Sudan

Last night on the news I saw a story on the Olympics which mentioned that the IOC, the International Olympic Committee, has stated that any athlete who makes any sort of political statement from the podium in Beijing will be sent home. It seems they don't want China to be embarrassed in any way. Not about Tibet, not about Darfur, not about anything.

You may say to yourself that that sounds reasonable since the Olympics aren't supposed to be political. However, I'd say that the Olympics being non-political is the farthest thing from the truth. The Olympics are extremely political, no matter what any individual athlete may or may not do.

You really have to hand it to China. I mean, there's simply no denying the magnificent effort the Chinese government has put into becoming an old school Superpower, in the mold of America and the Soviets during the Cold War. Just look at how passionately the Chinese defend, love and nurture three of the most despicable regimes on the planet. That is, Burma, North Korea and Sudan, of course. Check out Beijing's heartfelt apologia for mass slaughter and horrific repression. Watch in amazement as petty dictators and genocidal regimes are coddled and cozied up to. And marvel at the sheer stubbornness and complete lack of morality on display as China increasingly steps out onto the world stage.

Whether it be Burma's ruthless suppression of its own people, North Korea's starvation of millions of its citizens while spending all of the country's money on nuclear weapons and the military, or Sudan's genocide of the people of Darfur, China is always there to encourage the tyrants, load 'em up with weapons, and protect them from sanctions and censor in the UN Security Council. To put it succinctly, China's simply there for them whenever they're in need. 'Cause, hey, as that old song goes, and as any petty dictator will tell you, "we all need somebody to lean on".