With the quadrennial opening ceremonies of the 2008 Olympic Games tonight (or, rather, today), there are a number of items that have really become old quite quickly. Make no mistake, I truly enjoy the Olympics, the competition, the so-called human interest. But the intense scrutiny behind the larger "stories" sometimes wears thin. In no particular order:
1. China's "Bird's Nest" Stadium
Well, it is a stadium, and it is rather ugly. It doesn't look like a bird's nest, it looks like an Erector Set gone crazy. Plus I just can't seem to find a picture of it that doesn't have massive numbers of soldiers next to it.
2. China's "Coming Out" Party
This phrase seems to be used every four years for (insert city here). I'm rather familiar with China: we give them money, they give us stuff. Well worn phrase doesn't quite go far enough.
3. Michael Phelps
Look, this guy is a super fast swimmer, one of the greatest ever (size 26 feet help). But this obsession with gold medals and the "most ever" and "greatest Olympian of all time" is tiresome. Look at where this sort of hype got Marion Jones...
4. Smog/Pollution
Hey, guess what, Beijing is polluted, I'm shocked. Everyone deals with the same conditions, but in a country with some of the smoggiest cities in the world, did anyone really think the Chinese could mimic cool, alpine air and mountain breezes?
5. China's Human Rights Record
It's pretty miserable, for sure. But is this really a surprise? In a one party system of government, there's just one way of doing business. Maybe the Olympics will help, but forgive me if I remain skeptical. 2500 years of history tend to speak otherwise.
Citius, Altius, Fortius...
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