Twelve days to go till the start of the Beijing Olympics, and pollution is still horrible -- the worst seen in the last month. Check out this photo of the air today, from James Fallows' site.
Does anybody else have the feeling that these Olympics are going to end up being a real embarrassment to China? Part of me thinks that it couldn't happen to a more deserving government (Tibet, the laogai, etc.). But on the whole, I don't think it's good for the world for China to feel humiliated by having had a bad Games.
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David J. White: I really don't understand the inherent difference between taking a drug that artificially enhances your performance, versus wearing a specially designed shoe or swimsuit that enhances your performance, or following a special diet and training regimen that enhances your performance.
So does that Viagra stuff really work, then? :-)
Anyway, the specially designed suits and shoes are available to all participants. Drugs produce varied effects and side-effects on different individuals, hence they are intrisically inequitable.
I'm not sure what drugs would have been available to the ancients. Perhaps a swig of resinated wine would make one run faster just to get the taste out of one's mouth. Ghastly stuff! To my knowledge, there is no reference to drugs in the Pindaric odes.
All arguements pro and con for having the games in Beijing aside, if I was an athlete, I'd be worried about the damage that stuff floating about in the air would be doing to my lungs. Haven't figured out why Beijing was chosen in the first place. Political reasons is my guess. I feel that the pollution is going to hamper the athletes performances.
Having said all that, the coverage of the last games was too packaged for my taste and I didn't watch much of it....and that will be the same this year...not a whole lot of watching.
pagansist: I'd be worried about the damage that stuff floating about in the air would be doing to my lungs.
Given that it's the capital of the bolshie republic of China, I wouldn't be surprised that a prime constituent of the pollution were the ash of human cremation. How do they dispose of the abortamenta in the "People's Republic"?
oops! sorry, that should have been "pagansister".
You have to bear it man.. Your children is going to be too annoyed with u.
We are only visitors to this planet you have no absolute authority on anything. You can only use it and don't destroy it.
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