Foreign Policy Magazine has a web exclusive article about China and the 2008 Olympic games that's worth reading.
A couple of days ago, I opined that the Olympics might bring a few reforms to China. I don't think I'm entirely wrong on that account, but I'm willing to acknowledge that the issue is so gray that there are a lot of negative things to say about the International Olympic Committee picking Beijing as a host. For instance, repressive governments like China and Russia use the games as a way to gain undeserved legitimacy. And that's only part of the problem--read the article, mang, I'm not an expert, or a Marshall Scholar for that matter.
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1 comment:
First some agreement, and then some disagreement.
Putting an Olympics Games in a country like China DOES bring it (undeserved) legitimacy. All we have to do is look to the Games in Germany right before World War II. We could easily be making some similar mistakes in China.
I don't think this will be the case, though. China is at a very different place than Germany was in '36, and the Games might be just what is needed to get the Communist government to open up, even if it is just a little. China is a HUGE world power, and it would be as foolish to snub them as it would be to ignore them and not take them seriously.
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