Jul
31
2008
A lot of fuss has been made over which heads-of-state are attending the Beijing Olympic Games and which are not. Many people are equating their attendance with an endorsement of the Chinese government. In light of the March conflict in Tibet and reports of activists being jailed in the run-up to the Games, there have been calls for state leaders to boycott. Others feel that Olympic boycotts will not effect political change. So, in the final count, who will be in the stands?
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Jul
21
2008
Since Beijing scored the Olympic bid in July 2001, China observers have used the metaphor of a debutante ball to describe the 2008 Olympics. China plans to use this Olympics to showcase how well she has developed. The country’s growing influence has not gone unnoticed, but this blowout is designed to eradicate all traces of doubt. The only catch is that Beijing is not ready yet and time is running out.
Like any good “deb,” Beijing has made extreme efforts to doll herself up. She has had a pedicure – trees and flowers now line the major roads in an effort to make the city greener. She has had her hair done – the city government shunted previously “unsightly” out-door markets indoors. But she really hopes to outdo the other girls with her jewels – the monumental new architectural gems springing up all over the city.
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Jul
21
2008
How many “plagues” will Beijing face? Consider the recent challenges the Chinese regime has faced to ensure that this Olympics goes off without a hitch:
1. The city’s pollution. Last summer, breathing the air in Beijing for one day was equivalent to smoking a pack of cigarettes. Since then, the government has implemented measures to reduce the air pollution, including seeding the clouds with silver iodide and dry ice to control rainfall. Despite these efforts, concerns over the air pollution persist. The Canadian and Australian track and field teams will not be participating in the opening ceremony because it requires unnecessary exposure to pollution a week before their events. Ethiopian world-champion marathon runner Haile Gebrselassie is not competing in the marathon because he has asthma.
More after the jump
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