Beijing Triathlon

Well, it seems that double-speak, misdirection, and propaganda are the new triathlon for the Olympics this year. First, this from Arne Ljungqvist, chairman of the Olympic medical commission:

"The mist in the air that we see in those places, including here, is not a feature of pollution primarily but a feature of evaporation and humidity [emphasis added.]"

Oh, it's mist! Ballista thought that smog was the particulates, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and ozone that the Chinese authorities admit are at near-unsafe levels, as set by the World Health Organization. (Air Pollution Index of 91, with 100 being unsafe).

Then there's the US cycle team arriving in what appeared, at first, to be protective face masks. Again, we all assumed the masks were for pollution. No, no, no. The cyclists later apologized for the misunderstanding and explained the masks were really there to prevent them from speaking their minds while in Communist China, thus protecting them from unexpected and completely accidental injuries.

Finally, we have the very rapid spot-cleaning of Beijing itself. That's not an unfinished building behind that curtain. And that corner never had a host of food carts on it. Nope just a nice clean city. Take lots of pictures for your capitalist pig friends. Remember the city as it was for this week because it doesn't matter what happens in China after the Olympics. Not that anything "unpleasant" is going to transpire. Of course not.

Ballista expects this type of behavior from the Communist party - it's their stock and trade - but it's disappointing to see the Western officials following suit. What did Solzhenitsyn say about the free world losing it's spine?...

Olympic (political) Games

Steven Spielberg, famous for directing the movies Jaws and Schindler's List, among many others, recently ended his association with the Beijing Olympics production group. He is vexed and concerned that Chinese leaders will not use their influence in Africa to help curb the genocide in Darfur. (Yes, Ballista used the "G" word). China has vast economic interests in Africa, mostly related to natural resource extraction. Spielberg has lobbied Beijing for months to pay more than lip service to the crisis. (Incidently, most every other nation, the US and EU states included, aren't doing much more than yapping on Darfur.)

Anyway, China's Foreign Ministry has responded by stating that ol' Steven "isn't in-line with the spirit of the Olympics."

Translation: "Shut up, Mr. Director-man! Don't you know that you are supposed to put everything else aside and ignore gross injustices here in China, and Africa, but especially here in China during the world games? That's what the ancient Greeks did, and that's what everyone did in 1936."

Alright, the Chinese wouldn't bring up the Berlin games to Spielberg. Be that as it may, some think that participating in the 2008 Games, turning a blind eye to the repression by the Communist autocrats in China, will pressure Beijing to reform. Ballista thinks that Beijing will just disappear the "problem makers" during the lead up to the Olympics, but once the last medal is given out, the Communists will be back to their usual tricks. So kudos to Mr. Spielberg for having the clarity and moral courage to tell Beijing to shove it.

Oh, and the biggest difference between 2008 and 1936... today there isn't a Jesse Owens, a gold medal around his neck, to show up Hitler. Unless, of course, the Dalai Lama secretly runs a hell of a decathlon.

If you are now completely depressed, just enjoy this bit of Beijing Olympics propaganda publicity.