Sometimes when you try to hard you can actually fail because of that. I have that feeling that China is trying so hard to have the perfect Olympics, that has resulted in negative publicity.

Sometimes the best action is not to react, and just let people vent/protest. But by bringing attention to a protect, such as Mr. Cheek the head of Team Darfur and former Olympian, by taking away his visa, they have instantly given him a huge amount of free publicity. It's like with children, by giving attention to certain behavior, you are actually rewarding it.

Some examples:

• Team Darfur co-founder Cheek has visa for Beijing revoked
• Beijing Taxis Are Rigged for Eavesdropping
• US athletes show backbone on Darfur
• Chinese Authorities Order Olympic Hotels To Install Spy Gear
• China's Olympian propaganda exercise
• Rose-tinted reflections
• Chinese Security in US and Europe during the Torch journey (I remember the word thugs being used to describe them).
  
• Beijing Olympic Tibet protests: Parents defend arrested Briton
  
• Hundreds of websites still censored at Beijing Olympic

And don't even get me started on the bugging of taxis and installing spy gear in hotels. Is it really necessary? I can understand the need to avoid another Munich, but the cost is showing a negative image of China.

Labels: China Olympics