Video: The ChiComs blow everyone’s minds

posted at 3:45 pm on August 9, 2008 by Allahpundit

And for once, that’s meant figuratively, not literally. I’m sending you to NBC’s master page for Olympics video; all four clips in the top row are worth watching but the most spectacular stuff is in the “Sights and Sounds” and “Li Ning soars” segments. You’ll need to install the Silverlight plug-in to see it in high rez, but it’s worth it. If you’re looking for the U.S. team in the parade of nations, they appear right at 1:20:00 — to a surprisingly warm ovation, if not quite as warm as the one for Iraq at 1:07:20.

It’s amazing what totalitarians flush with cash can accomplish when they put their minds to it. The Sun’s headline says it all. Click the image to watch.

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Recent update on China from Amnesty International:

The authorities continue to use several provisions of the Criminal Law as political tools to suppress dissent. Broadly defined categories of crimes, such as “separatism”, “subversion”, “disturbing public order”, “endangering state security” and “leaking state secrets” continue to be used to prosecute those engaged in legitimate and peaceful human rights activities. Despite repeated calls from reformists at home and overseas, the authorities have so far failed to review these provisions with a view to amending or repealing them so that they cannot be used to prosecute individuals in violation of their human rights.

Attempts to prevent or impede the peaceful activities of human rights defenders run counter to the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders36and promises made by the Chinese authorities that human rights will improve as result of Beijing being awarded the Olympics. Many of the activists persecuted in the run up to the Games are lawyers and legal advisors who play a crucial role in securing the rule of law and the protection of human rights in any society.

The vulnerability of Chinese lawyers was underscored in May 2008 when the authorities refused to renew the law licenses of Beijing-based lawyers Teng Biao and Jiang Tianyong. Both had signed up to an open letter issued by 18 lawyers on 3 April 2008 offering free legal counsel to Tibetans arrested in connection with the recent unrest. According to one of these lawyers, Chinese authorities warned the lawyers and their law firms not to get involved in Tibetan issues. Jiang Tianyong’s law license was eventually renewed at the end of June, but Teng Biao’s has not yet been renewed, effectively preventing him from taking on legal cases.

Dark-Star on August 9, 2008 at 11:34 PM

Maybe you should write the Chinese government and tell them so. I wonder if the 500,000 Chinese being held without charge or legal counsel can hear the music from their cells.

Glynn on August 10, 2008 at 9:48 AM

What’s Taiwan? You mean chinese Taipea that flies a generic olympic flag don’t you?
lorien1973 on August 9, 2008 at 5:01 PM

I have a lot of friends in Taiwan, it is the most pro-American places I’ve ever been to. One of the many reasons I can’t stand the Olympics is they don’t call the country RoC or Taiwan but Chinese Taipei, which is kowtowing in the best tradition of kowtowing to communists. I remember in 1996 in Atlanta, they cut to commercial break when the team from Taiwan was coming down the ramp. I was on the phone with my girlfriend of the time, who was from Taiwan, and she lost her temper when they did that.

The IOC is a useless organization, their behavior during and after the terrorist attack in Munich was appalling. Kinda like the UN……

Mooseman on August 10, 2008 at 9:53 AM

Olympics in China?

Meh. Color me unimpressed.

I’m saturated by Chinese products already. I don’t need to watch China glorified on TV.

But I will say this: they make some darn tasty egg rolls!

Et tu Brute on August 10, 2008 at 10:48 AM

NBC
Need to Bl0w Communists

RobCon on August 10, 2008 at 11:20 AM

I think alot of these comments have been stupendously unfair. The opening ceremonies were wonderful. They were by far the best ones I have ever seen and I have watched each one since ’84.

The art was beautiful, the dancing was original and wonderful and the concepts were amazing.

There were several people who said that this was Communist Propaganda. With the exception of the military ceremony and a very brief allusion to the “harmonious society” there was nothing which would even indicate the Red Regime. China has thousands of years of culture before Communism which they are and ought to be rightly proud, just as we are proud of the roots of our own culture here.

There is some good sports to be watched here. The cycling around the great wall was amazing. Michael Phelps, the Redeem Team, Yao with the little earthquake survivor, the amazing lighting of the torch.

I wish we could all enjoy the Olympics for what they should be.

Squid Shark on August 10, 2008 at 12:24 PM

Unfortunately, I can’t put any faith in anything Amnesty International says, because they lie their a$$es off about each and every criminal case in the United States.

Blake on August 10, 2008 at 12:45 PM

I think alot of these comments have been stupendously unfair.

