2008-03-29

Thank you Mr Tusk, we have one more ticket!

1) It was said that the Olympic principle is for the people, not politics. Yet many politicians were invited to attend the Olympics. This is against the Olympic principle

2) A few western politicians are talking about not attending the Olympic, for whatever reason (Tibet, human right, anti-China, anti-C.C-P, or anti-Chinese people, pick one). Polish Premier Donald Tusk is the first one of them, though it is unclear if there is follower. (Czech Havel is also not going, for "personal reason")

3) I am glad that Mr Tusk is not going. Because, after all, he should not have been there. Nor should any of these politicians, western or Chinese. Their coming have made the Olympic opening ceremony such a scarce commodity, expensive and impossible to buy

4) Their absence will leave the tickets available to the people, Chinese or foreigner, which are what the Olympic is truly for

5) The Chinese goverment should not have sent out teh invitation for these politicians from the outset. The Olypmpic committtees of various countries should have reserved the tickets for the people, not their own politicians

Finally, since the Ollympic is for the people of the world. And that this year China (as a country) is hosting it. The chinese people (at least the overwhelming majority) believe they are hosting it. The government is organising it. So if you have issue with the government (so do we the people), take it up with it, and do not send your politicians there. Fine with us.
But the people, the shop owners, taxi drviers, average citizens believe they are the hosts themselves, as far as we can hear from the street. So boycotting the Olympic is also boycotting the Chinese people, not just the governement (which are different concepts).

However, it is consistent with the Olympic that politicians should be left out of the Olympic. So thank you Mr. Tusk, for leaving your dirty politics out of the Olympic, and leaving one more tickets to us tourists.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

No boycotts, says EU.
It was in the bag, practically. But things didn’t go to script. The Chinese government did not stage the bloody showdown the foreigners had hoped for on the roof of the world, and the public rallied in support of its Tibet actions.
Plan went off the rail. They couldn’t leverage the Games without damaging people to people relations.
Without a Plan B, they dithered.
The only face-saving way was to ``discuss’’ at ministerial level and claim a consensus against it. How democratic!
But the life-and-death struggle (strident language from that minister but true) between China and those who wish her to die, is not over.
The other side is staking everything in this proxy war to undermine a sovereign country in a historic year.
Since the boycott option is out, count on more high-profile meetings between wily old lama and political poseurs, to keep the Tibet issue on the front burner.
Personally, I think those meetings will mean much less now. Some people will realise that it’s not about support for Tibet, their pols just want to show their electorate that they are caring, concerned people.
China has stood firm and its people have fought back. China will have the Lhasa word on Tibet!
PS: Where the fish is Poland? Or Czech?
My dog Mia (it really is the name on her papers - no insult that b***) comes from Hungary, and I still don’t know where that is.
Those banana republics can stay home.