Child-Abuse Olympics

by on August 14, 2008 14

Now that investigations of China's gamine gymnasts are showing up in the AP and on Huffpo, it feels like we're turning the corner on polite journalism about repressive China. NBC did a pretty good report Tuesday night on the faking of the song at the opening ceremonies, the lip-synching the organizers set up because the singer wasn't cute enough and they wanted a pretty girl on global TV. Hateful behavior. Makes me wonder about ideas of individuality in Chinese culture. The same night NBC's Ian Williams did a beautiful piece of journalism from Sichuan Province, on the anger and desolation of parents who lost children in schools that crumbled, and the government's failure to account for the bad construction. He showed government workers bricking up the death scenes, showed a hapless mother wandering the face of the earth. NPR did an OK report last night on the obviously under-age gymnasts. Only OK because the gymnastics expert was allowed to say that It's impossible to enforce the age minimum. Why? Melissa Bloch didn't pursue this issue. There must be a way to enforce the rules here. The selection and training of young Chinese athletes, which China wants to show off, is cruel and destructive. It seems like the journalism's finally getting at the underbelly of the Olympics, the repressive social structure, the pressure on individuals to fit in.  Sound stereotypical? Yes: but some of the Chinese athletes have given the lie to that. They've been real, animated, joyous, like the amazing male gymnast who took gold last night. Don't ask me his name now.

About Philip Weiss

Philip Weiss is Founder and Co-Editor of Mondoweiss.net.
Posted in Beyondoweiss

{ 14 comments... read them below or add one }

  1. patrick says:
    August 15, 2008 at 12:10 am

    I find it amazing that Americans are upset about under age female gymnasts. These gymnasts probably consider themselves lucky to be alive as female unborn babies are aborted at a high rate in Communist China.

    Any nation that forces women to kill their children is fucked up.

    China, along with greedy American corporations, are exporting our industrial jobs that created our middle-class. China also imprisons people on the basis of religious beliefs, especially Catholics. There are many reasons to despise the Chinese regime, preteen gymansts are the least of its problems.

  2. Shii says:
    August 15, 2008 at 1:02 am

    The Daily Show described your mentality entirely: "These children shouldn't be gymnasts. They should be working in sweatshops making outfits for our gymnasts."

  3. Craig says:
    August 15, 2008 at 2:01 am

    Phil, I don't know how anyone could not be aware of the Chinese view that the collective (family, society) takes precedence over the individual. They also favor value appearance over reality. So this business of using one girl's voice and another girl's face is hardly even surprising. Both girls contribute their best assets to create the best image for China. That the image doesn't represent reality is annoying to us in the West, but I doubt it bothers most Chinese at all.

  4. cogit8 says:
    August 15, 2008 at 2:52 am

    Phil, while you are wasting time discussing child athletes, the Zionist power configuration suffered a major defeat at the hands of Russia, not to mention the really big armada of U.S. ships now heading to the Persian Gulf. All of the usual Jewish and Jewish-owned suspects in the media are busy demonizing "the next Hitler: Putin" and beating the drums against Russia.

    It's time to open the Georgian can of worms and fully discuss Israel's role (the military advisors, the armaments, the investments, and the poor intelligence to go and attack the Russian bear when no one was looking).

  5. LeaNder says:
    August 15, 2008 at 6:52 am

    It's time to open the Georgian can of worms and fully discuss Israel's role

    cogit8, this is not a neocon specialty, but basic post 89 US thinking, so we shouldn't be surprised that Israel surfaces there as well. Who do you think was more involved in all the color revolutions, Israel or the US? Historically it started with Reagan.

    This is one of the most sensible articles on the issues, it feels. Unfortunately no one will listen. Pat Lang: Wise old man

  6. the Sword of Gideon says:
    August 15, 2008 at 9:04 am

    Cogit8 yet again proves my point. Russian attacks a sovreign state. And somehow its the fault not just of Israeli's, or Zionists, but the JEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

  7. Anonymous says:
    August 15, 2008 at 1:13 pm

    Let me see. Is there a connection between american olympic champion Nastia Liukin and the gruesome athete selection machine of the Soviet Union?

    Is there a connection between current International Mathematical Olympiad champion american Alex Zhai and the gruesome intelectual selection machine of imperial China?

    Is there a connection between Carl Lewis and the gruesome physical selection of slavery trade?

    If you want to win the easy way be a jew make a movie about the holocaust and get your oscar.

  8. Anonymous says:
    August 15, 2008 at 1:18 pm

    And please would you give us some news about the three legged lady dog?

  9. charles Keating says:
    August 15, 2008 at 1:22 pm

    RE: "Let me see. Is there a connection between american olympic champion Nastia Liukin and the gruesome athete selection machine of the Soviet Union?"–Anonymous

    Dunno, is there? According to her father, Nastia herself chose her destiny more than her parents, who simply noticed how gifted she was, even as a toddler. They merely backed her up.
    That's understandable, given the atheletic background of both of her parents here, and in Russia.

    I guess it's a matter of degree, but isn't everything? I doubt the USA government has the same power over individual lives that China has.

  10. Anonymous says:
    August 15, 2008 at 2:15 pm

    "According to her father"

    Who was? And her mother, who was?

    That's what I mean. Nastia is the tip of a piramid of effort.

    So was John Von Neumann (of which I'm a big fan), his jewish piramid built in gold nonetheless.

  11. Anonymous says:
    August 15, 2008 at 2:34 pm

    "I doubt the USA government has the same power over individual lives that China has."

    Ah, but they are trying. Who knows how America will stay "a nation united" after becoming a collection of ethniclets (as compared to statelets).

    Maybe what you call the land of the free is no more than the remnants of an utopia which is already dissolving after reaching its potential. Free at last, free at last of country, duty and future.

    By the way, disn't you felt the brilliant victory of american 4×100 meters swimming relay was the magnificent closing of an era?

  12. Anonymous says:
    August 15, 2008 at 2:45 pm

    "disn't you felt"

    I guess not. :)

    Maybe "didn't you feel" will sound better.

  13. Anonymous says:
    August 15, 2008 at 4:39 pm

    Americans of today have no idea of what they used to represent to the world at large.

    America was the country of "present courage, glorious future, upward thinking."

    But then pride made them forget how the crucible of leadership operates. Expectation. Leadership quality depends on feedback from the ones being lead. A positive feedback may turn a man into a god, but when the eyes of the common man turn elsewhere the god dissolves into a frail mortal being.

    No love, no majesty.

    That's why the chinese predicament is so puzzling to the american mind. The chinese state may be cruel but the chinese people love the idea of China so much that they are willing to offer the chinese government the kind of unquestionable loyalty they need to push the nation forward. In the end the communist party will give birth to a China which will be the opposite of their initial intentions and none will be too worried about that.

    Now why is the eye of the common man of the world turning away from America? Because american reaction from 911 was one of a wimp. Killing the weak, razing cities built on sand and clay are actions of an unworthy leader, period. You chose the wrong project. Serving as springboard for a jewish supremacist transnational empire was the opposite of what the american founders desired and the West will be worried about that for centuries to come.

    PS: that picture is of Gemini 11 (Conrad and Gordon) liftoff with Saturn V SA-500F on the background, in case you americans can no longer remember what kind of american (with german contribution) courage and practical ingenuity opened new venues for the imagination of the peoples of the world.

  14. charles Keating says:
    August 15, 2008 at 6:53 pm

    Anonymous, one big difference between China and America is that (for a few more years, say until 2025 demographically) the Western concept of deep individualism exists, the precepts of the Enlightenment other than in simple selection of consumer goods. I agree it won't last–it's downfall started with the USA's 1965 Immigration Act.

    The eye of the common man of the world is turning away from America because all humans eventually notice unfairness–the biggest case in point is the I-P story. Everybody but the American masses can see this.

    If the average 1930's German was guilty, then so is the average American–with much less excuse.

    It's very frustrating.

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