THE METROPOLITAN » APRIL 10, 2008 » A10

insight
A BIGGER VIEW » End of Days
Re: Protesters of
Beijing Olympics
“China wanted the interna-
tional spotlight of the 2008 Olym-
pic Games. That spotlight puts out
a little heat, as China is learning
with the protests over the Olympic
torch.
The protests may seem puz-
zling and insulting to the powers
in Beijing, but free expression and
the right to dissent are defining
elements of a democracy - a word
that seems to be missing from the
Chinese government’s dictionary.
Beijing also seems confused on the
concept of human rights, as evi-
dence of its oppression of Tibet, its
repression of religion, its suppres-
sion of free thought and its com-
plicity in the Sudanese atrocities in
Darfur.
There is very good reason that Written by GEOF WOLLERMAN » gwollerm@mscd.edu
people will be gathering on the
streets of San Francisco to make
Illustrated by ANDREW HOWERTON » ahowert2@mscd.edu
sure that China’s moment in the
sun is accompanied by a message
of the world’s outrage about the
enduring darkness of its govern-
ment practices. All we ask is that
the protesters make their point in
a civil, nonviolent manner. Regret-
Protests: Hypocrisy in action
tably, the demonstrations in Paris The pictures of bloodied Tibetan And when the news was over we turned off our
took an ugly, chaotic turn, forcing monks, rioting mobs and lines of Chi- made-in-China TV, got up from the made-in-
the torch run to be cut short. nese police streets caught my wife and
After all, the torch run also rep- I mid-conversation. Like a big period China couch and went to bed between made-
resents something worth celebrat- had been inserted in our sentence, we in-China sheets.
ing, the approaching of a quadren- fell silent and watched.
nial world gathering for 16 days of Something about watching de- down after Tiananmen. China holds through their cities, or the equally or-
fellowship and pursuit of the high- mocracy get crushed under jack- far and wide more foreign currency nate ways the protesters have tried to
est level of athletic achievement. boots kind of kills the mood. reserves than any other country, they disrupt the relay at every turn.
In ancient Greece, wars were put When I see such pictures, nor- produce nearly everything on the The only thing more stupid is the
on hold during the Games. mally, I want to get angry. I want to ANDREW FLOHR- planet, and now that their standard embarrassing way politicians have
In modern times, unfortu- find the culprit – the person responsi- SPENCE of living is beginning to rise, they are tried to worm their way out of going
nately, the Games have not been a ble – and condemn them for their ac- emerging as one of the prize markets on record against China.
refuge from terrorism or national tions. Call it my western upbringing,
spencand@mscd.edu for selling our products to. Tibet, having not been in the
disputes. They have been marred but I want to know who wears the big ation wasn’t fitting in my simple China, in short, is the engine for news for nearly 10 years now, seems
by boycotts (most notably Moscow white hat and who is dressed in black. framework. the world’s economy right now. to be the Save the Whale of the week,
1980 and Los Angeles 1984), ter- I want a hero and villain. Here I was sitting on my comfort- And well … that makes us all replacing Darfur. But the fact is when
rorism (Munich 1972 and Atlanta And China fits the role of the able couch in my comfortable apart- partly responsible for the massacre the Olympics are over we will move
1996) and slaughter of protesters bad guy in this situation. They took ment having my comfortable and of Tibetans – you, me and both our on again and leave them in the lurch.
(Mexico City 1968). The Olympics over Tibet in 1951 – killing by some safe anger at the evil Chinese govern- color TVs. People have been getting attacked
themselves have been afflicted by estimates more than a million and a ment. And when the news was over So when I saw the breaking news in Darfur for 15 years now, but only
scandals, from steroids to bribery. half people – and have ruled it with we turned off our made-in-China TV, about protesters in London, Paris and now it is suddenly a topic?
But still, the world comes to- an iron fist since. China’s human got up from the made-in-China couch San Francisco attacking the Olympic And where were all the Pro-Tibet-
gether, determined to overcome the rights infractions are well docu- and went to bed between made-in- Torch relay, I was not among those ans in 1951 or in the 60 years since?
myriad forces that want to stop the mented. Let’s just say they are not China sheets. cheering them on. If you don’t like how China treats
Games. Protesters: Say your piece, exactly known as light on crime. For a county that everyone wants What was it now that has every- Tibetans – holding up your sign to
wave your signs, but let thetorch Tiananmen Square made the U.S.’s to condemn for being the bad guy, one suddenly caring about Tibet? It “Free Tibet” is verging on mockery
and its proud bearers proceed in 1971 Kent State Massacre look like they sure do get a lot of business. Chi- occurred to me as almost comical. I of the Tibetan people, when you turn
peace. The torch is not the enemy. an Easter day parade. na is the second largest economy be- am still not sure who looks more ridic- around and buy China’s products
It is bringing the spotlight toward So it should have been cut and hind the U.S. They have averaged 10 ulous, the ornate arrangements made the next day. That, I’m pretty sure,
Beijing.” dry. China is the bad guy, right? percent economic growth per year for by governments and individuals to get is called hypocrisy. Chasing after the
But something about this situ- the last 25 years, and no it did not dip a piece of the torch action as it runs Olympic torch is just called dumb.
San Francisco Chronicle, April 8
editorial
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