Today's Olympics Report : China Sings The "Stop Nagging Me" Tune, Nobody Listens.

According to the Telegraph's opening words on today's china related article, "China is determined to use the Olympics to show off a country that is increasingly prosperous and open to the world. It demands that world leaders do not "mix sport and politics" by pressuring it over issues ranging from freedom of speech to Tibet and Darfur."

In other words it's all take take take and stop trying to make us not be jerks.
Yeah, not happening.

Speaking of people who don't like other people telling him what to do, Presdient Bush (on his last Asia trip before his leaving the White House to probably go back to his other White House... or whatever color his large house is painted in now...) according to the Telegraph "laid out in clear terms the progress he expected from China, in the knowledge that his successors will have to compete with it for influence in a major ideological battle of the 21st Century."

(In other words here's China, McBush the 3rd or Obamarama, you deal with it.)

(President GW Bush) "Change in China will arrive on its own terms and in keeping with its own history and its own traditions," ("he said in Bangkok, before leaving for Beijing to watch the Games' opening ceremony." according to the Telegraph)" "Yet change will arrive."

(Telegraph article) "He said that he did not want to impose American beliefs on China, but that it was time "to allow the Chinese people to express theirs"."

(President GW Bush) "America stands in firm opposition to China's detention of political dissidents and human rights advocates and religious activists. The United States believes the people of China deserve the fundamental liberty that is the natural right of all human beings."

As you probably guessed, he was NOT in China when he actually said all that... he was, for the record, in Bangkok (source of many poor humor jokes from my old English class back in my youth in High School... yeah, I get it, it's called "Bangkok". Whatever.)

If this was the best chance ever for China to take the moral high ground and vow to change for the better (or at least pretend to consider it) China promptly lived up to the planet's lowered expectations and whined (again). If you thought that the Chinese would do anything but reject the latest call for them to stop being pin heads then you don't know China. Still, as if at least trying to rock the boat (or shock people) they did it "less stridently than usual".
Sorta like O'Reilly being 25% less snitty on his daily self loving whorefest he calls his daily show. It's a change of pace but not much else.

On the plus side they, according to the Telegraph, "remain grateful for the moral and political boost represented by Mr Bush's early decision to attend the Games and his repeated refusal to consider a boycott since."

Of course President Bush wasn't the only one with criticism of China.
(Telegraph) "In Beijing, Tessa Jowell, the Olympics minister, was more circumspect in her criticism of her hosts in an interview with The Daily Telegraph.

She said that while she hoped Beijing would "learn not to be afraid of protest", westerners who staged demonstrations like the two Britons detained for unveiling Free Tibet posters on Wednesday should understand that China had a different political system.

"My experience of negotiating with China over years is that going for banner headlines and siren diplomacy is not the best way of achieving change," she said.

The two protesters, Lucy Fairbrother, 23, and Ian Thom, 24, who along with two Americans dropped huge banners saying "One World One Dream Free Tibet" from light-poles near the new National Stadium, arrived home after being deported.

Dozens of family, friends and representatives from the Tibetan community turned out to welcome them.

"Banners and slogans capture people's imaginations in a much more effective way than meetings behind closed doors," said Miss Fairbrother.

"We were treated very even-handedly. The police were very kind to us. We were treated fine. But if any Chinese tried to protest they would be treated much more harshly.""

Oh, add to the Olympic Prisoner Count (let's see if China can stand to win more medals than new Olympics related prisoners this Olympics) three new acquisitions. This time out it's three American Christian activists who staged a protest over in Tianamen Square (occasionally host for the running of the large heavy armored tanks) calling for religious freedom... which is odd since they frequently oppress gays and lesbians oppressing their freedom to marry and adopt while screaming for their own freedom in turn. Yeah. They nice.

Now we're just about to the Olympics, think we can get through tomorrow's opening ceremonies without MORE pissing between... oh, wait, we CAN'T!!

(Telegraph) "In another political gesture likely to offend the Chinese authorities, the United States Olympic Committee chose as its flag-bearer for the opening ceremony a member of Team Darfur, a group of athletes who have signed up to criticism of China over its support for the Sudanese government.

The choice of Lopez Lomong, a runner in the 1,500 metres, is all the more pointed because he is originally from Darfur. He fled Sudan as a six-year-old and grew up in a refugee camp in Kenya before moving to the United States and taking American citizenship last year."

To protest China should have the entire stadium run of the torch run by the all female league of Chinese nudists (in the nude)... because as you know American shriek and scream in terror at the slightest image of nudity on TV (at least according to the FCC' endless quest to destroy human nudity from television)... yeah, not going to happen. Oh well.

Now according to the Telegraph "Jacques Rogge, the president of the International Olympic Committee, said the Games would "help the world to understand China, and it will also help China to understand the world.""

...I don't think a lack of understanding is the problem between us, but whatever...

(Jacques Rogge) "China is a nation in transition, with a great future, tremendous potential and some challenges. I believe history will view the 2008 Olympics as a significant milestone in China's remarkable transformation."

Funny. Unless the entire country rips free of the planet and turns into a giant robot I really don't see China's government moving towards any transformation of any kind (in fact they seem about a relunctant to transform as a kid is in seeing the dentist... in fact exactly like a kid seeing the dentist for the first time China seems to be kicking and screaming it's way towards the chair of transformation, grabbing everything it can on it's way shrieking horribly as it's dragged towards change... sheesh, such a fuss!

And that's the day before the Olympics, dare you dread the knowledge you'll gain... TOMORROW!!

Oh, this Olympics promises to be non stop 24 hour a day coverage on TV and on the web... think you have the ability to digest that much Olymmpics? I don't know if I can... I better stock up on a supply of Olympic Bismo... or just keep you on your regular daily dose of erotic Olympics images.
See you tomorrow!