Obligated to speak on The Olympics

Let’s be fair, the 8th day of the 8th month of the year 2008 approaches. Aside from the exciting fact that the date will read 08/08/08 (oh yeah!) and the fact that it will be Friday (even better!) the only other thing this date has to recommend to it is the fact that the opening ceremony for the Olympic Games will be held on this date. If you happen to be in China – if you live somewhere like NZ the Opening Ceremony technically will be being held after midnight – thus making the date 09/08/08 (not as exciting, or auspicious – apparently).

Of course, the Opening Ceremony isn’t really the “opening” ceremony. After all, events have already started. The soccer (or football) competitions kicked off (hah – see what I did there?) on Wednesday.

Obviously soccer is not the sort of game that requires an opening ceremony.

It seems ridiculous to me – they have essentially delayed the Opening Ceremony by two days for the sake of some slightly delusional belief that the number 8 is lucky.

Please…superstitions aside, why would China need luck? They have it all! They’re hosting the games, the pollution is gone (at the risk of their economy) and they have found some mysterious new green water weed. It could be anything from gillyweed to the cure for the world’s fuel crisis. Although if it is gillyweed perhaps they should have left it that for the swimmers to consume?

Add to that the communist government, the terrorist attacks and the “Free Tibet” banner that was unfurled for a whopping 12 minutes…China is on a roll.

The Chinese saw the Olympics as a way of showcasing to the world that they are a developed nation that is on par with any Western democracy in the world. Unfortunately, all they have showcased is their neglect of basic human rights, pollution, suppressed (oppressed?) media and state control.

Well done China!

But hey, thanks to the state of the media in China – your average Chinese citizen will probably deem the Olympics a great success. And let’s face it, for the Chinese it’s all about “face” anyway.

If a fruit is rotting on the inside but the outside still looks shiny and new is it still rotting?