Beijing is a fools' paradise

BEIJING -- One thing has become apparent here in the last few days.

Either the Chinese government played the International Olympic Committee for fools, or the International Olympic Committee played the world for fools.

Or both.

China has failed to keep promises both big (improved human rights) and medium (unrestricted Internet access for journalists in press centers during the Games) that it made before and after the IOC awarded the 2008 Olympics to Beijing.

And the IOC has groveled in the face of the Chinese, leading one of its senior members, Kevan Gosper of Australia, to apologize to the media and make the stunning accusation that the IOC leadership had cut a behind-the-scenes deal to pacify their hosts.

Two weeks ago, IOC president Jacques Rogge had said there would be no Internet censorship for working journalists.

According to Australian media reports today, Gosper, the head of the IOC media commission, said his reputation had been badly damaged by being unaware of what he characterized as an IOC/China agreement to allow censorship.

The Australian newspaper quoted Gosper as saying:

Whoever was involved in that shift in position should have made it known to the international media. I should have been informed too.
We should not have surprised the international media on the eve of the Olympics.

And then there is the matter of the air. The Chinese promised that rain would clear the grimy Beijing atmosphere (pretty good chutzpah, making promises on the behalf of nature).

Well, it has rained the last couple days.  And scientific readings taken by the Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau show air quality has improved to moderately polluted after several days of being "unhealthy for sensitive groups.''

Fine.  But the sky remains a gloomy gray, and large buildings remain shrouded in a combination of fog, smog, mist and haze.

Or maybe it is just that the atmosphere is thick with lies.

-- Philip Hersh

Photo: Kevan Gosper of Australia, shown in a file photo taken during a 1999 IOC press conference in Lausanne, Switzerland. Credit: Fabrice Coffrini / Associated Press

Comments

[William]

Seems like Germany in 1938.

[Johnny Wang]

You mean Germany 1936 ? Yes maybe - but the differnce is we are living in the year 2008 now. Did anybody of the CENTRAL GOVERNMENT found this out already ?

[Riichie]

China is held to no standards at all in any field. Censorship is a bad thing and the IOC should have spined-up and threatened Beijing with cancelation of the 2008 Games for noncompliance with the original agreement. For that matter, Bush should have canceled his opening day visit unless the standards agreed to were met. China sux.....

[Concerned Citizen]

What a shock! China backs out of a deal, lies to the IOC and the West. The Chinese have no honor and will say anything to get cooperation but will naturally do what they want and care nothing for the international community. BOYCOTT CHINA

[jim]

Anyone who has visited or lived in, as I have, Beijing knew that improvements in air quality to an international standard were impossible. The quality of air is disgusting and August is one of the worts months due to the demand for power to keep the city's millions of air conditioners running. Why the did not choose September or October both traditionally 'clean' months in Beijing in beyond me.

Oh but the again they, the CCP, wanted the event during the lucky '8th' month - and we all know that what the CCP wants the CCP gets.

Human rights - anyone stupid enough to believe that the Olympics were ever going to influence the CCP needs to take an introspective look at themselves!!!

[Leslie Griffith]

China has lost face. The IOC has also lost my respect and approval. This humble Colorado citizen of the United States of America asks all citizens of all countries to boycott the Beijing olympics on international television. My heart goes out to all of the hard working athletes of all countries that have made it to the Olympics!!

[Geoff in Beijing]

Hopefully readers can see that much of the 'free news' is neither free nor news but a shameful propaganda attack.

[Bianca Lohrey]

There seems to be a dicotomy here....the Olympic games display the healthiest group of athletes in the world.... in an unhealtiest environment....JUST TELL ME WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?