The 29th Olympiad
Neither the Time Nor the Place
In the wake of the Olympic torch, chaos and pandemonium. In London, at least 30 people were arrested. Police tackled activists, including one that was intercepted bearing a fire extinguisher to take out the Olympic torch. In Paris, at least 20 people have been arrested and large parts of the planned torch relay canceled. Athletes and celebrities have been harassed by booing crowds waving pro-Tibet banners. One athlete in a wheelchair—a ping-pong champion carrying the Olympic torch—was pelted with bottles and fruit. The amount of security surrounding the torch resembles an entire pro football team’s worth of brawny bodyguards. Ladies and gentlemen, this situation has passed beyond political protest and into the realm of utter farce.
Opening Ceremonies
Barring a global cataclysm, 2008, in the minds of Beijingers and Chinese alike, will be synonymous with the word “Olympics.” The next two hundred days are just a formality.
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