Aug
11
Jesse Owens was the star of the Berlin Games in 1936. True.
Adolf Hitler used the Olympics as a propaganda opportunity to sell Nazi Germany. Also true.
Owens’ runaway success debunked Hitler’s Aryan superiority theme, rendered the Berlin Olympics a colossal failure and brought personal humiliation to the Fuhrer himself.
False, false, false. A thousand times false.
History has […]
Jul
31
Yesterday, “negotiations” went on between the IOC and Chinese authorities regarding unrestricted internet access for the media covering the Olympics. Today, we know how it all went down.
Just call it an unconditional surrender.
The bullying Chinese government has won the day and once again proved that rules are for suckers and promises are meant for babes. […]
Jul
30
Is Leni Riefenstahl somewhere in the building?
Only fools — i.e. the International Olympic Committee — bought into China’s promises guaranteeing press freedom during the Beijing Games. There was no reason to ever believe that the Chinese government intended to keep its word once it has the hosting rights secured.
Even as of today, about one week […]
Jul
23
Clean Air Requires More Than Olympic Effort
Filed Under 2008 Beijing Olympics, China | Leave a Comment
Chinese authorities have busied themselves the last couple of weeks in a last-ditch effort to clean up Beijing’s foul air. Factories are shut down temporarily. Cars are taken off the roads. Even smoking is now banned in many places.
The result is somewhat improved air quality. But to be fair, Beijing, usually under the overhang of […]
May
23
A Test of Heavenly Proportions
Filed Under 2008 Beijing Olympics, China | Leave a Comment
In the most vulnerable hour, China has looked its most sympathetic.
If the Chinese communist government failed miserably in its first test of the year, during the Tibet uprising and subsequent worldwide torch relay, then it’s getting at least a passing grade in its handling of the Sichuan earthquake tragedy. In some quarters, it’s getting […]