Mr. Olbermann, you have a unique opportunity that perfectly suits your ability and interest.
The world is watching China’s presentation of the Olympics for the next two weeks. In the United states, NBC provides the lens for this focus, and you anchor the most popular public affairs show on NBC’s news network. You are an editorialist who prides himself on challenging hypocrisy and injustice. I ask that you spend at least one minute during each episode of Countdown during this Olympic period holding China to account.
The late George Carlin once told you that you had the greatest show on television because you told the truth without compromise or hesitation. You replied that the privilege of you public platform gave you a responsibility to use it to do good in the world. What has China done?
Of course there was Tiananmen in 1989. When Chinese students excited about a Cold War thaw and Gorbachev’s visit claimed the freedom that you enjoy on your show each night and we Americans take for granted every day, the Chinese government sent in the tanks.
More recently, China delivered the machetes in 1994 to the Rwandan government that they then distributed to facilitate genocide.
The Chinese government tried to facilitate a similar atrocity this year by sending a ship loaded with arms to Mugabe’s government in Zimbabwe during his campaign of torture and murder against political opponents. Outcry by world leaders, media including you, and ordinary citizens around the globe coupled with the heroic refusal of South African dockworkers to unload these weapons sent the ship and its particular cargo back to China.
That is the power of public outcry spurned by the type of worldwide outrage I am asking you to help mobilize as we all watch China’s Olympics.
China gives cover to the government of Sudan as they commit and allow atrocities in Darfur.
China provides political space for Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons by, among other actions, resisting agreement on further sanctions.
China occupies and oppresses the population of Tibet in addition to similar treatment of minority groups in its other western provinces.
China persecutes and imprisons Chinese Christians, Falun Gong, and other domestic religious groups.
China’s criminally low labor standards produce low priced, and occasionally lead tainted, goods that glut the world market and increase the Chine governments wealth and influence in the world.
China’s environmental standards are so low as to make the air around Chinese cities toxic. When one Olympic team landed, they wore black masks to protect their lungs from this pollution. China actually received an apology for this “insult” as that Olympic team capitulated to Chinese pressure.
Right now, the entire world appears all too happy to capitulate to Chinese pressure and propaganda. President Bush, according to media reports on NBC, has become the first American president to attend an Olympics staged outside the United States, and he chose, at China’s request, this one. To my knowledge, only Angela Merkel of Germany refused China’s invitation to participate in this pretty picture.
Now, I am no expert on China. I possess only an imperfect awareness of a collection of issues including China’s apparently positive contribution to nuclear negotiations with North Korea. Many Americans have had some impression of China as a bad actor in the world over recent years. However, these Olympics can easily replace that understanding with an illusion of China as some great, new member of the modern world openly hosting an exemplary Olympics.
Through your show you have a unique opportunity to challenge this lie. We both know the restrictions placed on foreign and domestic journalists in China during these games, but you sir are not in China. You can host experts with far more knowledge of China and her actions than either of us possess each day for the next two weeks. By doing so, you can pull together a total picture of China’s actions and influence in the world today.
I know of no other media figure today with both the volume and inclination to accomplish this task. Furthermore, you host an editorial program concerning public affairs on the very network promoting and broadcasting China’s presentation in America. Speaking now and in this context would be an act worthy of Kennedy’s Profile’s in Courage.
China has great power. Will you speak truth to it?
REVISION 2: Apparently, many nations have referred their athletes to Olympic prohibitions on political protest by participants. Some indicate IOC insistence, Britain tried to push a full gag order, and I found a few other instances of Chinese or IOC encouragement of silence in a very cursory search. This nytimes link is detailed and, it seems, exhaustive.
Here are a few links for further research. Let me know if you find more. 1 2 3
This has been cross-posted on my site.