Olympic Torch Relay Madness

 
So if you've been watching the news lately, you've no doubt seen the trouble China is having getting the Olympic torch around the world.  It seems that wherever they go, they run into about 5 hundred angry "Free Tibet" supporters.  I propose that we turn the Olympic Torch Relay into an actual olympic sport, because frankly it's much more interesting to watch than some of the other events that have during the games.  Besides, it's got everything: suspense, surprises, last second lunges for glory as some protester tries to fling his body in front of the torch bearer.  What more could you want in an Olympic games?  The simple truth of it is that I understand both sides.  I'm starting to sympathize with China a bit more for a few reasons.  First off, frankly the pro-Tibet people get on my nerves.  I have nothing against Tibet, (although I'll go on the record as believing the Dalai Lama to be a very sincere man... sincerely wrong that is), I have an issue with how they're presenting their struggle.  They paint themselves as victims and them stage demonstrations and protests which are not exactly non-violent.  Again, nothing against the good people of Tibet, but they lack a sense of class and honor that I clearly saw in the majority of non-violent protests led by MLK, Gandhi, and Nelson Mandela.  People are comparing China's 2008 Olympics to the 1936 Berlin Games where Adolph Hitler used the entire event as a propaganda piece for Nazism.  This is an unfair comparison.  China is not half as bad as Nazi Germany.  They have human rights issues, yes, but who doesn't?  Name me a country that doesn't have some issue on which their people are divided.  The 1936 Olympics were used to promote the Nazi image and message of anti-semitism, racial supremacy, and religious intolerance.  The 2008 Olympics don't strike me as a purposeful attempt on behalf of the Chinese regime to portray China as some sort of racial superior nation, they're simply overjoyed to get the games in their country for the first time ever.  Nazi Germany slaughtered millions of Jews, I don't think China has been mass exterminating the people of Tibet.  Before everyone starts objecting, I'll play the flip side:  I think what China is doing in Tibet is wrong.  I don't agree with China's human rights record, I believe they can and must do better.  But for all the fuss and frustration they're causing, I simply don't believe the Tibetans and their supporters are doing a ton of good right now.  I'm no expert, but I've traveled to China twice, and I can safely say that the people there are some of the friendliest I've ever encountered.  If you must protest, protest the current Chinese regime, don't protest the entire Olympics, it's like if the Iraq War Protesters tried to boycott the NCAA Basketball Tournament.  It's ridiculous. The Olympics should represent peace and freedom and equality, yes, but let's not make them more than they are folks.  Let's not deprive the good and kind everyday citizens of China who have been anxiously awaiting this summer for so long.  It's a sporting event and it shouldn't cause such a huge political uproar.  What about our athletes?  I feel sorry for the proud US Athletes who have trained hard to be here, and now are being told that we ought to boycott the games because of some issues not even related to them.  I'm beginning to ramble, but think about this: what good does it do the US to make enemies with China?  Not any, that's what.  They have the worlds #1 largest standing military (granted, they can't deploy them like we can and might not have the weapons and support we do, but still, a valid point to consider).  An even better point: forget a possible military threat, what about the economic ramifications?  We need them and they need us: we have to buy their products, they need our business.  You could say it's a marriage of conveniences, but like it or not, both countries stand to win nothing by being anything less than allies.  I'm all for pursuing options on the fate of the Tibet people.  I'm not particularly impressed with the way they're running their campaign for independence right now, but anyway, I've already said too much on that issue.  I simply am a sucker for the Olympic games and would hate to see them overshadowed to a point of insanity based on issues which rightly don't have as much justification as some supporters think they do.  I will continue to observe this torch relay however, as I do find it interesting to see how the world responds to all of this.  Of particular interest: June 19th - 21st.  That's the dates that the Olympic Torch Relay will pass through the region of Tibet itself... and things could get very interesting then.  Until then, keep on enjoying this new olympic sport of "pass the torch before the protesters try and snuff it out" game.