I loved the opening of the Olympics. It was moving and a great blend of high and low technology.
Just three questions:
First, would the United States have ever produced an opening ceremony as pervaded with Christian imagery as the Chinese ceremony was with traditional Chinese religion or philosophy?
Second, would the United States have produced an opening ceremony as pervasively about American history as the Chinese ceremony was about Chinese life and times?
Third, would the United States show our best cultural contributions or focus on ephemeral pop cultural phenomena? The Chinese ceremony was overwhelmingly classical and traditional, using the best of new technology.
Why did the American press ignore the propaganda and philosophic arguments of the ceremony?
The butchers of Beijing like most dictators know how to put on a good show. They made much of what contemporary Americans do in our public ceremonies look decadent and without cultural confidence.
