Conservative Pulse

The recent protests along the route of the Olympic flame have involved Tibetans, citizens of the respective countries, local and national officials, and even the torch-bearers themselves. In London, Konnie Huq both carried the flame and voiced her opposition to Chinese policy; San Francisco is scheduled to receive the torch on April 9, but in possibly the only backbone-requiring task committed in decades, the Board of Supervisors has expressed their disdain for China’s disgraceful human rights record. These disruptions will almost certainly continue and may increase, and will likely occlude the importance of the Olympics as a sporting event. Chinese officials have repeatedly expressed that the Olympics are an athletic event for international peace as an excuse for why Tibet should not be an issue.

What has not been discussed is that the Chinese government itself is responsible for tainting the Olympics - not Tibet. Communist Party officials have committed egregious acts both against their own people, and against people in areas that they consider their own. Holding an international sporting event in such a place would be somewhat akin to having daycare in a whorehouse. Since the Maoists took over, official Chinese government policy has completely gone against the spirit of the Olympics and anything resembling a free society.

Capitalism has unfortunately not brought China any closer to democracy, although it has helped to bring about a more slick image. China has worked carefully for the last decade to sculpt an international image as a benign giant, becoming a significant trading partner in many areas and obtaining leadership roles in intergovernmental organizations. Hopefully the 2008 Summer Olympics will serve as a wakeup call to the world to see the pig behind the lipstick.

Related links:
FreeTibet
Tibet Justice Center
Xinhua