It is ironic that the Olympic Games which can be traced to Greek origin in 776BC, and despite the early hiccup when the games took place as part of a religious exercise, it soon evolved to one where it was used to celebrate the achievements of the human body. How many of our readers know that the early competitors were restricted to young males who had to compete in the nude? The winner was given a crown of olive leaves which to this day symbolizes hope and peace.
As we blog tonight there is tremendous controversy which shrouds the games and some say threaten the start. The political overtone which has increasingly enveloped the games in the last thirty to forty years conflicts with why the games were established so long ago. Like many we have become deeply saddened at how the games have become a political football and are quickly degenerating to nothing more than a side show.
The decision to host the games in Beijing, China is interesting on many fronts. At the top of the list is the need to question the relationship between the USA and Cuba and the USA and China. Cuba is a relatively small island which in defiance to the world and the USA in particular, has practiced a system of government the text book refers to as communism. The main characteristic of a communist system is the promotion of a classless and stateless society predicated on common ownership. Political scientists readily admit that the definition of communism or capitalism for that matter is far removed from what is the reality. They will also admit that the two ideologies are seen as conflicting in a modern world which prefers to promote capitalism at the expense of communism. It is interesting that China where the Olympic Games will be held from August 08 – 28, 2008 practices communism, a similar system of government to that of Cuba.
It is more than puzzling that the USA, the lone military superpower in the world would resort to using its full economic and military might to enforce an embargo on Cuba, which has been in place since 1962. On the flip side China has enjoyed ‘most favoured trade nation’ status since 1980 with the USA. The fact that it practices communism, same as Cuba, appears to be lost on the USA and the world. To some this can be described as the single greatest hypocrisy the world has had to endure for almost 30 years. We are sure that our resident foreign affairs guru with the moniker Green Monkey can speak to this political anomaly with more eloquence than any member in the BU household.
This is a blog which can easily become confused in ideologue, so before it does let us make our point. How can the ‘one China’ policy which is practiced by the world, including Barbados be explained? How can we sleep at night while the USA continues to alienate Cuba at the expense of its citizens but promote China, and they are both ‘guilty’ of the same thing? Don’t answer, we know the answer, it is call economic greed. If the USA were to withdraw its commercial interest from China it would have a devastating result on their economy.
So what happens next? The 2008 Olympiad will start and finish despite all the turmoil which currently surrounds it and life will continue in the world, for ever and ever, Amen.
The blogmaster invites you to join the discussion.