Tempests in Teapots: The Beijing Olympics and the World Press

“I wish we could go back to the Cold War so that the Olympics would be interesting.”  Thus spakeAmerican actor John C. Reilly in jest during a mock interview with his co-star Will Ferrel for ESPN. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5ILh9X2wRA)  But the statement got me thinking about how the Beijing Olympics is being treated and mistreated by the international media.  First, there is the false promise, made by who knows who, that somehow the Olympics would CHANGE China.  I mean, let’s be serious.  This is a country of 1.3 billion people struggling over a very limited set of resources.  1.3 billion, foax.  Think on that for a minute.  If you took the entire population of America and subtracted it from China, YOU’D STILL HAVE A BILLION PEOPLE to feed, house, and clothe.  And you think a two-week sporting event is going to change their lives???

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