OLYMPICS

Quest for Gold

The spectacular opening ceremony is a symbol of Chinese might—but
also of redemption.

By Melinda Liu | Newsweek Web Exclusive
Aug 8, 2008 | Updated: 9:58  p.m. ET Aug 8, 2008

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  • Posted By: Sinibaldi @ 08/23/2008 2:29:16 PM

    The sensibility of a fallen desire.

    The long vigils
    of the night fall
    on the ground
    with a fine
    sensibility, and
    even that sunshine
    invites me to cry
    near the sound
    of a finger: I dream
    you me dear,
    I remember your
    fate.

    Francesco Sinibaldi

  • Posted By: Grandpapa @ 08/23/2008 10:46:02 AM


    "western media" running circus to bash and defame anything China
    -- I fully support the western media,for the right of inebriation on mental masturbation.
    Enyoy it, Melinda, that does good to the health of yours and your boss's!
    hahahahahahaha......

  • Posted By: Yukai Liu @ 08/23/2008 10:26:05 AM

    mikemu, the truth is in the past 200 years China have not invaded any country, and 50,000,000 people were killed in the world war 2. It is you America stop our China to unite, and now it is you America try to divide our country in Tibet. Do you think which one is more like the Nazi?
    About the Tibet problem, you'd better to go to the Tibet and watch by yourself. Before you find the real truth and understand the real China, shut up your racialistic mouth!

  • Posted By: Yukai Liu @ 08/23/2008 10:17:07 AM

    mikemu, the truth is in the past 200 years, China have not invaded any country, and 50,000,000 chinese people were killed in the world war 2. It is you America stop our China to unite(like Taiwan), now you still want to divide our country in Tibet. Do you think which one is more like Nazi?
    You just trust the hosts of slaves in Tibet and their sons, and what they want is just to pull Tibet back to the helot age. You'd better go to Tibet and watch by yourself, Go to find the real truth and understand the real China before you think you did.

  • Posted By: bobbygardner80 @ 08/10/2008 11:53:59 AM

    The goose-step opening ceremony at the Beijing Olympics was a slap in the face to the world. China will not respect our traditions, our culture, our sensitivities any more than it will respect the human rights of its own citizens. Ideally, the olympics would be solely about the games and the spirit of human brotherhood. However, from the begining they have served as a catalyst for discussion of politics and national policy. People who argue that we should ignore China's human rights abuses should consider that there are human beings suffering horribly over there right now, children being exploited and killed, adults being exploited and killed and Chinese protesters trying desperately to bring our attention to the corruption and oppression that they are suffering. Ignoring them is like walking through a concentration camp and admiring the beauty of the sun and getting angry at those who tell you to look around at what's happening to the people around you. While it is right to admire the beauty of the sun, there should be discussion and action to right wrongs that have no place in the world.

    The Berlin games of 1936 was a truly spectacular olympic opening ceremony. The Germans walked in hailing Hitler there was inspirational music. It was crafted with the same flair for cinema that the nazi propaganda films would enjoy for the next 10 years. We can't watch footage of that opening ceremony without being facinated by the knowledge that all those people sitting in the stands would witness some of the most incredibly evil national programs the world has ever seen. Its amazing to think that a modern culture could embrace the ideals of the nazis and its scary as hell that it could happen again. When I watched the chinese soldiers goose-step around I felt similar to the way I feel when I watch footage of that 1936 Olympic opening, except I am more fearful, because I wonder if we had another World War or if there was a slow spread of oppression from China to countries around the world, would good still prevail.

    • Posted By: FREETHINKINGAMERICAN @ 08/13/2008 11:18:18 AM

      Bobby Gardener's comment is a good example of how a little (and shallow) education allied with intellectual laziness and prejudice can be a dangerous thing in trying make historical analogies.
      The 2008 Beijing Olympics is like the 1936 Munich Olympics? There may be a "slow spread of oppression from China?
      Reading Bobby's comments and comments by other ill-informed, insular and prejudiced anti-China American posters, I would suggest that they : a) Deepen their knowledge of history; b) actually live in China for a few years and learn something about Chinese history and society and live amongst Chinese people, as Daniel Bell has done; then they might not make such glib and shallow comments that reveal their intellectual laziness and shallowness of thought.
      Having an opinion may be a good thing; having a thoughtful and informed opinion is a better thing.

      • Posted By: mikemu @ 08/22/2008 4:49:12 PM

        Freethinkingamerican, I do not think you understand chinese at all, You just had a few *** freinds and read a few books about them. With that you are not going to understand them. In early 1950s, they came to our land Eastern turkistan and said "this is your land, we are here for helping", Now they claim Eastern turkistan has been their land for thousand years. Well, in 10 to 20 years, you will understand what I am talking, good luck! Chinks could be wores than Nazi

  • Posted By: lovejusticepeace @ 08/21/2008 12:58:29 PM

    This was China's soft-power version of "shock and awe." Or at least, that metaphor ran through my mind as the pyrotechnics reminded me of watching the U.S. "shock and awe" bombing of Baghdad in 2003 from my Palestine Hotel room balcony.
    YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY WRONG TO CLUB THESE TWO TOGETHER.
    THE SHOCK AND AWE OF BAGHDAD BOMBING IS SLAUGHTER AND AWFUL !
    Stop being a western lackey.

