Current Events part 1

I must admit, I’ve rather ignored the politics/current news aspect in my blogging. I’ve been self-centered in my blogging, focusing on me & my travels instead of including the world around me. Actually, I’ve been extremely self-centered in my blogging, focusing on me & my travels and not really doing any blogging. Today, for the day, that shall end.

Korea, and NE Asia in general, have been the focus of domestic and international attention for the past few months, and I have not even begun to address these issues. In my defense, however, I must point to the fact that work and my personal life have kept me very busy, especially these past two weeks. I just completed two weeks of English camp—2 90-minute classes each weekday morning—and, like a dolt, I had the novel idea of making up my own lesson plans and syllabus instead of relying on prepared plans. Needless to say, I was busy: most days saw me crawling into bed around midnight or one, most of my evening having been spent on the next day’s lesson.

But again, I’m digressing from my original goal and focusing on myself. Back to current affairs. In the last few months, we’ve seen the approach (and now arrival) of the Beijing Olympics, a nationwide hysteria (& subsequent rioting) about American beef, Japan’s renewal of its plans to seize Dokdo, and a South Korean tourist killed in North Korea. I will address each of these in a separate blog, presenting the background and my unexpert (but extremely common-sensical) conclusion on the topic. This will be a short four-part series. Here's your first little treat.

Beijing Olympics: how did that happen?

Background: China got the Olympics, Olympic Committee officials said, to open China up. BS. In addition to NOT improving its human rights records at all, China has decided to delay broadcast to clean up any blemishes (people telling the truth about the country) and has restricted press freedom, which it explicitly promised not to do.

Conclusion: this isn’t the first time the glory of international bonding and competition has been tainted (think Berlin 1936), but it is dishonourable nonetheless. The Olympic Charter states, as a Fundamental Principle of Olympism, "Olympism seeks to create a way of life based on...respect for universal fundamental ethical principles." Since when do universal fundamental ethical principles include repression of religious freedom, political dissidence, the freedom of the press, and self-determination? Since when do universal fundamental ethical principles include repatriating refugees, knowing full well that they will suffer torture, incarceration, and/or execution? By choosing Beijing as the 2008 venue, the IOC has indirectly condoned these rights violations practiced regularly by the host country. I think inquiries should be made into both the integrity & intelligence of the IOC members.