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August 20, 2008
Another Olympics hoax? What a shock.
I think we should just start assuming that every aspect of China's Olympics is, to use Wonkette's phrase, an elaborate fake.
We were already taken in by the fake fireworks, the fake little singing girl, and the fake gymnasts' passports. But today's revelation is the best one yet: the Chinese government is allowing protesters to demonstrate in designated "protest zones" during the Olympics, as long as they apply for permits.
So 77 people obediently went and applied for protest permits. How many got them? Zero! And what happened to at least 6 of the applicants when they went to the Public Security office to try to apply? They got arrested! And sent off for "re-education through labor". Shooting fish in a barrel, people.
This clever plan to make the government look like it allows civil dissent while using the fake permit system to detain would-be dissenters hit the press today when two elderly women were sentenced to a year of re-education for applying for protest permits. These ladies probably won't be sent off to break rocks, but could be detained and, as the Times says, "forced to confess their transgressions."
In better news, there are two great sets of photos from today's games in the Times, especially this one of the US men's volleyball team after they beat Serbia, and the one below of Canadian synchronized swimmers.
categories:
International, Politics, Sports
posted by amy at 4:13 PM | #
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Comments
What's more, the anthems played during medal ceremonies were pirated from the composer who orchestrated them for Athens 2004.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/21/AR2008082103668.html?hpid=artslot
Posted by: egn at August 23, 2008 3:09 PM
Wow, that's a good one. The Chinese government condoning copyright infringement? Well I never.
The thing is, China has supported all these ethical breaches as part of an attempt to impress the rest of the world and present themselves as part of the cultural elite. And all people are going to remember about China's hosting is that they faked everything.
Posted by: Amy at August 25, 2008 9:51 AM
Also, the results are fake:
http://tinyurl.com/6nhzrr
Posted by: esskay at August 21, 2008 6:52 PM