April 24th, 2008
Several weeks ago the Wall Street Journal ran a special section on China and the Olympics. Some great articles in there (see below). I put a *** by the articles I thought were particularly well done and relevant to our upcoming trip.
A Look at China on the Verge of the Olympics. Its Politics, its Religion, its Demographics — and Yes, the Games
The Olympics And Politics***
No Comparison: The Olympics helped bring democracy to South Korea. So why aren’t they doing the same thing for China?***
Brand Strategies: Despite global protests, most corporate sponsors are gambling that the smartest move is to stay the course***
In Search of … Something: A growing number of Chinese, unmoored by rapid change, are finding answers in religion***
Do As I Teach: Thanks to Donnie Pei, more Chinese schools are putting Olympics education on their curriculum
On The Move: Chinese officials want more farmers to migrate to the city. But they are also aware that migration brings problems.***
So Many Children Left Behind: Parents migrating to cities face a wrenching decision: what to do with their kids
Where Have You Gone, Lei Feng?: China needs heroes — and the hope is that the Olympics will provide some
Going For The Gold: China hopes to increase its medal totals this year. And the athletes hope they can cash in as well.
The Show Will Go On: The pomp of the Olympics has long been a favorite of authoritarian governments. This year will be no exception.
Prof. Carr June 10, 2008 addendum: See the WSJ article that just came out relating to this very post, Victim or Victor? China’s Olympic Odyssey
Entry Filed under: China, Pre-Departure
4 Comments Add your own
1. Chris White | April 24th, 2008 at 11:14 pm
The article, On the Move, about China’s massive migration to urban areas brings up some interesting points. Unlike similar developing countries like India and Brazil, China is, as far as I know, without the slums that plague many urban areas in these countries. By slowly reducing the severity of the hukou system, the pace of migration was, for the most part, able to match the pace of infrastructure and economic development. Now, however, regional governments are concerned that their cities may not be able to handle the rapid influx. China’s government is caught in a tough situation because it wants to reduce the discrepancies between the middle and lower classes, the urban residents and farmers respectively, in order to reduce the likelihood of social backlashes. The problem the government faces is how fast is too fast. In addition it seems like no one is set on helping the farmers directly. It seems that their only choice is to move east.
2. Chris Carr | April 25th, 2008 at 6:02 am
Yes, the article Chris W. read and commented on is outstanding. It was full of such good info I read it twice The article on religion in China was also outstanding and I read that one twice. These articles pull together a very complex subject into a manageable form we can get our heads and hands around. This is one of the reasons I like the WSJ so much. There are not a lot of newspaper reporters out there than can do this type of quality reporting and writing. Now, whether Murdoch in time screws this up is another question.
The Chinese leadership does and will continue to have its hands full to try and address the migration issue. A very, very tough project to manage. My management challenges pale in comparison to the fellow or lady who head that issue up in China.
3. Ryan Moore | May 3rd, 2008 at 6:06 pm
The article “In Search of …Something” brings up a disturbing question. What is the real reason the communist party is now publicly endorsing religion? Does it make sense that the government of China would now, during this time of socioeconomic inequality and instability, embrace religion? What better way to pacify its citizens and – as President Hu says – promote a “harmonious society” than for the government to encourage its people to follow religious ideologies. I believe the party’s constitutional amendment to - “rally religious believers in making contributions to economic and social development” exemplifies my point. Religion can act as a powerful sedative for inequality and political unrest in a society and make its followers believe that their hard work will be rewarded in non-monetary ways. Then – to top it off – the communist party takes it a step further and gives the people their own version of the 10 commandments. Nice. That oughta do it.
4. Ryan Moore | May 3rd, 2008 at 6:43 pm
On the Brand Strategies article – I agree that the human rights issues in China are of great concern for all human beings everywhere in the world. However, I believe that the Olympic Games are not the place to air political, religious, and philosophical differences. The International Olympic Committee says its mission is “to build a peaceful and better world in the Olympic spirit which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play.” I understand the desire to use this world wide platform to express your political views, bring attention to social injustices, boycott corporate entities, and express alternative opinions – but is that not defeating the entire foundation on which these games were built? If there is ever a time to put aside our differences and celebrate our similarities – this is it. So get off your soapbox and play ball.
Leave a Comment
Some HTML allowed:
<a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <code> <em> <i> <strike> <strong>
Subscribe to the comments via RSS Feed