Chinas Strange Idea of the Olympic Spirit

News Type: Opinion — Seeded on Fri Apr 11, 2008 12:00 PM EDT

Article Source: The New York Times

world-news, china, human-rights, olympics

"Mr. Hu's treatment is one of those. He was dragged from his home in February by state police agents and formally charged. He and his wife, Zeng Jinyan, also an activist, had spent much of 2006 restricted to their apartment. She used the power of the Internet to blog about life under detention while he wrote online about peasant protests and human rights cases."

Published to:

What's this?

Who's leading the conversation?

This visualization below allows you to see the impact that each user has on the current conversation. The top row contains the group of users who have had the most impact, the 2nd row the group of users who have had the 2nd most impact (et cetera). Users with similar impact are grouped together, and the average score of the group is shown to the left of the group. The author of the article is also shown on the left, in their corresponding group. Each user's score is based on the number of comments the user has made plus the number of votes their comments have received. The scores are calculated relative one another, so while their absolute value is not particularly important, their relative difference does indicate a larger difference in impact on the conversation.

8.1

{"commentId":1680211,"authorDomain":"youssef51"}

Youssef51

I thought this opinion piece in the Times was spot on. Do read it if you've missed it.

The PRC leadership should be hearing a rousing chorus of boos, call-call and Bronx cheers from now until the "games" are finished. The experience will do them a world of good.

{"commentId":1680211,"threadId":"248674","contentId":"1424749","authorDomain":"youssef51"}

4 votes

#1 - Fri Apr 11, 2008 12:04 PM EDT

{"commentId":1680334,"authorDomain":"spiffie"}

spiffie

There are two likely stories I see coming up that I think will be very interesting: 1) Sooner or later someone will discover that Chinese intelligence is/was (if discovered after the games) spying on attendees to the games in an attempt to head off protests in China. 2) I have to wonder what will happen to foreign nationals who make it into China and hold a (probably small) protest at the games. Will they be detained? What will the international reaction be? Etc.

{"commentId":1680334,"threadId":"248674","contentId":"1424749","authorDomain":"spiffie"}

1 vote

#2 - Fri Apr 11, 2008 12:34 PM EDT

{"commentId":1680385,"authorDomain":"youssef51"}

Youssef51

I have to wonder what will happen to foreign nationals

Good question.

I have two suggestions:

1) We are going to learn the answer to your question.

2) I would not want to be one of the people who finds out the answer to your question first hand.

{"commentId":1680385,"threadId":"248674","contentId":"1424749","authorDomain":"youssef51"}

3 votes

#3 - Fri Apr 11, 2008 12:43 PM EDT

{"commentId":1680417,"authorDomain":"spiffie"}

spiffie

2) I would not want to be one of the people who finds out the answer to your question first hand.

Exactly. I don't plan to travel to Singapore and litter to see if they still cane foreign nationals, either. ;-)

{"commentId":1680417,"threadId":"248674","contentId":"1424749","authorDomain":"spiffie"}

2 votes

#3.1 - Fri Apr 11, 2008 12:47 PM EDT

{"canLink":false,"threadId":"248674","isPrivate":false}

Australian PM warns China over human rights abuses in Tibet	The Times	Thu Apr 10	0
Chinese ambassador to Britain: Western press 'demonising' China	BBC News	Sun Apr 13	1
Zakaria: Don't Feed China's Nationalism -- Olympic Protests only Make it Worse	Newsweek	Sat Apr 12	1
Prime Minister Rudd's Message on Tibet Angers Chinese Officials	Epoch Times	Thu Apr 10	0
Rogge Says IOC Won't Push China on Tibet	Associated Press	Fri Apr 11	0

YOUSSEF51

Backyard

Chinas Strange Idea of the Olympic Spirit

Published to:

FUN STUFF:

COMPANY STUFF:

LEGAL STUFF: