Last night a special report aired on television (on the show Envoyé Spécial on France 2) about the Olympic Torch in Paris, and showed how the whole spectacle unraveled. While everyone expected a certain amount of unrest from France (and got it), there was some disturbing behavior reported that sent shivers down my spine. It reminded me of something I saw years ago on TV about what could happen in the near future. But, in fact, seems to be happening now.
About 5 years ago, there was a very short-lived (1 season only) but brilliant TV show called, Firefly
Back to the Olympic torch event in Paris. The report showed cameramen and journalists all crowded on a truck just in front of the Olympic torch runners – obviously to capture the “glorious” Olympic moment. The French crew notices that the Chinese journalists do not shoot any of the protesters all around the truck; they simply ignore them and tape the torch. The Chinese people evidently will never see any of the human rights activists.
The French and other countries’ journalists, obviously, wanted to capture everything. At that moment, the Chinese cameraman notices being taped by the French, then alerts the Chinese security team about it, saying, “There’s a dangerous cameraman onboard.” Apparently, the Chinese security ordered the French police to remove them without question. Seconds later, The French police arrive and apologetically remove the journalists, who did have the permission to be present. While removing them, the French police said something to the effect of, “we have to follow orders.”
Clearly, it is obvious who is in power here. How could the Chinese have authority outside of their country? It’s strange to see them have all that power in France. They also did appear to be calling the shots in San Francisco, as well. Did you notice? I guess that’s what happens, U.S., when you owe China that much money. The U.S. borrows $3 billion a DAY from Japan, China, the UK and oil exporting countries. Do things make a little more sense now? Is this a reflection of what is to come? The signs of the times, they’re scary.
Could this submissive behavior on the part of the French have something to do with their recent Nuclear Energy deal worth 8 BILLION EUROS ($11.86 billion) with China? Does it have anything to do with the fact that so many French companies have installed themselves in China? Does “Made in China” sound familiar?
An aside: I’ve recently noticed that everything made in China has started to look like “Made in PRC” (People’s Republic of China). You don’t fool me.
Links: Made in China , Olympic Torch
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I’m all for human rights, I love France and I believe China’s treatment of Tibetans is atrocious. However, I don’t know what moral ground the French have to stand on, considering they haven’t been treating their North African minorities that much better either in the last 50 years. Does anyone even remember the massacre of Algerians in Paris in 1961? All there is to commemorate it is a small plaque by pont Saint-Michel. Yet the living conditions in the banlieue remain shameful to this day.
I also find it interesting how no one ever protests the Olympics when it’s stateside, even though the U.S. government has been funding totalitarian regimes and implicated in human rights violations for decades. I think part of the forces at work here, as protests gear up for the Olympics, is the demonization of the Other – namely, China.
Most people forget that human rights, as we know them, is predominantly a Western concept of the post-Enlightenment period. In its 6000 year history, China has never known individual-based human rights. It’s a completely foreign concept to them; for China, true human rights has always meant stability of the state. The fact that the country has changed as much as it has in the past 30 years (evolving from a Communist backwater to an industrialized power that’s Communist in name only) is pretty astonishing, and the country has made leaps in what we call human rights.
There’s obviously a more progress to make, but the key word here is patience. I think it’s a good thing that Beijing has the Olympics, because it means a willingness to integrate themselves into the world. I don’t think painting China as some big red enemy is going to help. The Chinese Communist Party was much, much worse three decades ago, so we just need to keep our eye on whether things are getting better, or worse.
Comment by Doomed to be Fabulous 04.11.08 @ 6:13 pmI’m surprised that this is news to people. China has been notorious in its human rights violations, censorship and its ambition to become a major world power for decades if not longer. The protests should have come when Beijing was considered to be a potential Olympic site.
However, there is a benefit if China is eventually brought into the fold, there is real hope that things will improve in China. But this requires the international community to have a spine and remain vigilant in monitoring China’s activities.
Unfortunately, I don’t think the world has the stamina or the will to do so.
I sincerely hope that Tibet’s gamble works because once the world’s eye turns away, you can be sure China is going to roll in there and punish them for the humiliation.
I don’t know. I want to hope for the better but can’t shake the cynicism I feel.
Comment by Beaneboper 04.21.08 @ 8:47 amLeave a comment
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