Our Chinese "masters"?
Is the West being effectively being placed under Chinese rule?
British Olympic chiefs are to force athletes to sign a contract promising not to speak out about China's appalling human rights record – or face being banned from travelling to Beijing. The move – which raises the spectre of the order given to the England football team to give a Nazi salute in Berlin in 1938 – immediately provoked a storm of protest.The Mail on Sunday is certainly giving that impression - but surely this isn't China's doing? It's us, right? Surely China would have better sense than to appear to be gagging British athletes?
Chinese Olympic officials said yesterday they supported bans on athletes engaging in political protests ... Chinese dictators, no matter how obsessive or efficient, will be unable to stage a politics-free Games on their own. They will need help in suppressing democracy advocates, Tibetan activists, and Falun Gong adherents, and so far some Western nations seem willing to lend a hand.Gordon Chang over at commentarymagazine.com says otherwise. China has been able to suppress it's opposition thus far becaus they have been left largely on their own. Now, though, with the eyes of the world on them, they need a little help, from us. And so it seems as though the choice is clear for our athletes: shut up or stay at home!
And here's me thinking that we lived in a Country which championed free speech!
5 comments:
Good to see that Steven Spielberg has finally withdrawn as an artistic adviser to the Olympics over China's role in Darfur.
The purpose of the Olympics is to foster international goodwill through the medium of sport and competition, not to antagonise the hosts or to push ones own political agenda. If we were to refuse to compete with all the nations accused of human rights abuses then there would hardly be a nation present at all. Steven Spielberg should have examined his conscience before taking the job on in the first place.
I am currently reading "Wild Swans" and have learnt from that book, that the Chinese have always been a law unto themselves. If you don't like it, don't go there.
At least I do not think they still silence their opposition by imposing the death penalty!
Have I not read elsewhere that we should obey the laws of the country we are in, rather than try to impose our own (Islamic or Christian) views on that country?
The Olympics always had a kind of Heil Hitler kinda' feel for me. So, what is new about this one?
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