While everyone's wiping the drool off the floor after having watched the super duper spectacular opening ceremonies, this was going on too:
Beijing - The number of Chinese political prisoners rose in 2007 to its highest level in eight years, according to a report published Monday by the US-based Dui Hua Foundation.
A much-loved Chinese human rights lawyer has been subject to forms of torture “beyond anyone’s imagination”, a high-level government source has disclosed. Gao Zhisheng was arrested in November last year and tortured for nearly two months before being released into house arrest.
On July 6, 2007, Yang Chunlin was picked up by the police for "inciting subversion". He was denied access to lawyers. In prison, his arms and legs were stretched and chained to the four corners of an iron bed so he could not move (the infamous 'Death bed' version of Chinese torture). He had to eat, drink and defecate in that position. The police beat him with electro-shock batons when he tried to talk to his family members. Chunlin's crime? He led a petition campaign under the banner, "We don't want the Olympics, we want human rights".
I wonder why NBC didn't mention anything about it. Oh right, must be the record $1B received in ad revenues for broadcasting the "olympics games". You know what else was really awesome? The Hitler hosted 1936 Berlin Olympics. It was the first time TV cameras captured the glory. And my oh my how dapper everyone looked giving the nazi salute as they walked by a beaming Adolph. It was also the first time the running of the torch happened. This mini-spectacle within the larger spectacle was a Nazi party creation meant to symbolize the link between ancient Greece and the Aryans. But from all accounts it was a hell of a good show. And it was all about sports and politics should have been left out of it. Just like Communist China's super duper terrific show.
Right?
2 comments:
I do see some irony in this post Ed. You seem really concerned about the Chinese people and their plight against political repression and torture.
Yet you seem to not have any reservations against the current administration. How they are slowly eroding the freedoms that this country fought so hard for over 200 years ago (via the so-called Patriot act) Not to mention all the terrorists (and yes they are terrorists) we continue to torture around the world.
Granted one could argue it's "ok" to torture a terrorist vs. someone garnering signatures for a petition. But what's lost in this argument is the message that sends about this country (and I am not talking about being "tough")
Or how they stole the election in 2000 and rig voting machines...but I digress.
But I am sure god has a plan for Bush... the tooth fairy has given him 7.5 years so far and I'm sure we'll see some magic before his term is over. And them Obama can come in and royally fuck things up.
The other thing that nobody really seems to realize in the Republican vs. Democrat argument is that both parties are a fucking joke... I guess when you are busy trashing one party, it's hard to not see how the other one is just as bad.
And where is the post about that evil John Edwards and the hag be banged... almost as bad as Clinton. If you are going to cheat on your wife, at least do it like Spitzer did and bang a hired whore. Jeez.
Scott,
Excatly right. Gathering signatures torture is bad. Getting info out of Osama's right hand man via torture, not so bad. And also look at the torture itself. Compare the Chinese version go the Gitmo version. You are comparing real sadistic shit to having loud music played or having (GOD FORBID !!?!) a woman interrogator. That is the kind of "torture" performed by the US. Not quite the same thing.
And the reason there is no post about Edwards is that I don't really care. I knew Edwards was a sleaze bag long before any of this surfaced. Watching 5 minutes of him lawyering was enough to see he was a lying piece of human garbage.
I don't have any sympathy for his wife either who knew what a sleaze bag he was and still stuck with him for 20 years. She got nothing less than what she deserved.
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