Should China Even Be Hosting The Olympics? (A Recap Of 'The Economist's Article)

emissions) behind the United States, and forecasted to top the list in the impending future. About 75% of China’s electricity is derived from coal, and low quality one that that. All of the environmental measures that China has implemented can be best described what we term … stop-gaps (addressing the symptoms and not the actual root of the problem). 

Recently, the Government asked many coal power plants in Beijing to reduce the operational hours drastically, and halved the number of cars traveling on the roads of Beijing. The intention is to alleviate any genuine fears of air pollution problems by reducing the amounts of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur di-oxides and hydrocarbons released into the air.

For the worst, if Roger Federer or Lebron James collapses in the middle of 3-3, 30-30 in the third set, or at 102-100 USA leading in the fourth quarter …every air pollution control official in Beijing might as well pack up at the office, to leave for good. They all will be held culpable for Federer’s collapse … (Rafa Nadal would run a close second in the culpability game though …) 

The crux of these stop gap measures lies in the fact that each of them are just short term measures. Things will be back to equilibrium once the Olympics is completed. It becomes a moral responsibility of ours, to provide living conditions to posterity; as good as ours at the very least, if not better.

Conclusion: It is in fact undeniably true that the Chinese people are more satisfied now, than they have ever been.  More so due to the economic boom, than due the absence of information freedom and an authoritarian Government. It is indeed ironic that under the presence of a competitive market, the society improves as a whole; and that is quite not understood by the ruling party. 

Maybe they do understand it and do not want to acknowledge it because of the fact that their personal interests might be contrary to that of a results offered by a competitive market.  

Olympics was used a perfect conduit for the emergence of democracy in Seoul 1988, and Mexico twenty years ago. No better place to have your voice heard when the entire globe is watching. I have a feeling, that the Chinese Government is doing their very best to prevent the same from happening.

Little does it stop us from speculating and wondering: With human rights, freedom of information and sustainability under question should China even be hosting the Olympics?

Your guess is as good as mine ...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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