US: Beijing Olympics Give Totalitarianism Bad Name

Posted March 22nd, 2008 by Josh

Not to scare anyone, but the State Department is warning Americans they could be watched by the government during the Beijing Olympics. You know, not in a warrantless-home-searches-in-the-middle-of-the-night kind of way, real intrusive stuff. They are advising Americans to be vigilant while in China. The report said:

All hotel rooms and offices are considered to be subject to on-site or remote technical monitoring at all times. Hotel rooms, residences and offices may be accessed at any time without the occupant’s consent or knowledge.

That’s outrageous! Oh, wait, that’s exactly the same thing the US Department of Justice has been allowed to do under the watch of Alberto Gonzales, and probably still (despite court rulings). But this is much worse because the country is communist. In the US the government illegally watches and monitors its citizens, but in China it’s all legal, so that makes it worse. Wait…that can’t be the US Government’s argument. Let me try again. In the US they watch you because they love freedom, but in China they hate freedom. That one makes more sense.

Yet I’m sure there must be something more evil about these Games, than say, Atlanta. Oh, here it is:

Travelers are strongly encouraged to be aware of their surroundings while in China. Continued vigilance is necessary to reduce the likelihood of becoming a victim of crime. Americans were also advised to keep their passports out of the reach of pickpockets, and to be wary of Olympics tickets scams.

Actually, that sort of sounds exactly like Atlanta. Maybe they should issue a warning that women showing an interest in you who advertise on Craigslist (Beijing version of course) may in fact be prostitutes. It’s important to get all the uniquely Chinese threats out there to a frightened American public.

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6 Responses to: “US: Beijing Olympics Give Totalitarianism Bad Name”

  1. Glen responds:
    Posted: March 22nd, 2008 at 8:06 pm →

    You hit the nail on the head, my friend! Americans who complain about China can look in their own backyard first. It’s outrageous.

  2. China Law Blog responds:
    Posted: March 22nd, 2008 at 9:40 pm →

    You are not being the least bit fair. The job of the State Department is to warn travellers of potential hazards and that is all that is being done here. Nobody is saying China is a hotbed of crime, just that visitors should be careful. I have seen this sort of thing said about places like Italy on the State Department website.

    Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar and not everything is politics!

  3. Larry responds:
    Posted: March 22nd, 2008 at 10:12 pm →

    There are plenty of warning to American citizens about travelling in the States too. China issues a lot of warning to Chinese about reading of US publication and media as well. And I am sure the Chinese government is totally fair and balanced and all that, of course. And of course, you don’t need to take any precaution in China. There is no crime whatsoever, and every hotel room is perfectly clean.

  4. Josh responds:
    Posted: March 23rd, 2008 at 8:30 am →

    @CLB

    The main point was about the surveillance.

  5. hehe responds:
    Posted: March 24th, 2008 at 4:10 am →

    Josh,

    It is abosolutely outrageous to say those negative things against a democratic department of states of a democratic nation, after all, it is all democratic.

  6. EHM responds:
    Posted: March 26th, 2008 at 12:11 am →

    Coming originally from South Africa (you bet!! - a hotbed of crime - 5 personal friends car-jacked on separate occasions by gunpoint), I find it really strange that not once in the years I have lived in China have i been exposed to anything remotely like what I have personally seen in violent crime either in SA or the time I have been in the USA. Makes u think dunnit?!

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