I’m sure you’ve heard Summon the Heros. It has been hard not to turn to NBC and hear these last few weeks. The Olympics have been a Magnificent, heart lifting, and at times nauseating spectacle this year. But, I’m sure you’ve seen or killed countless hours at work talking about it. Instead I think it is necessary to talk about the things that are being avoided and most likely discouraged. 

           Now since I’m obviously not in China I can report to you as though I have been there, but I can give you links to some good articles about what is going on. The one I highly recommend is Rick Reilly’s. It is worth reading a couple of times.

Rick Reilly’s – These Olympics are unreal. And that’s not a good thing exactly how we planned it.

Meghan Keane – Beijings Brand Strategy: Fake It Til You Make It

          This is just a good source of photos of the homeless people and some close ups of the fake building.

James – Beijing Olympics – shirtless men, fake products, and Potemkin facades

          This article is from the AP about the questionable age of the Chinese gymnasts. For those of you who are opposed to reading this article talk about how some of the gymnasts, specifically He Kexin, Yang Yilin, Jiang Yuyuan, Deng Linlin and Li Shanshan were most likely under age. According to the General Administration of Sport of China some of the were registered to be born in 1994 in 2005, 2006, and 2007 making them 14. Then in 2008, they magically were born in 1992

Nacy Armour and John Leichester – Gymnasts’ parent “indignant” over age question

         For the reading impaired here is a link to an NPR talk by Daniel Schorr. Don’t get me wrong I love NPR but his voice will rock me to sleep luckily it is only 2 minutes and 57 second long.Listen now

         Now I know some of this, if it were in the U.S., would be considered as cool, but I think the motivation behind all of it is what bothers me. I think that they are trying so hard to show the world how awesome they are by hiding really in my opinion what makes china, china, is as disgusting as what they do when the world isn’t looking.