Free Tibet

It seems that China can't keep the Free Tibet folks down. Despite the consequences to them that could be easily anticipated.

On Monday, “…five pro-Tibet activists unfurled a banner spelling out “Free Tibet” in English and Chinese in blue LED “throwie” lights in Beijing’s Olympic Park tonight. The five were detained by security personnel after displaying the banner for about 20 seconds at 11:48 pm August 19th. Their whereabouts are unknown.”

Now these LEDs were sewn to the banner, so I’d say that technically they weren’t throwies, just LEDs taped to batteries, but the protesters refer to them as throwies.

The picture shows an interesting juxtaposition: The protest banner with “Free Tibet” in LEDs, shown with the famous Beijing Bird’s Nest stadium in the background, another quite different showcase for LEDs.

Their whereabouts are unknown. I think that says a lot about the state of political freedom in China.

China is high tech when it comes to electronics and backwards when it comes to political freedom. Not a surprise.

Cross Posted at Classical Values

On Her Six

From Matt J. Duffy
H/T Instapundit

Cross Posted at Classical Values

Nine Years

From the comments at The Herald Sun in an article by Andrew Bolt.

markusbondi replied to Rose of Rose Bay
Fri 08 Aug 08 (01:42pm)

Irrelevant Rosey.

It is proven that all socialist powers fall 9 years after hosting an Olympiad. Despite any misgivings at the time....

It is written in the destruction of socialist destiny that Commie China will fall in 2017; 9 years after hosting the Olympics.

National Socialist Germany fell in 1945; 9 years after the ‘36 Olympics.

Socialist Soviet Union’s rotten murderous core collapsed in 89… NINE years after the Moscow Olympics.

You read it here foist.

I nominate NKorea for next Olympics. Then Cuba. Then Sydney, again; just to clean house.

Interesting theory. I hope I live to see it.

H/T Instapundit

Cross Posted at Classical Values

Too Much Pressure

EE Times Asia has a story about Olympic Torches for the masses.

When viewers around the world turn on their TVs on Aug. 8 to watch the opening ceremony of Beijing Summer Olympics, only few will be aware of a behind-the-scenes controversy quietly brewing in China over the use of MEMS-equipped electronic toy torches in the stadium.

This tempest in a teapot represents both China's desire to put the nation's best foot forward and its government's intention to quash even the slightest hint of potential political dissidence.

Suspense is building around a single question: Will the Chinese Olympic Committee allow spectators during the opening ceremony to use the Waving Torch—a replica of the Olympic Torch designed to spell out messages in midair when spectators wave them rapidly back and forth? Officials are thought to be concerned that the programmable torches might be hacked.

What kind of hacks were they afraid of? Maybe a torch that spelled out "Free Tibet" or some other equally scary phrase.

The Olympics was supposed to highlight the entry of China into the modern world. What it is really highlighting is that China is a repressive regime afraid of the opinions of its people and much of the Western world.

It high lights the problem of all repressive regimes. When you have a pressure cooker with steam up it is best to let the pressure off slowly or you get accidents. Taiwan and South Korea accomplished this. It will be interesting to see if the People's Republic of China can. If they become a failed state there will be a host of problems especially considering their significant Muslim population.

Cross Posted at Classical Values