Beijing Summer Olympics and the West

I think by now we've all had our fill of watching and listening to the media raging against China hosting the Summer Olympics. I find it so ridiculous. Human rights issues aside, Tibet issues aside (we'll get into a whole new debate on these two, so let's stay away from there). I am realizing that, by watching the western media coverage (form germany to England to here in the US, on channels like CNN), the people of the West have a very, very deep rooted mistrust for anything Chinese. No, I am not talking about Communist Chinese Government. I am talking about China, Zhong Guo. Here's an excerpt from a sportswriter for Yahoo!, Dan Wetzel's column on the summer games.

"the pollution is said to be horrific, the food untrustworthy and just recently the Chinese began installing that cutting-edge technology known as the "sit toilet" at some venues after discovering that the rest of the world isn't too keen on squatting over a hole in the ground to do their business.Even if there, somehow, was peace this August, awarding the Olympics to China could go down as the single dumbest sports decision in history."

When I read to the part where he talks about squatting over a hole in the ground. I was pretty damn fucking upset. Well, excuse me, Mr.Wetzel, I would like to apologize, to you, and your fat, stinking, white fucking ass for being so obese and can't even support your own weight that you can't use the squatting toilet, which, incidentally, is MORE sound environmentally. I am sorry that you are so spoiled by the western luxuries, such as the toilet bowl.

The bathroom toilet was a choice, the Chinese people simply prefer to use the squatting down format. Even the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia, and Narita Int'l Airport in Tokyo has squatting toilets. How about getting your facts straight first.

Admitted, pollution is an issue in China, but if you were to read BOTH sides of the argument, China has done quite a bit to restore the environmental balance to the nation's urban areas. The new generation of the Communist leaders know that pollution will kill the future of their country if nothing is done, and they are extrmely progressive at it. After spending 3.5 months in China, I can testify on the amount spent on electricity and water awareness campaigns. We Americans, compare to the average Chinese, are 10 times worse with our insatisable thirst for oil, and our tremendous output of CO2 gas.

Mr. Wetzel then went to make yet another smart ass assertion. "the prevailing wisdom now is that the Beijing Olympics are looking like, if we're lucky, merely a redo of the 1936 Berlin Games. And that's only in the unlikely event the bloodshed ends."

What pervailing wisdom? I hope he would tell me where he is getting his "wisdom" from. The pot dealer on the corner of Broadway and 8th? The 1936 Games held in Berlin was controlled by a maniac determined to prove to the world the Aryan Supremacy. China today is no threat to any other country, has no ethnic cleansing on its mind, and is opening her arms to welcome all foreigners. I hear people openly discuss politics on every corner of Beijing. And many are criticizing their government vehemently. The air of democracy is taking its hold over China. yet, to the people and the media of the West, China is simply seen as a rising threat, a "Red Communist Threat" coined by Lou Dobbs, who refuses to call China as simply... China. He'll say "Communist China today ...etc" , or "what will Red China do next... etc.". These terms are used during the 70's, during the McCarthey Era, when fear of communism was at a all time high stateside. The biase of the mainstream western media and the people here in the West is simply too much.

I ask Mr.Wetzel and likeminded folks, what do you accomplish by isolating yourself to this school of thought? This very thought you harbor will lead to the continued path of conflict between the U.S and China. I really don't understand what these people are hoping to achieve by painting such an evil, negative image of present day China. They will show a side of China that is fictitious, and blown way out of proportions to the citizens of the West. Look at the difference here, the average Chinese person is embracing everything that symbolizes the West, from fashion to the music, to the capitalist systems. The people of the West, however, is turning away, or rejecting anything that is Chinese, from the unique Chinese government and economic system in place, to the 5,000 years of culture. Through paintings drew by 19th century comic artists to columnists like Dan Wetzel, The Chinese is stereotyped negatively. We are slanty eyed, short yellow men that will work extra hard to steal your cash. We will one day overrun the world because of our overpopulation and our overpollution (ironic... america the polluter). I grew up in the U.S, I worked very hard to assimilate myself into the American society, and I think I am very successful at it. But, when I see a Chinese person that either does not speak English, or has a horrible accent speaking it, and it's so obvious the American he/she is speaking to is looking condescendingly at him/her, everytime I see that, even my parents, I am reminded just HOW MUCH discrimination there are in the minds of the Americans. I love my country, the U.S., Without her, I would not have become Jim, receiving the best education and living conditions in the world and enjoying my freedom. America molded me into who I am today and instilled in me my moral values. But, I love China, without her, I would not be me. The core of me is still very much Chinese. Values such as filial piety is what I live by everyday.

The rise of China is inevitable. However, I sincerely hope it is a peaceful transition.