Masks in China. The Olympic Committe is A Joke. Nothing Has Changed

The hoopla, pageantry, silliness, nastiness and profiteering of the Olympics has not changed in over fifty years. If there is any question in your mind, run out and get Dave Maraniss' insightful  Rome 1960. The Olympics that Changed the World. 

Soviet Communism and the Cold War ended,  but the organizers and operators of the games are still far more important than the athletes. While the achievements of the competitors is often compelling and poignant, on the world stage the manipulations of governments, businesses, and  street level ticket scalpers is far more important when measuring the impact on the world's peoples.

Start with this story, and follow what unravels over the next few weeks. US cyclists apologize for wearing masks.

BEIJING (AP)—A group of American cyclists has apologized to Beijing Olympic organizers after arriving in China’s capital wearing face masks.

Jim Scherr, the U.S. Olympic Committee’s chief executive officer, said his organization didn’t ask the cyclists to apologize.

“Those athletes regret that action and have written an apology to BOCOG on their own behalf,” Scherr said. “They now realize and understand how their actions were perceived by the host nation and by the organizing committee.”

The China Olympics are a joke. A failure before they start.

For starters, the International Olympic Committee had this silly notion that by awarding the Olympics to China, it would induce that government to halt repression and recognize basic human rights. That was Joke 1.

Not content with destroying the jobs of American industrial workers with wages unfit for any dignified person, the Chinese spent most of this past year trying to murder our dogs and cats with poisoned pet food. Joke 2.

Finally there is the effort to contain the pollution. As though the soiled land, the contaminated waters, and the fouled air disappear by banning half the cars in Beijing on alternate days and temporarily closing industrial plants. Joke 3.

You cannot possibly insult the Chinese government by wearing face masks when eleven months of the year half of China tries to keep the pollution out of their lungs.

"I am sorry my voice sounds muffled, but if I remove my mask, the air pollution will burn my lungs like dry twigs in a campfire."

Those voices are muzzled for reasons other than the pollution. Those faces are hidden for reasons other than the pollution.

Comments

[omg]

We're all for slandering governments and what nots, but its a complete shame that you write this article like an ignorant spoiled brat.

Seriously, listen to yourself:
"I am sorry my voice sounds muffled, but if I remove my mask, the air pollution will burn my lungs like dry twigs in a campfire." - even if its a quote
Great, you think you've slapped the government in the face with a little petty comment but millions of citizens LIVE in polluted conditions like this in China, so please show a little sympathy. If you're angry at the way things are, then go and try to help, not bitch at the comfort of your own home thinking it makes any difference whatsoever.

Secondly: "Chinese spent most of this past year trying to murder our dogs and cats with poisoned pet food"
Excuse me? We get salmonella infested tomatoes from America from time to time, are Americans trying to kill Canadians now?
Its the often lacking regulations in product safety in China, corruption, and fake products (and often the real-original brand company suffers) that leads to sub-standard and sometimes lethal products. So maybe you would like to THINK before claiming a whole country is trying to kill you or your precious puppy.

When there is a lack of quality control and safety control, everyone suffers - in the melamine tainted milk incident, a large number of people in China (mostly infants) who used these products (in baby milk formulas) suffered severe kidney problems. (Bet you never saw that on the news huh?)
Regular folks, just doing their jobs, raising a family, trying to pay their bills - suffers (more so because they have to face this BS everyday) because the country's laws and regulations are a complete mess (noting the corruption), and here you are laughing and saying how they are maliciously spending their time plotting to kill people or animals they dont even know.

If you hate the government (and I agree with you on this), then target the government. If you're angry at the sub-standard products target the people who actually manufactured it. How every single person of that ethnic group is suddenly evil and guilty because of the government or its manufacturers is beyond me.