2008 Olympics

The Olympics are here or are they gone. I really am never sure how the Olympics work. The more than boisterous rigmarole over the Olympics in China is perhaps the biggest ever, at least in recent memory. China is accused of human rights abuses and politely refraining from letting itself get carried away with promises made for the Olympics. I will admit that China's human rights abuses should not be let alone for this event, but really put aside so China can share in this honor, and perhaps look back it its mistakes.

My friend from China has been competing in an English competition, which will decide on a role model for those people in China learning English. As a bit of a figure for the Chinese people to look up to. My friend came in third place in his district, with some help from me, and his excellent performance means he will go on to compete in Beijing (Non-Olympic event) to see if he will win the competition. Whether or not he wins he is without a doubt one of the best English speakers I know with their native language as Mandarin Chinese. He invited me to Beijing, but of course I couldn't manage to get there even if I wanted to do so.

Nevertheless, my point is that the Chinese are making a tremendous effort to be good hosts. They are of course less experienced in letting the world in according to a different set of rules. Although we should not reduce or refrain from putting pressure on their political regime for their abuses, but rather realize the summation of Chinese history and where they happen to be at this point in time, and then judge China accordingly by what is actually plausible. Rather than berate the Chinese people for not acting in line with the wishes that the world would like to see them aspire to.