Posted on 08/15/2008 1:24:54 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
Beijing Olympics: 'Ethnic' children exposed as fakes in opening ceremony
Another section of the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony has been exposed as faked - the children supposedly representing the country's 56 ethnic groups were in fact all from the same one, the majority Han Chinese race.
By Richard Spencer in Beijing
Last Updated: 7:27AM BST 15 Aug 2008
The children accompanied the soldiers carrying in the national flag at the most solemn moment of the ceremony.
They were dressed in costumes associated with the country's ethnic minorities, including those from troubled areas such as Tibet and the muslim province of Xinjiang. Such displays of "national unity" are a compulsory part of any major state occasion.
But the children were all from the Han Chinese majority, which makes up more than 90 per cent of the population and is culturally and politically dominant, according to an official with the cultural troupe from which they were selected.
"I assume they think the kids were very natural looking and nice," Yuan Zhifeng, deputy director of the Galaxy Children's Art Troupe said.
The official guide to the opening ceremony said that the children did not just represent but "came from" China's ethnic groups.
"Fifty-six children from 56 Chinese ethnic groups cluster around the Chinese national flag, representing the 56 ethnic groups," it said.
This point was put to Wang Wei, executive vice-president of the Beijing organising committee at a press conference today.
"I think you are being very meticulous," he said. He said it was "traditional" to use dancers from other ethnic groups in this way.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
The Olympic opening ceremony presented to the world an image of the diversity and unity of the Chinese state Photo: EPA
This is what happens when communist propaganda machine takes over Olympic ceremony
Ping!
The ChiComs Olympics are a fraud!
What a surprise...
> You know, there may be some hidden symbolism in this. That is, all minorities will be assimilated into Han-Chinese.
Of that I have no doubt. I could tell you a story about the ruling class in ChiCom which was, to me, very illuminating as to how things actually run there. It would be way off topic for this thread, tho’.
"I think you are being very meticulous," he said. He said it was "traditional" to use dancers from other ethnic groups in this way.
Hey that's the same guy who lost an argument with a P-3. Resurrected as Beijing Bob, looks like.
This is why I keep calling it the ‘FAUX-LYMPICS’!!!! LOL! ;)
I really identified with Rush, when he was talking about the opening ceremonies.
He said they were beautiful, but they should send a chill up the spine. All these people acting exactly alike.
He also noted something that had really bothered me. The children went up to the military sort of goosestepping, carrying the flag, and the NBC commentator made this comment about how now the state was the guardian of the children. He sounded like he considered it a good idea.
Rush said it really bothered him. I thought it was the creepiest thing I’ve seen in years.
marked for later
I fail to see what the fuss is about - it was a show, and a pretty good show at that. Think Hollywood, think Broadway, think the Ziegfeld Follies or Ice Capades on a massive scale. It was entertainment.
The thing to bitch about would be the age of a couple women’s gymnasts, not a floor show.
It was the Ziegfiled Follies, not the Stalin Follies. This entire Olympics, like everything else in that cesspool, was run by the Chinese govt.
Think Professional Wrestling.
They won't like it when they are exposed and seen on the world stage as liars and fakers. Loss of face? Tough. Then dont lie, got it China?
bleh.. it’s the Red Chicoms being themselves.
...the state holds responsibility for the children...
And I nearly fell out of my chair with his statement as he continued to spew the benefits of that type of situation.
Yup. I thought the same thing ... creepy, scary, and disturbing.
This might be the Telegraph getting it wrong.
During the ceremony (which was great, but yes the soldiers goose-stepping with the flag were an own goal) the BBC announced that the children were “dressed as-” or “represented-” each of the Chinese racial groups. Not “were members of-”. The Telegraph may just have got the wrong end of the stick.
You could still say the same thing if they had actually used children from the regions.
But this article uses a direct quote:
"Fifty-six children from 56 Chinese ethnic groups cluster around the Chinese national flag, representing the 56 ethnic groups," it said.
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