Quest for Gold

I thought it was terrifying when the soldiers did the goose step. To Americans the goose-step is a symbol of oppressive, human right abusing dictatorships. It was a grim reminder that many countries do not enjoy the freedom we enjoy in the US.

I've read a little about goose-stepping and have found that there are a few countries that incorporate it into their military pageantry. I've also read that it came from Prussia. I've also read that the Chinese were enemies of the Nazi party during world war 2. For all these reasons, many on the net argue that I should not find it offensive.

However, like the swastika(which has actually been used for thousands of years), goose stepping has become a symbol of evil. Just like I choose not to name my children Adolf or Satan, I would like countries not to use the swastika on their flags and would like them not to goose-step during military pageantry.

This generation of americans has been brought up to believe in respect for other people's cultures. I think that we should do that, as long as those cultures deserve our respect. Silently tolerating the use of symbols that are commonly used to represent evil is not something we should do.

So, Melinda Lui, you would expect a pageant of American history for the Olympics to high-light : the genocide of the American Red Indians; the enslavement of black people; the discrimination against Chinese immigrants; the McCarthy communist witch-hunts; the machinations of American governments to keep THEIR fascist sons-of *** in power; the fiasco of the Vietnam war; the Kent State university killings, and the illegal invasion of Iraq?

Would you?
And if not, why not???

So, Melinda Lui, would you really expect a similar pageant of American history to highlight : the decimation (if not complete genocide) of the American Red Indians; the enslavement of Black people; discrimination against Chinese immigrants; the Great Depression unleashed by the greed of Wall Street; the McCarthy Communist witch-hunts; the Kent University university student killings; the fiasco of the Vietnam War; the machinations of American governments in countries all around the world to keep THEIR fascist son-of *** in power; and the illegal invasion of Iraq in a similar pageant of American history for the Olympics?

And if not, why not???

As a common college student in Chivna,I am shocked by the opinions of the author.I have to say that the author know nothing about China.All the comments are obviously based on his prejudice and kind of racialism.I can't believe the fake-China-expert could come up with so much to asperse China based on such a great ceremony.We,the Chinese,want to show the world that we are able hold a successful Olympic Games.Besides,if there is actrually someone who connect the Olympic Games with the politics,it's firstly some unresponsible medias.Now the Chinese people are friedly to the people from all over the world,But we can't stand such backbiting.

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

Congradulations to Beijing. This is the best Olympic Opening ever! Only Beijing has the ability to pull off such a big spectacular opening with such artistry, creativity, wisdom and organization for people around the world to share. Thank you Beijing.

Why is it that almost every major Western media source simply has to bring politics into their coverage of the games? Sure, every Olympics is always politicized in some way, especially this one, yet why is it that no one can just write one article, especially right after such a spectacular and mesmerizing opening ceremony, that does not have to do with China's human rights abuses or China's authoritarian regime? Why can't it just be that the Chinese people--and its government--simply just wants to host a good Olympics and celebrate its re-entry onto the world stage? Why does it always have to be a zero-sum game in which China is threatening the welfare of other nations? Ms. Liu, you lay bare your own political convictions in this article just too much. It is because of people like you--people who will always find fault with Beijing because of your own stiff political convictions--that no matter what China does to put on a good display, it will always be the bad guys, and these Olympics will always be the "Nazi Olympics." Lord save China.

Are you right-wing standpatter?Are you still immersed in cold war ?why do you badger with the history ,even casting back to the second World War?Are you just flaunting your so-called profound knowledge?You are illiberal ,cause you perform intolerant when confronting other countries'development. As a journalist,breaching and fabricating the truths are malfeasance.

Why, oh why, do reporters feel the need to ambush unspecting readers by using snide remarks to promote their political opinion in non-related articles? If I cared one iota about how Ms. Liu feels regarding the US presence in Iraq, I would be searching for other types of articles by her....but I just wanted to read about the opening ceremonies at the Olympics. Kudos to you, Ms. Liu. I didn't get past your third paragraph and will not be reading your article after all.

