Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Olympic Torch in San Francisco
Today in San Francisco there is now in progress a police parade accompanied by what looks like a torch. No one can see the Olympic torch but the gauntlet of club wielding police. In front of the torch bearers was a big yellow truck, dutifully recording a Potemkin Village celebration, with the police and protesters out of sight of the Chinese television cameras, as were the police helicopters. The cameras were recording the Chinese fantasy, which will be broadcast to the elites in their population, to make it seem all is going great, their honor validated. In the countryside, the Chinese peasants will gasp on the fumes generated by 19th century capitalism, knowing nothing of all of this. In Tibet, a society will continue to be eviscerated.
The route follows, pretty much, our daily run. In fact, we were just out where they are now an hour ago. Apparently they are going to continue on, to the Golden Gate Bridge, and then take a submarine, ur, ferry, to their original destination, for the “celebration”. They completely changed their route, escaping the protesters, escaping the non-extant cheering crowds, escaping their wished-for triumphalism, but not escaping our notice. It was a sad spectacle.