Steven P. BarrettTAKE THIS CHINA, AND TAKE YOUR SUPPORT OF SUDAN AS WELL
August 7th 2008 03:56
By Steven Barrett
This is one of those moments when you really have to sit back and let the story tell the story for you because it's simply too immense and yes, emotional, in a good way.
Throught our history the U.S. has backed some awful governments. But we've always tried in some way or another to make up for our mistakes. Not so with other countries.
Take China, for instance and her backing of Sudan, the butcher of Dafur: This wire story should give you a good picture for starters.
Really Long Link
"Darfur "Lost Boy" to carry US flag at Olympic ceremony "
This is one of those moments when you really have to sit back and let the story tell the story for you because it's simply too immense and yes, emotional, in a good way.
Throught our history the U.S. has backed some awful governments. But we've always tried in some way or another to make up for our mistakes. Not so with other countries.
Take China, for instance and her backing of Sudan, the butcher of Dafur: This wire story should give you a good picture for starters.
Really Long Link
"Darfur "Lost Boy" to carry US flag at Olympic ceremony "
BEIJING (AFP) - Lopez Lomong, one of the "Lost Boys" of Sudan who was a victim of violence in Darfur, was named Thursday as the United States flag bearer for the opening ceremony at the Beijing Olympics.
US captains in every Olympic sport met at the Olympic Village and voted to award the honor for Friday's ceremony to Lomong, a sensitive choice given criticism of Chinese foreign policy over the conflict in Darfur.
"This is the most exciting day ever in my life," Lomong said. "It's a great honor for me that my teammates chose to vote for me.
"The opening ceremony is the best day and the best moment of Olympic life. I'm here as an ambassador of my country and I will do everything I can to represent my country well."
Lomong, 23, was kidnapped from his family by the Janjaweed militia and taken hostage. He and other youths escaped and spent three days on the run before crossing the border into Kenya and being taken to a refugee camp.
He spent years there just fighting to survive and famously paid five Kenyan shillings to watch a black and white television telecast of the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
He said seeing US track star Michael Johnson win gold sparked his dream of becoming an Olympian.
Lomong was adopted by a US foster family, changed his citizenship to American and will race in the 1,500 meters at Beijing.
China has close ties with Sudan, as one of the main buyers of the African nation's oil and a key investor in its economy, and rights groups have accused Beijing of not doing enough to try and resolve the conflict in Darfur.
The United Nations has said that 300,000 people have died in Darfur and that more than 2.2 million have been displaced since 2003. The Sudanese government puts the number of fatalities at 10,000.
US captains in every Olympic sport met at the Olympic Village and voted to award the honor for Friday's ceremony to Lomong, a sensitive choice given criticism of Chinese foreign policy over the conflict in Darfur.
"This is the most exciting day ever in my life," Lomong said. "It's a great honor for me that my teammates chose to vote for me.
"The opening ceremony is the best day and the best moment of Olympic life. I'm here as an ambassador of my country and I will do everything I can to represent my country well."
Lomong, 23, was kidnapped from his family by the Janjaweed militia and taken hostage. He and other youths escaped and spent three days on the run before crossing the border into Kenya and being taken to a refugee camp.
He spent years there just fighting to survive and famously paid five Kenyan shillings to watch a black and white television telecast of the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
He said seeing US track star Michael Johnson win gold sparked his dream of becoming an Olympian.
Lomong was adopted by a US foster family, changed his citizenship to American and will race in the 1,500 meters at Beijing.
China has close ties with Sudan, as one of the main buyers of the African nation's oil and a key investor in its economy, and rights groups have accused Beijing of not doing enough to try and resolve the conflict in Darfur.
The United Nations has said that 300,000 people have died in Darfur and that more than 2.2 million have been displaced since 2003. The Sudanese government puts the number of fatalities at 10,000.
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Comment by RubySoho
Music Zone
Thought Zone
Comment by Damo
For the Sake of Argument
My Apologetics
I am just wondering how the Chinese will handle it if he wins gold.
I see a Hitler verses Jesse Owens moment brewing.
Yet there is plenty of evidence that the Chinese regime are still supplying weapons to the region.
If they ever fix China then a lot of other places in the world would be fixed.
Comment by S.L.
The Political Brief
Comment by Anonymous
To them Darfur is no different than Spain was to the Fascists and Communists 70 years ago.
We're going to see a lot of smiling, happy faces (that aren't covered by masks) and God and the politburo alone know how many Chinese cultural propaganda dog n' pony shows.
You won't see the sweatshops or prison factories where so many things are made to sell back here in our big box stores. You won't see the harrassment of Chinese Christians and you won't see the enormous number of young girls that are used as sex slaves for the bosses and big business tycoons who see yet another person on the job as a piece of flesh, a unit and not a human being.
But I will see Lopez Lomong carry the flag and I hope to hell all of us see him win and demonstrate the same grace and dignity shown by Jesse Owens in Berlin. Many people nowadays aren't old enough to possibly realize this, but I'm sure that Owens' class as well as his victories did much to help bring then-West Germany and the US closer together.
The same can also be hoped for when the day comes that the Chinese people have had their fill of the politburo once and for all.