It's the Olympics, Communist centralized planning-style.
The June 7 Financial Times reported on how the Communist regime in Beijing is in the process of employing "unified trainng" to get Chinese spectators to cheer and clap at this year's summer games in the precise manner that pleases the Communist Party leadership.
The "civilised stadium gesture", designed by a team of experts, involves rhythmic clapping, a double thumbs-up and raising of the spectators' clenched fists.
It is to be accompanied by the chanting of the phrase "Olympics . . . add oil! China . . . add oil!" - a slogan more freely translated as "Go Olympics! Go China! - but officials say that other nations can be substituted for China when appropriate.
"These movements work across cultures. They can be accepted and appreciated by people of any culture or language, including religious believers and disabled people," the official Xinhua news agency quoted organisers as saying.
Organisers say advance-sale tickets are virtually sold out, a success that underlines popular enthusiasm for the games but also means many spectators are likely to be unfamiliar with the norms of audience etiquette.
To promote the clapping method there will be "unified training" for the 800,000 school pupils and students to be given tickets for games events, with youth delegates taking a public oath to "spread the Olympic spirit" to surrounding spectators.
Sounds cartoonishly funny and yet creepy at the same time. Kudos to the Financial Times for noting it.
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Doesn't that
June 7, 2008 - 13:56 ET by DEVILDOCMOMthumbs up and fist thing sound like bho hoo hoo and michelle ma belle?
"likely to be unfamiliar
June 7, 2008 - 18:07 ET by balboa"likely to be unfamiliar with the norms of audience etiquette"
What are they afraid they'll do instead? Realize they've been living under communism and, you know, revolt?
"add oil"
June 7, 2008 - 18:35 ET by sarcasmoSuch an apt slogan for China these days...
JMR
The tax & spend drug war looks racist in the real world.
Chinese Olympics
June 7, 2008 - 18:49 ET by jefflebowskiDo you think they'll break out the old:
Me Chinese, me play joke, me put pee pee in your Coke" cheer so loved by Mao Tse Tung?
Jeff Lebowski
www.angrywhitedude.c...
All due respect to the
June 9, 2008 - 09:06 ET by JasonPi shouldn't have even posted
Liberal free speech at it's best,
June 7, 2008 - 19:56 ET by SlicksterKind of like the restrictions put on criticism of Obama.
I wouldn't characterize
June 7, 2008 - 20:09 ET by balboaI wouldn't characterize China as liberal.
Well Bal, in the
June 7, 2008 - 22:21 ET by liberal_bug_zapperWell Bal, in the classic meaning of the term "Liberal", you would be correct, China is anything but Liberal. However, in the modern interpretation of the term, the neo-American Fascist/Socialist/Communist Democrat Leftist Liberal.... China fits that to a tee. China's communist bosses have a stranglehold on that country, much like Democrats would love to have on this country. The last thing that modern day liberals stand for is what the old interpretation of Liberal stood for, and that is individual Liberty... freedom!
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"We can only reason from what is; we can reason on actualities, but not on possibilities." ~ Thomas Paine
Eh...
June 7, 2008 - 23:01 ET by balboaEh...
I'll make it easy for
June 7, 2008 - 23:06 ET by liberal_bug_zapperI'll make it easy for you...
China is Liberal like all Leftists, including American Democrats (and other smaller socialist groups) and European Socialists.
They're just further along the path than both American and European Liberals are... but we're heading that way... no more freedom once Liberals get their way. Just listen to Maxine Waters... she says what all the rest of them think... which is why none of them chastised her for her anti-freedom "Socialize the Oil Companies" statement.
China's Government is where Democrats in the US want us to eventually be... but if they told the truth of what they think... they'd never win another election. Unfortunately, too many gullible Americans believe the lies of the Democrats.
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"We can only reason from what is; we can reason on actualities, but not on possibilities." ~ Thomas Paine
Sorry, that's way too
June 7, 2008 - 23:12 ET by balboaSorry, that's way too extreme a view for me. I understand the thinking behind it, but it's a little too much hyperbole, like when people say if Obama gets elected, that will be the last free election in America.
You're obviously more
June 8, 2008 - 10:10 ET by FoolicanYou're obviously more educated than the rest of us here on the concept of liberalism; why don't you tell us what a liberal is, and what their policies are?