Just Out of Curiosity...

Why is our modern civilization so intent on politicizing an event whose original purpose was so totally apolitical? Are we really so much less disciplined and rational than the ancient Greeks?

How many of these Japanese protesters with their "Free Tibet" T-shirts and flags would be willing to give Hokkaido back to the Ainu?

For that matter, how many similarly-accoutered Americans would be willing to acknowledge the treaty made long ago by the U.S. government promising all of North America west of the Mississippi River to the native tribes "for all time"?

In 1997 the chief of the Cherokee Nation, Joe Byrd, after apparently misusing federal funds, declared the U.S.-backed Cherokee Supreme Court inferior to his rule , impeached its justices, created his own personal militia, and removed Cherokee marshals that tried to arrest him under existing constitutional law, in effect mounting a coup against U.S.-backed administration of tribal land and declaring sovereignty. The Federal Government hesitated to take action beyond an FBI investigation, but the State of Oklahoma did not, sending in state troopers and even anti-terrorist units to force Byrd to submit himself to the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Byrd was more or less subdued and defrocked but never formally arrested. But would the government have shown similar restraint if Byrd and his followers had started burning white-owned businesses and killing white Americans in Oklahoma City?

Did the rioting Tibetans actually think Beijing wouldn't send in the troops?

Does China really think the Dalai Lama stupid enough to instigate a violent uprising that will only make things worse?

Have either Tibetans screaming for independence or Chinese who claim Tibet has "always" been part of China actually studied history?

Does an appeal for solving problems through reason and communication amount to treason? Is it really grounds for revoking someone's high school diploma, mounting a national smear campaign against them, and forcing their parents into hiding?

Not so long ago there was an Asia Cup championship match between China and Japan played in China. Japan won. The Chinese fans, who had been booing and shouting nationalist slogans throughout the game, reacted by rioting. The Japanese soccer team and its staff had to be hustled out with police escort under a hail of lobbed bottles and debris. The Japanese fans, including some diplomats, were trapped inside the stadium for hours as riot police held off a crowd that was burning Japanese flags and screaming for blood. Roads to the Japanese embassy had to be cordoned off because groups of young Chinese tried to rush it. Tour buses and hotels catering to the Japanese team and its supporters were attacked and damaged even with police protection. Yes, it's true that there's a lot of historical bile between China and Japan, but after seeing mobs of angry, young Chinese blocking Carrefour department stores and screaming anti-French slogans in response to pro-Tibet protests in Paris, one has to wonder what kind of assurances China can give that any non-Chinese athlete winning an Olympic event won't find himself or his country winding up a target of irrational jingoist furor?

Can we expect the Olympics to wind up being something like this? (The video is of clips from an Asia Cup soccer qualifying match between Japan and China in China last February. There were no riots this time, but check out both the sportsmanship and the quality refereeing.)

Nearly all the Chinese I have met, and I have met quite a few, have been very good people. I'd like to believe they still represent the majority. I have not met any Tibetans, so I have no basis to judge them.

I'll be very glad when this Olympics is over...