  • Posted By: Sinibaldi @ 08/18/2008 10:30:07 AM

    Quand j'appelle l'atmosphère....

    Une tendre
    poésie me touche
    divinement comme
    le son de la
    pluie qui devient
    perpétuelle; j'écoute
    l'émotion d'un bois
    très heureux et
    alors, quand j'appelle
    l'atmosphère, un
    chant infini me
    donne le terrain.

    Francesco Sinibaldi

  • Posted By: Sinibaldi @ 08/16/2008 2:28:27 PM

    Collection of flowers.

    The right rose
    appears in my mind,
    and everywhere
    shines when the
    soft wind remains
    in the light of
    a flower; the cold
    leaf is dead
    and here there's
    a shadow, the
    delicate dark and
    a loving profile.

    Francesco Sinibaldi

    http://amicipoesia.mondoweb.net/topic814.html

  • Posted By: Sinibaldi @ 08/14/2008 11:13:03 AM

    Dorato suon di gioventù.

    Onde cotanto
    'l sol fa festa e
    pe li campi esulta
    a novo membrando
    de la ridente etate
    'l suon di giovinezza
    s'ode vagar, sì
    dolce e tristemente,
    de novellina aurora
    'l candido rumore.
    Ma quando un
    pianto ritorna e
    dimora silente nelle
    ombre del cuore,
    e s'ode vociare
    il tenero soffio
    d'un chiarore svanito,
    dono un canto
    beato a quel raggio
    di sole: e questo
    per Chiara, nel primo
    sorriso del fiore
    ch'è in te.

    Francesco Sinibaldi

  • Posted By: Sinibaldi @ 08/13/2008 10:56:55 AM

    Nel suon del dì festoso.

    Garzon di giovin
    paesello, s'ode
    vociare la rimembrata
    valle al suon del
    piovo, onde il
    chiaror s'appresta
    e per li campi fulge;
    or sovviemmi, in
    tacita e intenerita
    mano, dell'avvenir
    la festa quasi
    in candido sorriso,
    al cinguettar del
    mane, e in sul fiatar
    del sole.
    Ancor ridente
    apparmi la campagna,
    e tal fugace
    m'apparìa cotanta
    speme allor che
    l'ale esulta e
    quivi dolce geme.

    Francesco Sinibaldi

  • Posted By: lifejoy @ 08/09/2008 8:44:02 AM

    As a rational Chinese.I have to say ,this aritical is objective,the writer is familiar with Chinese culture and society,How and What China continue to be,we just look and see,but I really felt angry some ppl always diatribed to Chinese and Chinese products .Do you guys know you can't enjoy yourgood quality life without Chinese products because it's not expensive and actually the quality is not bad,Without Chinese product, you have to use 3 times even 5 times money to buy the products with same quality .pls use different pbjective views to look around the world, How can you guys think invading Irak was justice, owning guns was a right way?if you never try to experience other countris's culture and think out of box, stop criticize it,of course you can keep your bullheaded views as before, I don't expect whole world can get a same value as what American ideally think.

    • Posted By: yosegate @ 08/10/2008 4:32:03 AM

      Good quality life with Chinese products? And it makes you mad to hear how people complain about
      Chinese products? Why can't you people accept the fact as it is?

      1. Chinese products are often referred "bad" and that of "low quality" and we say those products are bad because they are and it's often not worth the price that consumers pay for. I'm NOT saying all Chinese products are "bad", and you wouldn't know it because you as a Chinese national are used to Chinese goods and most likely to only use Chinese made goods - but for people who had dealt with goods that were produced from nations other than China can see that quite often the quality of Chinese produced goods is not up to its standard - sometimes faulty.
      How are you going to explain toys with leads, dumplings with pesticides, contaminated petfoods, and other endless endless endless harmful and notorious Chinese produced goods?
      Sorry but consumers tend to see better quality in goods that were produced in countries other than China nowadays - I've seen many and many people who did not have any problems with using goods produced from Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Mexico, Slovakia, Czech Republic and so on. It's a pity I cannot list all the extensive category of goods to compare the qualities of goods.
      For instance, my Ralph Lauren T-Shirt that was produced in Canada which I purchased some long years ago are still fine and I wear them fine. However same Ralph Lauren T-Shirt that I bought recently which was produced in China started to wear down quickly. The price I had to pay was just about same. Not to mention that this was not the only case.

      2. Your logic of "how can you survive without China" isn't making any senses
      Are China supplying those goods for free to the world?
      Who have put in the capital into China enabling China to start producing and manufacturing? Was that the China itself?
      There are numerous countries with reasonable labor wage and manpower nowadays - all they need is an investment in infrastructure to start off as other foreign giant firms did with China some time ago.

