Olympics get political

I've heard lots of stories about protests and counter protests and Chinese nationalism and China's coming out party and whether or not the olympics should be completely separated from politics (as if that were possible). I found this lengthy discussion on NPR with Vanity Fair's international correspondent to be especially illuminating:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89845728

Talk of the Nation, April 22, 2008

Writer William Langewiesche talks about his article "Beijing's Olympic Makeover," published in the April edition of Vanity Fair. He writes that Beijing "presents the most unabashedly totalitarian cityscape in the world today. . . "

Here's an excerpt from the Vanity Fair article:

http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2008/04/china200804

. . . the Chinese see the Olympics as an exercise in national prestige. The authorities’ main focus is not on the sporting events but on the accumulation of gold medals. They are also obsessed with the opening ceremony—sure to be a display of jingoistic pomp, and to include the hideous marching formations and synchronized crowd movements so dear to Chinese leaders. Already the boasting is uncomfortable to witness, because it stems so obviously from insecurity and a fear of losing face. It will naturally provoke reactions opposite to those intended—though probably unspoken, and beneath the official praises. Not that the Olympics much matter one way or the other. They will be hyped on television and soon enough forgotten. But it’s as if the Chinese government does not realize that the world already has a fairly accurate view of China. Yes, China is booming. And, yes, China’s cities are big and modern. But also, yes, China has serious problems—pollution, rural poverty, water shortages, the suppression of civil liberties, corruption, and the abysmal condition of its universities and schools. The problems are understandable, and hardly a state secret. I suppose people tidy up their houses before parties, too. But the Chinese would appear in a better light if they were not quite so nervous in advance.