Let the Games Beijing!

They say, that the best response to critics is success.

 

Well, China's answer to the protests over whether they should host the Olympics is a resounding, and spectacular one. Man alive, can the Chinese do spectacle!

What a magnificent opening ceremony! I've never seen anything like it. Not since the days of the wonderful Jim McKay has an opening ceremony made me feel this good about the Olympics.

That flame run. Man alive. With the scroll unrolling as Li Ning ran, showing the journey the flame had taken to get here, to Beijing, boy, I got choked up watching that. And with the finale of his run, as he connected full circle to show the then unseen grande large torch being unveiled and finally, lit. Gosh, what a moment!

Who would've thought that with all this cynicism around us, all this complaining, all this commercialization, Charlie Brown, that an opening ceremony could do that, could still, through all that, create a moment where all else is forgotten, where all eyes are watching a solitary figure, one man running with a small spark of humanity held high.

The power of spectacle, the angelic singing, the imagery, and the magic of night all conspired to produce an unforgettable moment worthy of Titans.

Well done, China. Well done.

And what about the protesters in the peanut gallery? No picture included here, thank you very much. But don't worry, you'll be seeing plenty of them from our reliable media, that's for certain. When I think of it, I find it curious that the self-proclaimed protectors of rights of others wish to extinguish the Olympic flame, which is another's right to display.  Another shining example of intolerable intolerance from those who preach tolerance.

Well, the world doesn't care. The world is watching the Olympics, now, not the silly antics of spoiled and sponsored children hoping to get on camera and earn some extra credit from their equally spoiled college professors, who are too cowardly to do what they inspire, say rather indoctrinate, their own students to do. And that goes for any athletes who wish to poison the waters by getting political in any part of the games. We didn't stand for it with the Black Panthers and we shouldn't stand for it now. To think, a gentleman like the incredible Jim Thorpe had to give back his medals when all he did was play in a semi-professional game, violating, ever so slightly, the rules of the amateur. Now, we have professional athletes competing on their off season and complaining about fairness. 

It's doubly ironic that a communist country, one with a checkered past of squelching dissident views is the target of protesters wishing and hoping to squelch the flame that this nation hosts, the flame, a symbol of freedom and competition - both, very uncommunist characteristics, mind you - and integrity. And it is a symbol of hope, that many, perhaps naively, feel can unite the world for at least a short time, in enjoying these, the esprit de corps of The Games.