We've been watching the Olympic opening ceremonies tonight and I am vacillating between being really awed and impressed by the cool stuff that the Chinese government has accomplished with the ceremonies and being slightly sickened at the oppression that has taken place in order to pave the way for the Olympics to take place there. Unfortunately, from what I am gathering, this is typical of the way things are done. Land is needed for additional commercial development, so a poor subdivision gets razed, etc. Pollution threatens the success of the games, so everybody is forced to keep cars parked and factories for hundreds of miles are closed (surely that impacts hourly workers?)
It would be nice to think that the Chinese people were voluntarily making the sacrifices attendant to hosting this Olympics, but one gets the sense that this event is being carried out at the expense -- both economically and practically -- of the average Joe (or, rather, Feng).
Friday, August 8, 2008
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2 comments:
As appalling and "foreign" as it may seem to us as Westerners, from my personal experience, Chinese people tend to care more about sovereignty and national pride, as opposed to individual rights. In many ways Western and Eastern cultures clash and I think this is probably a dramatic example that seems "oppressive" to Westerners. What's important to one culture may not be necessarily so to another.
I hope so. I really want to believe that the general populace is enjoying the experience of hosting the games and that it is worth it to them. I guess I am having a hard time suspending my own view about this.
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