MM#90--The 2022 Airbrushed Olympics

Welcome to the theory to action podcast, where we examine the timeless treasures of wisdom from the great books in less time to help you take action immediately, and ultimately to create and lead a flourishing life. Now, here's your host, David Kaiser.


Hello, I am David and welcome back to another Mojo minute. Just this past week, the 2022 Olympics kicked off in Beijing, China. And as any American of goodwill should say, we wish our talented and American athletes the best of luck and all success as they represent the United States on the international stage. It is truly a high point of achievement for these athletes to make their respective Olympic teams and be able to compete at the highest level of world competition. We don't begrudge the athletes anything. However, in the background of these talented individuals, on this world stage will be the totalitarian police state of modern day China. Now, one might remember that China just held the Olympic Games in 2008. And let's be honest, it is a great accolade for a nation to be chosen to host the Olympic Games. 

In 2008, and most world leaders showed up, including the US President George W. Bush. Thankfully, today's US president has instituted a diplomatic boycott along with many other nations, and will not be attending these 2022 games. And however, back in 2008, China as a modern day country wasn't nearly down the path of totalitarianism as they are today. Most especially what we have seen from China in the last three to four years, should give everyone pause, especially about sending our American athletes into harm's way. Today's China is so aggressive that the FBI has warned athletes to leave their phones and computers at home due to the high risk of having them compromised by the CCP, the Chinese Communist Party, I guess, instead of I guess you just have to pick up some burner phones on your trip over to the games. How crazy is that? So every member of China's or even a member of China's Olympic organ Organizing Committee, has warned the visiting athletes that they could be punished. Imagine that they could be punished if they offer any political gesture or criticism of the CCP. So isn't that quite rich? 

Now let's go back to the founding of the modern day Olympics in 1894, with its official Charter, which says quote, the goal of Olympian ism is to play sport at the service of the harmonious development of humankind with a view of promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity. Unfortunately, this is 180 degrees opposite of today's zhi, zhi ping, China's dictatorship. The Olympic Committee would have been right to demand answers to many fundamental questions arising in the last three to four years. Where you regarding and happening in China. Perhaps they could have asked the international community is demanding of you, China to allow foreign observers into your country to observe the conditions and conduct interviews around the question of some 40 reported, quote worker camps where the Uighur Muslim population has been and is still being persecuted. Will you allow open and free access to these camps for the international community observers? That's just one question. 

Perhaps another question. Most major news outlets are reporting around the Wuhan viral lab as being where the COVID 19 virus started and spread throughout the world. We will allow international observers and reporters into that lab to investigate. Will you answer questions about the origin and the source of COVID-19 coming from your country direct ugly. That's just another question.

Perhaps another question number three last November the Chinese tennis player ping Shumway disappeared after she accused former Vice Premier Zang goalie of sexual abuse in a social media post. Mr. goalie is a high ranking official in your government. Can you verify the health and safety of Mrs. Sherway? And will you allow the foreign reporters to interview her unobstructed? That's just another question. How about one last question. By all international accounts, the Chinese government's persecution of the territory of Hong Kong violates several treaties to which the government the Chinese government is a signatory. You have not allowed free speech, you have not allowed the free economic marketplace which has existed for over some 100 years in the Hong Kong territory. And by treaty, you have imprisoned many journalists that represent a free and open press, most notably Jimmy Lai, can you verify Jimmy lies health and safety? And will you allow access to him from foreign reporters? Because we want to hear his side of the story. So in today's Mojo minute, we always stress the importance of living a flourishing life. Now, whether as a person or as a nation in doing so, we have to be willing to answer the hard questions in even more, we have to be willing to demand the hard answers of ourselves and others. Most especially when these questions are vital to human rights and human dignity, such as is being abused and neglected in today's China. 

In 1936, the Olympic Games were hosted in Berlin's Nazi Germany under the totalitarian rule of Adolf Hitler. Hitler's regime knew they would sweep under the rug all the violations of human respect human rights and human dignity. That had been happening since the early 1930s, most especially to the Jewish population, as well as many other minorities. And tragically, Nazi Germany used those 1960 1936 Olympic Games and got away with it. It was a form of propaganda, major propaganda. And then the world community was shocked and horrified in 1945, when viewing the Nazi death camps under that brutal regime that started in the 1930s most notably 1935 in 1936. And the world community said collectively then, Never again, never again can we allow this the real tragedy today as we have learned nothing from history and today's China is airbrushing away these Olympic Games, and these hard questions. Ultimately, the International Olympic Committee the IOC, has a vision and it is to, quote build a better world through sport unquote. 

We wish all the athletes of all nations nothing but the best but sadly, sadly, these games will be remembered for building a more dangerous world through not asking the difficult questions, and demanding real and truthful answers. Let us all hope and pray. There is not a repeat of Nazi Germany's disregard for human life and human dignity happening in today's China.


Thank you for joining us. We hope you enjoyed this theory to action podcast. Be sure to check out our show page at T Mojo academy.com where we have everything we discussed in this podcast as well as other great resources. Until next time, keep getting your mojo on