2008: China's Bad Year

A journalist is pointing out the obvious here: China is having a very negative 2008. It's only May.

The recent devastating earthquake (7.9!) is one more catastrophe; casualties are in the tens of thousands. It's horrible indeed.

Here's another obvious quote from an academic, Roger Des Forges, a historian of China at the University at Buffalo:

"The Olympics are an important symbol of China’s effort to ... get on the same gauge with the rest of the world. So they have attached a lot of importance to them.

. . . But for most Chinese people, they are secondary to the quality of life that they are trying to achieve. So these questions of disasters are uppermost in people’s minds, watching how the government is going to deal with them," he [Des Forges] said.

. . . Ultimately, the series of crises could prompt China to reassess its true priorities, said Des Forges.

“I think there may be some way in which these crises are reminding the government that, as important as the games are, there are perhaps more important issues that need to be addressed,” he said.

My incisive, professional response? "Well, DUH." There is no "perhaps" about this.

As for the thorny idea that Beijing might -- what is that pretty phrase? ah, yes -- "reassess its true priorities," I think the entire issue hinges on how you define "true priorities." For some of us, those true priorities include human rights and so forth. For the autocrats in Beijing, though . . .