5 days to go

With just 5 days to go until the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, there’s a lot of hype on the Internet (with those on one side criticizing whatever, and those on the other preparing for a great opening ceremony). What interests me, though, aren’t the articles written by the CBC, like “Skies over Beijing clear ahead of Olympics” or “China’s web censors easing off: report“, but rather the reader comments on those articles.

Let’s start with something about the environment:

Andy the Engineer: “China’s success has been built on the back of the environment – they have ruined beautiful rivers, strip mined scenic mountains and poured every type of vile and disgusting exhaust you can imagine into the air – and the Olympic Games will broadcast this to the world.”

Let’s word this more accurately and less xenophobically, shall we? It is the success of the WESTERN WORLD (including Canada — we have our fair share of this blame) that has been built on the back of China’s environment. And India’s. And Taiwan’s. And Japan’s. And … well, basically every early-industrial nation with cheap labour.

I’m fed up with people whose entire wealth is based on the use and abuse of people and resources in other countries who then turn around and act as if they are morally superior to those same exploited people. Grow up.

- MichaelWH

See what they have to say after the jump.

More on the environment:

Beijing reminded me of LA a few years ago. People are having joyful picnic because it was a brighter day than any other normal days. When I went to the top of Griffin Park and saw the whole LA sky filled with dark smog. Welcome to the real world of pollution. Beijing is not the only one. Toronto is getting there too.

- Opinioner (Dartmouth, NS)

Another comment on the same article:

China is still fighting to get out of poverty.

Globally, the share of people living on a dollar (US) a day or less plummeted from 40% in 1981 to 18% in 2004. China’s growth alone has lifted more than 400 million people out of poverty. These numbers are from Freed Zakaria’s recent book “The Post-American World”.

No other nation in the world in the entire human history has done so much good in such short a period.

- flu888 (Mississauga, ON)

I think I’m starting to show my bias. So let’s read some comments from those who do nothing other than criticize.

The smog in Beijing is the tip of the iceberg. Although still not the polluters of the United States, they are on an accelerated path to capture the crown as the world’s worst polluters. Remember, at 1.3 billion people, once technology and wealth spread around the country, they will have 4 times as many people polluting as the US. And because they are still in many ways a developing nation, environmental controls will be the least of their concerns, they are still just trying to catch up. They all want what every american [sic] has, and will take the short cuts [sic] to get there. Green actions are only taken in the countries that can afford them and are now self conscious of their own pollution. China is neither[.]

- Klaatu (Windsor, ON)

And how about the topic of censorship?

I don’t understand why the Chinese government block Fa Lun Gong’s webiste. We Chinese living overseas have access to their information, but who believes what they say? Nobody. I think the government should be more self-confident.

- JackCBC (Toronto, ON)

Okay. Some people have strange things to say, too.

Is it just me or does the PEW survey from last week says [sic] more than these journalists? If you don’t remember, the survey concluded Chinese are the most confident in their government’s job than any other country in the world, with the second being Australia. Who are some of the least confident? Britain, France and US.

Put yourself in Chinese shoes, you are confident in your goverment [sic] and optimstic [sic] about the future, but those people from overseas who are extremly [sic] unhappy with their own country’s direction and goverment [sic] are trying to tell you your goverment [sic] should be more like them. Will you think “hey, good idea” or “what a bunch of hypocritical self-centered bigots”?

- iewgnem (Toronto, ON)

All comments are used under the Fair Dealing doctrine.

After reading all of these comments, it’s only right for you to contribute your thoughts. Navigate to the CBC articles (following the links at the beginning of this post) to comment there or send us your thoughts by commenting on this post.

I am not in support of any efforts to politicize the Games, and am especially opposed to groups such as Reporters sans frontières (Reporters Without Borders) (how could they call themselves reporters?!?!) who are funded and operated in order to specifically destabilize foreign governments.