Ways That Are Dark

Nick Cohen of The Guardian writes: “Pick any dictatorship at random and chances are you’ll find China lurking in the background.”

The only justification for the Beijing games is that they will allow connoisseurs of the grotesque to inspect this ghoulish hybrid of the worst of capitalism and the worst of socialism close up. … The International Olympic Committee and all the national sports bureaucracies will follow up by instructing athletes not to say a word out of place.

I wonder if, as an accredited journalist,  Nick will be on hand to cover the games in Beijing.

Read the complete article The only winner in Beijing will be tyranny

For ages, the funniest joke in China has been whenever you see a foreigner, to mispronounce the word “hello” and fall into peals of laughter. (The mispronunciation varies according to education but is always unintentional.) The joke never tires because white people in China will hear it countless times every day. Regrettably, foreign visitors with darker skin may be used to a more offensive greeting.

The International Herald Tribune article As Olympic Games approach, Chinese are urged to be ‘civilized’ brings up the issue of manners. It’s an old and somewhat irrelevant topic for many Chinese. Irrelevant because while the majority of people know that certain aspects of their behavior are offensive to visitors from other countries, very few people are interested in changing their ways. From the Tribune article:

At every turn I hear cries of “lao wai.”

The words constitute a slightly uncouth slang for foreigner. Literally, they mean “old outsider.”

Quite often, these murmurings are accompanied by a mocking, sing-song uttering of the English greeting “hello.” The tone is unmistakable, and it is not friendly. This is not to say that it is hostile, either, rather it is said in a way that suggests that foreigners are not merely an object of novelty here, which should certainly no longer be the case by now, but also of slight ridicule.

Any foreigner who has spent a few years in China will understand what the author is talking about. While intended as a slight insult and joke at your expense, it amounts to little more than an irritation. The cries of “lao wai” tend to come out as an exclamation of surprise. The “hello” and girlish laughter is always deliberate and meant as ridicule. It may seem to the casual visitor that the locals are being friendly, but it is really a kind of low-class behavior that has led to many foreigners saying “good-bye” to China forever.

As the countdown to Beijing 2008 continues , not a week goes by without some griping about the city’s dismal environment. The Olympics only run from Aug. 8-24, but the organizers are discussing the possibility of postponing events if pollution is bad. From the CNN report Beijing schedule changes possible:

“Extensive use of coal, the city’s geographical location and a growing number of motor vehicles means the pace of improvement in Beijing’s air quality is slow,” said Eric Falt, who heads the U.N. Environment Program’s sports and environment project.

Falt said fine particles of pollution that are harmful to human health were “particularly worrying.”

There is nothing new here. Organizers knew all along that pollution in Beijing is the most horrendous in Olympic history. Can things be expected to change in 10 months?

The Washington Post reports on Beijing’s lack of progress in tackling air pollution in the lead up to next summer’s Olympic Games. The complete article is: Gray Wall Dims Hopes of ‘Green’ Games. What is apparent to the naked eye is the air is filthy and hazardous, but government agencies are being secretive about he scientific information they have gathered on the problem.

Beijing does not regularly measure or evaluate some serious pollutants, including ozone and some types of fine particulate matter that can easily be inhaled deep into the lungs. Meanwhile, they have refused to publicly release figures on the amount of pollutants at any given location, such as the Olympic Village or Tiananmen Square, preferring to stick with a citywide average.

China has promised a “green” Olympics, but its failure to divulge what is actually in the host city’s air has alarmed athletes, surprised environmental experts and raised questions about officials’ commitment to making needed changes.

There are still ten months left before the games begin, and a lot can happen in that time. It seems that many athletes have begun to consider contingency plans if the pollution still poses a risk.

Australian athletes have announced they will arrive in Beijing as late as possible because of concerns that the air quality might hinder their performance. Two weeks ago, two Ethiopian middle-distance running champions announced they would forgo some events because of the “disgusting weather and air pollution.” New Zealand and American athletes say they will wear face masks if necessary. Even Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee, warned that some endurance sports might be postponed if the pollution gets too bad.