The Cosmopolitan Blog

Well, what a morning! I’m preparing breakfast and watching CNN as i do most Saturdays, and it’s just 1 bad breaking news after another: an American tourist is killed in Beijing, a bus-load of kids is killed in Texas, the Russians have invaded neighboring Georgia, Bernie Mac dies at 50 (totally didn’t see that one coming!) and John Edwards confesses to having an affair based on an investigation from the National Enquirer!

Um, hold up, can we spend some time on that last one please? The National Enquirer????? Since when do celebrities confess to something uncovered in the worst of the worst gossip rags? lol, ok, i’m over that one now.

I have to say though, I am SO tired of us getting shocked and exhasperated everytime it turns out that a politician has had an affair. You’d think after the 3rd one, we’d get bored, wouldn’t you? I mean, seriously, we got the mother-load with Bill Clinton, you’d think anyone after that was just inconsequential, no? Why does this stuff still make the headlines at the same level as a bus-load of kids killed in a bus crash?

Ok, look, i work in marketing, and one of the things you do in marketing is identify trends. And i think it’s safe to say, that, over the years, the trend seems to be that politicians are just like the rest of us, ALL OF THEM. Why do we we think that, just because they’ve chosen to be our representatives in government, they will be exempt from such temptations?

And i know many disagree with this, but, ok, so the man was having marital issues and strayed. Does this now annul everything he’s done in his political career? Hearing the anchors this morning, this will RUIN his career. Why? I mean, it’s our own fault if we thought he was THAT saintly that he was above human temptation, because then we’re only gonna hurt ourselves when we find out he isn’t.

And you know what, i’d much rather know that he’s human, because then i can relate to him a lot better. And if his vice is cheating on his wife, that makes him a normal red-blooded male, who, it’s good to know, is interested in women, which beats the alternative of us finding out he’s molested a child or raped a teenager, yes?

So let’s get some perspective here, people. John Edwards is still the same John Edwards some of you supported all these years and hoped would make the White House. He’s the same man, with the same dedication to his country. But, for reasons that we will never know, his marriage was going through troubles and he screwed up. It happens. Don’t read into it, this doesn’t allow you to predict whether or not he’d screw up in his career, we don’t know that, he could very well screw up in his career without having an affair.

UGH, this is a very frustrating morning, maybe i’ll just go back to bed. And, um, seriously? Bernie Mac passed away?? Now that’s sucky, he was so funny!!!

“There are 6 billion of us, we all come from unique places with unique ways of looking at the world, we don’t always agree, but for a few shining weeks we set it all aside, we come together to stand and cheer and celebrate as one. We forget all the things that make us different and remember all the things that make us the same.”
~ Visa Commercial, Morgan Freeman’s voice

So China is hosting the Summer Olympics and this is hugely controversial. Why? Because they have violated human rights, because of the torture of the Tibetan people, because of their history of repressiveness, because of their continued disregard for environmental issues? But the choice was made, and China was awarded the hosting contract anyway. Shouldn’t the discussion have stopped there?

But the controversy grew hotter. So, just because the host country is a so-called despicable member of this planet, then the world’s best athletes should not be allowed to accomplish their dream and take part in the biggest sporting event in the world? People are against the event, because they believe that focusing on China, means focusing on its wrongs and takes away from the spirit of the Olympics. But doesn’t considering boycotting the event send out exactly the same message?

Then later, we spent time focusing on which countries’ leaders would or would not show up, and we criticized them if they did (Harper, Canada) and we criticized them if they didn’t (Bush, USA).

So now, here we are, and Beijing just put on a spectacular opening ceremony, the magnitude of which can’t be described by any superlative i know, and it seems like most athletes showed up (even though there are a few sad stories like the Sudanese athlete who’s visa was revoked days before the start of the Olympics), and yet somehow, people just can’t seem to let it go.

So i’d like to offer some perspective.
A. We protest that China shouldn’t host the Olympics, but then neither should the US, since both countries are guilty of stripping civilians’ liberties (think Patriot Act and Guantanamo), polluting the world, and invading countries uninvited (think Iraq, Vietnam…)

B. We protest because Communist China keeps their population in poverty, but do they, really? I mean think about where China was 100 years ago! They have progressed by leaps and bounds. This is a country of over 1 billion souls for goodness’ sake, and moving a country like that into the modern era WILL have it challenges. They have a huge way to go, agreed. But think about it. This is the first generation that has 100% access to the outside world, from financial means to travel to information sharing on the Internet. This is the generation that will demand China progress into the 21st century, they will know what their rights are, they will see what the rest of the world is doing and demand that as their baseline, and then change and progress will come from the bottom up.

C. We protest because China is trying, with these Olympics, to dazzle us and make us forget their crimes and their history. Um, but isn’t that the point of hosting the Olympics? You’re given a noble challenge and a chance to show your country off in a new light and highlight what it’s capable of. You give a huge boost to your economy and tourism, improve infrastructure, create jobs, and put a spotlight on yourself, for the good and the bad, forcing yourself to play on the world stage. Ok, so the investments probably mainly benefited Beijing, while we heard reports of water being routed away from farms towards the cities. But this only happened in China? You don’t think that the leaders of every host country has made decisions that weren’t for the benefit of the general population?

Bottom line: the Olympics were created as a way to bypass politics, to bring together the best athletes in the world, to give the common person a dream and a goal to reach to become to best in their field, irrespective of beliefs, religion, wars and their government’s opinions. So be critical of China, sure. But be equally critical of every other country, and realize that boycotting the event or banning a country from attending will never bother the country’s leaders but will most definitely shatter the dreams of courageous souls who have put it all on the line for their dream.

Hey, you knew a rant on this blog was a long time coming… i haven’t posted anything of substance for a month now, and now i rambled on a bit. So sue me!

I was watching CNN’s videos this morning, and listening to what the world’s reaction is to Obama becoming the presumptive nominee of the Democratic party. Interestingly, in places like Lebanon, it was more important to them for a woman to have won. I think that the impact of a woman winning would have been greater around the world, because women’s struggle is a concept universally understood, which touches everyone in some way. On the other hand, the fact that a black man won a victory in the US is probably harder to understand for those who don’t follow US history as we do, and who don’t understand the African-American struggle.

Other reactions around the world: Germans are delighted, seeing Obama in a similar light as they did John F. Kennedy 50 years ago. In Japan, a group of female fans dream of meeting Obama. And in China, they seem happy with the fact that Clinton did not win, seeing her as a old-style hardliner who would perpetuate the impression Americans have of China. …and it India, they just want to see a president who will push India further up on the world map. Maybe they think the US government should outsource to India like the rest of us!