      3. Why are you suddenly shifting your points to US invasion of Iraq? Then what about violent Chinese oppression towards Tibet, Uighur and other ethinic races? Tensions provoked over in issues with Taiwan, North Korean refugee and over in North East Asia along with endless border disputes with neighboring nations?

      It's about time that you think and see outside the square and be more honest with yourselves.

      • Posted By: Pocket Bullets @ 08/11/2008 2:34:53 PM

        Quote from you: "It's about time that you think and see outside the square and be more honest with yourselves."

        Well said! IT IS TIME FOR YOU AMERICANS TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX you baised media placed on you. You all seem to know more about China than Chinese do, which is wierd for a country headed by someone who couldn't even pronounce "nuclear" to begin with.

        • Posted By: yosegate @ 08/13/2008 8:39:56 AM

          You mean "biased" not "baised", and "weird" not "wierd"
          And says who I'm an American? And what makes you think I'm an American? Just because I wrote something that probably seemed to you to be not so pleasant about China automatically makes me an American? What if I wrote something pleasant about China? Would that make me an angel?
          What is with you people and that death threatning black and white logics with full of hostility and a sense of inferiority? I've seen so many! Perhaps you need to learn how to take a fact as a fact instead of throwing in traditional excuses of "That's not true! It's all lie! It's all exaggerated by western media!" everytime. At least, we know that the media in a country where freedom of speech is granted tends to be much fairer than that of entirely controlled by a government? Wouldn't it? You need to think before you write.

  • Posted By: rover81 @ 08/13/2008 4:00:41 AM


    "western media" running circus to bash and defame anything China
    -- I fully support the western media,for the right of inebriation on mental masturbation.
    Enyoy it, Melinda, that does good to the health of yours and your boss's!

  • Posted By: rover81 @ 08/13/2008 3:09:42 AM


    "western media" running circus to bash and defame anything China
    -- I fully support the western media,for the right of inebriation on mental masturbation.
    Enyoy it, Melinda, that does good to the health of yours and your boss's!

  • Posted By: rover81 @ 08/13/2008 3:07:19 AM


    "western media" running circus to bash and defame anything China
    -- I fully support the western media,for the right of inebriation on mental masturbation.
    Enyoy it, Melinda, that does good to the health of yours and your boss's!

  • Posted By: irenemorningstar @ 08/12/2008 12:26:05 PM

    BRAVO!! It was beyond words to describe the truly "Shock Wave" created by not just the openning ceremony of Beijing Olumpics, but also the superb performances the Chinese Atheletes and the general world praise on every single sports events that had taken place in Beijing so far. Bravo to Ms Melinda Liu for this wonderful article.
    And Orville Schell, eat your heart out. Any regrets on your previoius weeks' outlandish sell out on China? I hope humility shall be the feeling you shall have throughout the Beijing Olympics.
    Irene Leung from Paris
    Irene

  • Posted By: coolade @ 08/12/2008 12:26:40 AM

    Bravo China, Opening ceremony was beyond my wildest imagination. Absolutely mind blowing.
    China has announced big time to the world" Boys We are back" and this time "We Aint going anywhere".
    I am So proud to be Asian and your neighbor Pakistani.Love ya
    and Yeah grapes are really getting sour in "west" and I am loving each and every moment of gripping, Moaning and whining by western media. I am sure this will give more energy and determination to great chinese nation to be true world leaders.

  • Posted By: Pocket Bullets @ 08/11/2008 2:46:10 PM

    It's amusing to watch "western media" running circus to bash and defame anything China, as if words can stop China's re-emergency. If bashing makes you feel better, then carry on. We don't care.

  • Posted By: victor4000 @ 08/10/2008 1:54:33 PM

    to mr.bobbygardner80,
    referring to that you deduce from goose-step and conclude "China will not respect our traditions, our culture,our sensitivities", and then mention berlin games of 1936 so as to hint that china equals nazi,just because of this goose-step, i would like to tell you a chinese idiom: no worry there is no reason.to charge someone. do you american really want to push china to be your enemy?

    • Posted By: hkmcs @ 08/11/2008 5:55:45 AM

      resolving to threats about "pushing china to be your enemy" wouldn't help; people like bobygardner80 are too full of themselves that they can't look past their holy selves. they want to pick on something to critize because of their "secret" agenda/propaganda, while they know nothing about another country's internal policy except for what they're fed from their "open" and "free" media. save your breath.

  • Posted By: Silent-water @ 08/10/2008 10:42:33 PM

    You feel unhappy even jealousy about our success? Pity for you,. However, you can do nothing to prevent it.

  • Posted By: Ewin314 @ 08/10/2008 7:14:49 PM

    Melinda Liu is just a fascist witch, dazzled by her ideology and blind to reality. Check out Bertrand Russell's remarks on the French thinker Rousseau and we will understand why a liberal can be a fascist, acting and thinking like Hitler.

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