The Shameless Face of Beijing Olympics -- Beijing’s Bad Faith Olympics /
NYTimes

The New York Times

August 23, 2008

Editorial

Beijing’s Bad Faith Olympics

The Beijing Olympics still have one more day to run. But the final gold
medal ― for authoritarian image management ― can already be safely
awarded to China’s Communist Party leadership.

Beijing got what it wanted out of this globally televised spectacular.
It reaped a huge prestige bonanza that it will surely use to promote its
international influence and, we fear, further tighten its grip at home.

It pocketed these gains without offering any concessions in return. When
it increased repression ― rather than loosening up ― a supine
International Olympic Committee barely offered a protest. Most world
leaders, including President Bush, were nearly as complicit.