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to Mr.DiSpencer ,
1.you american is the biggest country pollutting the air,and has been doing this for 200 years. 2.poisonous chinese products, if it is true, then your government allows them to be imported so as to poison you,which i believe impossible, so you are a liar saying this.3.i am a chinese, it is strange to hear someone else to care whether i am being murdered when i safely stay at home drinking a cup of tea,with the air-conditioner opened, and get ready to have a business trip to japan. so, take care of yourself, don't care my life, thank you.

I have to admit that the writer is familiar with Chinese history and asian culture,this article touched the core value of present China,it still keeps the question,what and how the China continue to be?Look and See.

The opening ceremonies were beautiful. But there will be no redemption until the truely peaceful people of Tibet and Taiwan are no longer persecuted. No one in the international community will take seriously China's commitment to the concept of "He" until it's own government does. While watching the opening ceremonies I could not get rid of the thought that all of the junk that we Americans import from China paid for the admittedly beautiful spectacle. While China offers poison to it's "friends" in the form of lead laced children's toys, poisonous toothpaste, and toxic reformulated medicines it maintains most favored nation trade status. While China represses it's own people and murders the people of neighboring nations it is offered the honor of hosting the Olympic games. While China is unable or unwilling to provide even remotely clean air to the world it accepts applogies from visiting athletes because they feel the need to wear masks to protect their health. It's too bad that the spirit of the Olympic Games are being cheapened so. China is using the world stage to masquerade as a friend. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain...

There will be no redemption for China as long as the truely peaceful people of Tibet and Taiwan are persecuted. No one in the international community can believe that China is doing more than giving lip service to the concept of "He". It appears that the beauty and legitimacy of the games serve only to mask China's appalling human rights violations. Watching the opening ceremonies I could not help but think about all of the junk that we as Americans have imported from China that paid for the admittedly beautiful spectacle. We continue to import the junk even while the children's toys are being laced with lead, the medicines are being reformulated and toothpaste is being tainted all to dire consequences. Yet this country that represses it's own people, murders the people of neighboring countries, and offers poison to it's "friends" maintains "most favored nation" trade status and is given the honor of hosting the Olympic Games. Do I even need mention China's inability and/or unwillingness to do it's part in providing clean air to it's people and visitors? How many athletes have chosen not to complete because of this? And why do we not hear about this? Is it that the ozone layer above China is extraordinarily thick and they don't neeed to worry like the rest of us?

I'm a Chinese, admittedly we are not a democratic country and human rights sometimes migh be sacrifised for state's intterest or for hidden interest of some secret groups, i'm not happy with that too.

But I don't agree with the author for referring China to "1936 Berlin". We are not westerner, we are Chinese. "Harmony" "Unity" and "Peace" is translated into "He" in Chinese, all of these are the core concepts of Chinese culture. You can track the "He" concepts in our family value, diplomatic policy and society organization. We are never a war fan, we only go for war when there are invasions. This is not Chinese government's propaganda, it's most chinese people's thoughts. we like "peace".

Before you make any assumption, plz take a thorough look at the fact first, you don't know chinese culture and history, then you can't interprete the true meaning of chinese actions.

I'm a Chinese, admittedly we are not a democratic country and human rights sometimes migh be sacrifised for state's intterest or for hidden interest of some secret groups, i'm not happy with that too.

But I don't agree with the author for referring China to "1936 Berlin". We are not westerner, we are Chinese. "Harmony" "Unity" and "Peace" is translated into "He" in Chinese, all of these are the core concepts of Chinese culture. You can track the "He" concepts in our family value, diplomatic policy and society organization. We are never a war fan, we only go for war when there are invasions. This is not Chinese government's propaganda, it's most chinese people's thoughts. we like "peace".

Before you make any assumption, plz take a thorough look at the fact first, you don't know chinese culture and history, then you can't interprete the true meaning of chinese actions.

I'm a chinese, admittedly we are not a democratic society and human right sometimes might be compromised for state's interest, or even for some hidden interest of secret groups... but i don't agree with the author referring us to 1936 Berlin, 'cos Chinese is different from westerner, we are not war fans, we don't like war, "peace" and "unity" is two priniciple concepts in our culture, from our family value, our education, our government policy, you can find the track of this. That's why we often choose not to make enemy, even with the African countries, we often believe friends can help us stand in a safe position. Tha't's chinese.
So before you make any judgement, please take a thorough look first, you know the chinese culture and value, you don't know how to really intreprete the chinese actions.