Why? Whether someone liked the opening ceremony or not is a matter of opinion. Because people have a different opinion than yours doesn’t make theirs “unfair.”

There were several people who said that this was Communist Propaganda

And I agree with their assessment in that it reminded me of the old Chicom ballets that were pure propaganda.

If people enjoy the sports, more power to them. But, I don’t believe sports “brings us together” or the b.s. the chicoms are trying to sell about one happy world. Their part of the world has been pretty damn unhappy throughout history and it continues today.

Blake on August 10, 2008 at 12:53 PM

Blake on August 10, 2008 at 12:53 PM

Clearly missing my point.

Please tell me how it was all “just” Chicom Propoganda. China has some pretty damn good culture independent of Mao and his barbarism. And they showed it in that ceremony.

I can think of a bunch of times in history where the people in China were a hell of alot happier than my ancestors.

Forgive me if I dont share your cynicism.

Squid Shark on August 10, 2008 at 1:06 PM

Excellent article in Town Hall along the same themes:

Squid Shark on August 10, 2008 at 1:08 PM

Most fans of Zhang have criticized him for years, not as a government lackey, but as a commercial sellout. I think the article you linked also points in that direction. It isn’t dissimilar to a director like Scorsese (and many others) who initially made great films but learned that working the system gave them more power and money.

dedalus on August 9, 2008 at 6:12 PM

To compare Zhang and Scorsese’s freedoms/influences and especially fears from government is the hight of all naivete and insanity, impossibly based on reality. Could only be based on Utopian idealism or faux indoctrination.

Forgot to tell our former student, who traveled in China, that I used to be forced to participate in such events, forced hours, evenings and weekends, so we couldn’t go to church, and then forced to march and ‘play’ happy. I know this propaganda very well. What probably was different at the Olympics is the art and the western technology. It still comes off the backs/sweat/sacrifice of the Chinese people, for the glory of the rotten government, to show how ‘big’ they are.

Entelechy on August 10, 2008 at 1:08 PM

One of the many reasons I can’t stand the Olympics is they don’t call the country RoC or Taiwan but Chinese Taipei, which is kowtowing in the best tradition of kowtowing to communists. I remember in 1996 in Atlanta, they cut to commercial break when the team from Taiwan was coming down the ramp. I was on the phone with my girlfriend of the time, who was from Taiwan, and she lost her temper when they did that.

The IOC is a useless organization, their behavior during and after the terrorist attack in Munich was appalling. Kinda like the UN……

Mooseman on August 10, 2008 at 9:53 AM

.
I love to see lefties try to reason with this. The only legitimate government in China is Taiwan, as they are the only elected government.

Think_b4_speaking on August 10, 2008 at 1:15 PM

Think_b4_speaking on August 10, 2008 at 1:15 PM

There was not a truly fair milti-party election in Taiwan until 2000, so what about all the Olympics in between?

Squid Shark on August 10, 2008 at 1:21 PM

To compare Zhang and Scorsese’s freedoms/influences and especially fears from government is the hight of all naivete and insanity, impossibly based on reality. Could only be based on Utopian idealism or faux indoctrination.

Entelechy on August 10, 2008 at 1:08 PM

I wouldn’t and didn’t. The point of my analogy is that Zhang has likely viewed working the system in a manner similar to the way Scorsese has worked the studio system in recent years in search of an Oscar and more power. Either could make films more on their own terms like, say, John Sayles has. However, Zhang and Scorcese each work a little more closely with the powers that be–whether government or studios. From an artistic standpoint there isn’t a big difference, though Zhang would have to leave his country to make films free of censorship while Scorsese wouldn’t.

I’ve seen few, if any, more scathing criticisms of Mao’s revolutions than Zhang’s “To Live” or “Huo Zhe”.

dedalus on August 10, 2008 at 6:09 PM

I’m sick and tired of hearing about Yao Ming. In five years with the Rockets he hasn’t done squat. He’s got the defensve tenacity of Shawn Bradley, the offensive repetoir of Dwayne Schintzius, and the durability of Bill Walton.

He could’t carry Shaq, Moses Malone, or Hakeem Olajuwon’s jock.

Mike Honcho on August 10, 2008 at 6:17 PM

Unfortunately, I can’t put any faith in anything Amnesty International says, because they lie their a$$es off about each and every criminal case in the United States.

Blake on August 10, 2008 at 12:45 PM

The exact same information can be obtained at China Aid and Voice of the Martyrs. Also, much of what was mentioned in the Amnesty information was in direct relation to concerns the IOC had from the very beginning about China cleaning up its act. I don’t think it is any secret what goes on in China. But then one can chooe to ignore something if it makes one uncomfortable.

