Olympics to the debates about Taiwan's role and black South African's absence from the 1960 Olympics (as described in my interview here)?
I'm honestly not aware of the specifics, but I'm aware of political activism as part of Olympics history. However, as the seeded article notes, such activism has rarely been focused on the host country.
Au contraire one thing I learned from reading this book was just how much lobbying took place before the 1960 Olympics, from South Africa (they wanted the Olympics to take a stand on racism in South Africa, not to mention the lobbying by both Taiwan and China.
Fair enough. I've read nothing specifically about Olympic history, and the earliest Olympics I personally remember is Barcelona.
However, there was certainly lobbying about stances and such, but again, such lobbying was rarely directly and specifically critical of the host country.
{"commentId":2365826,"threadId":"325409","contentId":"1719380","authorDomain":"sphinx"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":2366776,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}
However, there was certainly lobbying about stances and such, but again, such lobbying was rarely directly and specifically critical of the host country.
Wasn't one reason for the boycott of the Olympics in Russia because of Russia itself?
also I thought there was some hesitancy about attending the olympics in Germany during Hitler's rein.
{"commentId":2366776,"threadId":"325409","contentId":"1719380","authorDomain":"sbutki"}
{"commentId":2360436,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}
{"commentId":2361144,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}
Jack, I'm clipping this to my column so more people will see it and to remind myself to come back later and leave some, hopefully, thoughtful comments.
{"commentId":2361144,"threadId":"325409","contentId":"1719380","authorDomain":"sbutki"}
#3 - Mon Aug 4, 2008 12:30 PM EDT{"commentId":2362695,"authorDomain":"dungbeetlemania"}
I used to be all for protest, but now I am not so sure any more. It seems ageing really does temper one :)
You should add your own poll to get the Vine's answer to the question in the headline.
{"commentId":2362695,"threadId":"325409","contentId":"1719380","authorDomain":"dungbeetlemania"}
- 2 votes
#4 - Mon Aug 4, 2008 3:14 PM EDT{"commentId":2367348,"authorDomain":"isaacs"}
China deserves to have the Games. Of this I am sure. The question is how much politics should grandstand at the Games. Simply because I am against censorship I think that China's attempts to control how the Games are reported should be subverted. However, if one wants to make a point, they should focus on depriving China of its national goals, the chief one being to win the overall medal count. The United States should strive to win the medal count simply to make a point. The Games have always been viewed as a competition between differing political systems all the way back to Athens & Sparta squaring off. It's no different now so cheer your political ambitions accordingly.
{"commentId":2367348,"threadId":"325409","contentId":"1719380","authorDomain":"isaacs"}
- 3 votes
#5 - Tue Aug 5, 2008 2:16 AM EDT{"commentId":2381327,"authorDomain":"sphinx"}
However, if one wants to make a point, they should focus on depriving China of its national goals, the chief one being to win the overall medal count. The United States should strive to win the medal count simply to make a point.
I think the modern games have very much de-emphasized medal competitions as a mini-war of political systems. Rather, especially noting the cross-pollination of training grounds, coaches, etc. that occurs in the more traditional, highly competitive sports (swimming, gymnastics, track, etc.), the idea of the medal rat race in this Olympics being a symbolic battle of politics seems somewhat... obsolete.
{"commentId":2381327,"threadId":"325409","contentId":"1719380","authorDomain":"sphinx"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":2382654,"authorDomain":"isaacs"}
In the popular sports I think you're right Jack. However, according to this story, the Chinese govt wants to win in sports that aren't traditionally popular in hopes to win the medal count. If I had to guess by governing philosophy, that would be represented as a success of the Chinese people rallying together under the govt banner as one. Since that is a domestic political goal of the Chinese govt, I think we should do our best to actively frustrate that out of love for competition at the very least and schadenfraude at best. ;-)
{"commentId":2382654,"threadId":"325409","contentId":"1719380","authorDomain":"isaacs"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":2383228,"authorDomain":"sphinx"}
However, according to this story, the Chinese govt wants to win in sports that aren't traditionally popular in hopes to win the medal count.
True. I was actually rather surprised at that. I was always of the impression that they cared about individual medal hauls from the blockbuster events.
Since that is a domestic political goal of the Chinese govt, I think we should do our best to actively frustrate that out of love for competition at the very least and schadenfraude at best. ;-)
Heh.
{"commentId":2383228,"threadId":"325409","contentId":"1719380","authorDomain":"sphinx"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":2383483,"authorDomain":"isaacs"}
Jack:
I initially thought that myself but after reading this story it all seemed to fit together with the idea that the government promotes of one people united together. It's a good theme that has done extraordinary things for the Chinese people.
I thought you'd like that schadenfraude comment. ;-)
{"commentId":2383483,"threadId":"325409","contentId":"1719380","authorDomain":"isaacs"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":2384154,"authorDomain":"sphinx"}
I initially thought that myself but after reading this story it all seemed to fit together with the idea that the government promotes of one people united together. It's a good theme that has done extraordinary things for the Chinese people.
Indeed, the theme is pervasive in Chinese culture, but has lately weakened its grasp on the Chinese psyche with the recent non-hostile influx of Western philosophy, especially among the Chinese youth. I wouldn't say that the individualism is "new-found", but in the past, individual achievement was stoked partly as a way to bring honor to one's family, one's country, etc. It still is, but I think the emphasis has subtly shifted away from.. I guess... such "socially integrated" goals and more truly individualistic (Randian, perhaps?) goals.
{"commentId":2384154,"threadId":"325409","contentId":"1719380","authorDomain":"sphinx"}
- 2 votes
{"canLink":false,"threadId":"325409","isPrivate":false}
You're in Easy Mode. If you prefer, you can use XHTML Mode instead. |
As a new user, you may notice a few temporary content restrictions. Click here for more info.
Start Tracking
Stop TrackingCOMPANY STUFF:
LEGAL STUFF:
- © 2005-2009 Newsvine, Inc. |
- Newsvine® is a registered trademark of Newsvine, Inc. |
- Newsvine is a property of
