The Olympics are happening EVEN AS WE SPEAK

August 8th, 2008 | Posted by PostmanE

Here’s what I want to know: If the Olympics aren’t a trap, can someone at least explain to me why we’re letting our athletes travel to a country that has a clearly advanced time-manipulation program? It’s only 8:37 in Chicago this morning, but somehow, it’s dark in China, and the Opening Ceremonies have already been dazzling the assembled crowd. Of course, it’s hard to tell if they’re actually dazzling the crowd; the Party has instituted a death penalty for frowning at any mention of the Olympics, smog, Sudan, Tibet, or the Cultural Revolution.

In the meantime, did you know China’s artists are selling out faster than bloggers? They are:

Rising nationalism and pride in China’s emergence as an economic power, and robust state support for artists who steer clear of political defiance, have transformed China’s cultural landscape since the early part of this decade. Today, directors, writers and painters who seek to expose the darker side of authoritarian rule not only enrage the censors, but also often find themselves shut out of the lucrative market for Chinese art, books and film. Many of those who find less political outlets for their talent, on the other hand, can get rich.

“People really are selling their talent in a way that can make them money,” said Ai Weiwei, an internationally recognized artist based in Beijing. “They really know that if they work with the government, they’ll benefit.”

The selling out has culminated, like many things in China’s recent history, with the Olympics. A formerly political director, Zhang Yimou directed films about poverty and Chinese culture and various other things the Chinese government knows are lies. Yimou even went so far as to lie to Chinese censors to get a movie made; the censors then banned him from making films for five years. Then he realized the error of his ways, went on to make “Hero” (you remember “Hero,” starring Jet Li), and he just finished directing the Opening Ceremonies in China’s modern coronation.

See? Sticking to your principles is bullshit. Let that be a lesson to you.

Anyway, the Olympics, man. They’re here. 13 hours from now.