Glynn on August 10, 2008 at 6:29 PM

Blake on August 10, 2008 at 12:45 PM

The last sentence in my post above was not directed at you. I wanted to make that clear. Thanks. I happen to agree that Amnesty International has problems, but they have done some great work in China. I’ll give them that.

Glynn on August 10, 2008 at 6:43 PM

As another pointed out, this poster from despair.com says it all concerning the opening ceremonies.

Send_Me on August 10, 2008 at 7:52 PM

The point of my analogy is that Zhang has likely viewed working the system in a manner similar to the way Scorsese has worked the studio system in recent years in search of an Oscar and more power. Either could make films more on their own terms like, say, John Sayles has. However, Zhang and Scorcese each work a little more closely with the powers that be–whether government or studios.

dedalus on August 10, 2008 at 6:09 PM

There’s a heck of a difference between what Zhang has to overlook, and what Scorsese has to overlook, in each’s process of ‘selling out’. That difference happens to reflect the vast difference in the Thing that each one is selling out to; in one case, it’s a studio system that approves artistic projects depending on perceptions of profit & loss rather than artistic merit; the other is the embodiment of totalitarian evil that imprisons its citizens on a whim.

I don’t see this enormous difference reflected at all in the analogy you posited. I understand the logic behind the analogy, but I don’t see how one can suggest that the two cases are remotely equivalent, in terms of the Choice that each has to consider as an artist in the process of Selling Out. And unfortunately I think your posts tend to do that. (If the impression is mistaken I apologize in advance.)

Anyhow: You may even be right that this is the way Zhang sees it, but it ain’t the way the rest of us see it. And if he does, he’s even farther around the bend than we’ve been discussing so far.

I’ve seen few, if any, more scathing criticisms of Mao’s revolutions than Zhang’s “To Live” or “Huo Zhe”.

Water under the bridge, if it’s even remotely true what the man has been up to since then. Doesn’t a later act of betrayal/dishonesty invalidate an earlier act of solidarity/honesty? Or is the order of the two acts insignificant with respect to this question, in your opinion?

RD on August 10, 2008 at 8:07 PM

Water under the bridge, if it’s even remotely true what the man has been up to since then. Doesn’t a later act of betrayal/dishonesty invalidate an earlier act of solidarity/honesty? Or is the order of the two acts insignificant with respect to this question, in your opinion?

RD on August 10, 2008 at 8:07 PM

My original post suggested that to the extent that these opening ceremonies were exceptional it might have something to do with the artistic abilities of the producer. Zhang has many critics, but most agree the guy is a gifted visual artist.

“To Live” isn’t water under the bridge in that it has outlived some of its censors and certainly will be viewed by future generations as a record of Mao’s cruelty, written and directed by someone who suffered through it.

Perhaps you’re right and I’m seeing it from Zhang’s vantage point. I’m guessing that his desire to have a bigger stage and a bigger audience allow him to rationalize accommodations to the ChiComs as necessary in the challenge his country faces for orderly growth. The current government has significant problems but things have advanced greatly since Mao died. Like many Chinese (and many Chinese Americans) Zhang could see the Olympics not as a validation for the current government (nor did Atlanta serve to glorify the Clinton administration) but also as an important step for his nation in opening up to the world.

I’m not suggesting, at all, that Marty and Zhang are equivalent, but that there is an analogous compromise made to the artistic product. Zhang has the freedom to leave. He could make films independently (so could Scorsese), but they choose to wrestle with their respective beasts.

dedalus on August 10, 2008 at 8:43 PM

Please tell me how it was all “just” Chicom Propoganda.

Please tell me where I wrote it was all “just” chicom propaganda. Let me make it easier for you: You can’t. You are making it up complete with phony quote marks.

Forgive me if I dont share your cynicism.

Didn’t ask you to. Only said don’t try to force your opinion on others. And it’s pretty cynical when you have to resort to strawman arguments in order to win a debate.

Blake on August 10, 2008 at 8:46 PM

Thanks. I happen to agree that Amnesty International has problems, but they have done some great work in China. I’ll give them that.

I don’t know whether AI has done some great work in china. All I said and I will continue to say is that in areas that I have a professional interest in, they lie their teeth off. Therefore, I am not going to trust anything they say about anything. Period.

Blake on August 10, 2008 at 8:49 PM

Hey! Why don’t 1,321,851,888 Chinese get to vote? That’s 1,321,851,888 people. No say in their government. Paging Code Fink! Berkley? ……..hmmm.

ronsfi on August 10, 2008 at 10:50 PM

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