Sinophobia

Let me read you a few quotes from Washington Post columnist Thomas Boswell:

About Michael Phelps. "He's carrying America's banner ...during 17 days when China uses every opportunity to upstage the United States." Poor guy - it's bad enough that there is so much pressure put on one person, but now he's the visible and very wet symbol of a new world struggle for hegemony?

But the hyperbole doesn't stop there: "In one corner, we've got 1.3 billion Chinese ... In the other we have one big laid-back lunk of a swimmer"

About the Beijing Olympics. "Every other moment of every day seems to be consumed by some visible testimonial to China--its athletes, its people and architecture" Um ... we're in China, people!

About the Chinese: "At the Games themselves, the Chinese can swell their chests as they prance proud gold medalists to the podium" Prance? Remember the embarrassment of previous 'touch down' displays of chest-beating strutting and gloating by US runners, trailing the American flag like a prop to their testosterone?

While he's at it, why not insult all the hard working athletes in the so-called 'unpopular' sports: "[Project 119] is the medal count in five sports in which China has done poorly, including kayak and canoe (12 gold medals), rowing (14) and sailing (10). Every day China goes prospecting for that cheap gold."

Let me point out a few things:

• Everything I've read or heard suggests that the Chinese spectators have been gracious and warm towards all nations' athletes, not just their own.
• Even though the Chinese athletic support system is quite different to that of the US, do we really think that the individual athletes are not as proud of their achievements in winning medals as any other athlete? Have they not worked just as hard? Have they not made similar and equally heart-wrenching sacrifices?
  
• I don't understand this distaste for taking aim at the 'medal count' when the US is rightfully proud of having won it for the past gazillion years.
• So the Chinese has put some efforts into sports with multiple 'variations.' It's not like those sports are winning the ultimate prize - television ratings. Perhaps there will be an ironic result of this. If China wins the medal count, perhaps the US will put more $$ and effort into some of that so-called "cheap gold," and they'll be shown more on TV.
  

I found it hard to read beyond the second paragraph of this opinion column. I found in it a disturbing tinge of cultural snobbery, wrapped in misplaced patriotism and a kindergartner's refusal to look in the mirror. It is important to note that Mr. Boswell's opinions are not that of Americans in general.