The long list of Useful Idiots

George Orwell didn’t use the phrase “Useful Idiots” as far as I know. But he knew who they were. The intellectuals (and he had some pretty tart views on that class) who went to the Soviet Union in the late 40’s and 50’s and declared “I have seen the future and it works”. He called them out and he was proven right. 

“Useful idiots,” was originally coined as a term for Communist sympathizers and defined as follows: “a citizen of a non-communist country sympathetic to communism, who was regarded by communists as naive and susceptible to manipulation for propaganda or other purposes.” [Ref].  

There are modern “Useful Idiots”: Al Gore, Ted Kennedy, Jimmy Carter, Jesse Jackson, Madeleine Albright, Katie Couric, Jane Fonda, Martin Sheen. Welcome Eileen Gu to this esteemed group.

She is wonderfully talented, a model, a scholar and a gold-winning skier. Way more accomplished than I ever was or ever could be. But she’s also naive. Like all Useful Idiots. Well-meaning. But naive. Skiing for China, when she was born in the US gives China a fantastic publicity coup.  But she’ll be dumped, clever girl, if she ever fails to gold. Just ask Zhu Yi.

Because what we need is a non-entity haranguing us…

 

Click to enlarge and clarify 

ADDED. And kind of related: is the other shoe dropping? Todays South China Morning Post front page. Foreboding music in minor key swells:

You don’t really want to hear from senior people in charge of Hong Kong’s future about “disrespecting the Communist Party”. Or “respecting the Chinese constitution” (which is routinely ignored on the mainland). Or “further strengthening the National Security Law”. Or stuff about “integrating with the mainland”. Or to see our senior officials seamlessly slide to their knees (Paul Chan, Finance Secretary) to “support the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party”. Trembling and obeying.

Icing on the cake for Hong Kong

I guess it’s safe, safer than news: devote the whole of the front page to the Olympics closing ceremony and how well Hong Kong did. 

But the Closing Ceremony? We thought it a stinker. Too long, too boring, too masked-mandated. The only fun bit was when they crossed to the Eiffel Tower square where a big happy crowd had gathered to welcome the handover for Paris 2024.

We did enjoy the Olympics  and the happiness of the athletes. They had a ball. Even in the despair of defeat. Strong emotions. Just a shame the mask mandate was so strictly enforced. And the closing speeches by IOC bureaucrats, oh boy… and some of the ceremony so self-indulgent and self-important worsened by militaristic and religious overtones. Yuck..

Roy and H.G. on the French

Well the Olympics are over for another four three years.

We — this household, male and female, young and old, canine and human — have enjoyed them.

I’ve also had fun listening to Aussie comedic commentators Roy and HG do their “Dodging Armageddon” blog from Tokyo. Day 14 is here, not sure for how long as you can’t subscribe.

I liked Roy’s ideas for making some sports more interesting. Like the equestrian dressage. Combine that with horseback shooting, says Roy. “What sort of guns?” Asks HG. Well, they’d need to be Olympic compliant, of course, says Roy. Like 25m air pistols or 50m air rifles. 

And this morning, doing their valedictory show, they looked forward to Brisbane 32, Roy suggesting adding new competitions like historically-themed events. “You could have the Pirates Pentathlon” for example. Sailing, fencing, archery, tug-of-war and walking the plank (aka diving)”. Brilliant! says HG.

ADDED: waiting for the closing ceremony. Three hours…sigh… The opener was four hours. Mind, that included the agonisingly long march past by the athletes, which you can’t really do without. 

‘Miracles’ as city medal tally rises

HK Games success brings some positive vibes here
after a grim couple of years

We’ve watched a lot of this Tokyo 2020 and note this: that the athletes love them. There are naysayers out there. Cynics like Pierce Morgan saying “only gold matters”; others that this will be the last Olympics of its type. But the athletes? All of them every single one, love the Olympics. They’re happy when they get through early rounds; happy when they qualify; happier still if they make the podium; happiest when they strike gold. Even if they don’t, they’re happy to be here, at the Olympics. Happy, happy, happy!

Football and basketball have weekly outings. But for most Olympic sports— track and field, archery, judo, karate, sports climbing, wrestling, gymnastics and the dozens of others — this is a once every four years thing. They’re  in the world eye and they love it. 

Let’s keep the Olympics! Let’s have even more sports in the Games!

ADDED: 

1. Doesn’t seem to be such a focus in medals, which is good. No medals table in our local paper (last time they did) and no medals table on the TV coverage, also good. You might imagine that we here, being under the heel of Beijing, might have the table, with China at the top, shoved in our faces. But no.

2. It seems there’s greater number of countries participating and getting to finals, and more medals outside the “big five”. But that’s just an impression, haven’t seen the numbers. 

Nine years’ jail for first conviction under security law

Today's front page. Buried online. Many comments

At least let’s be thankful for small mercies. Prisoner Leon Ting could have been sentenced under Chinese law and the sentence could have been life in prison. But the three judges held firm in that, at least: convicting under Hong Kong law, as required by our Basic Law. Though, tbf, nine years seems harsh. For the “crime” of riding a motorbike into a cordon of police.

Meantime Hong Kong’s second silver to add to the gold in fencing. Siobhan Haughey strikes again with Silver, in the 100m freestyle where Australia’s Emma McKeon won Gold. UPDATE: Kaylee McKeown just struck again with another Gold in 200m backstroke! (09:40 HKT). UPDATE: And then Oz’s Ariadne Titmus gets Silver 1.3 seconds behind Katie Ledecky’s Gold in the 800m freestyle  (10:00). Good race.

We’re enjoying the Olympics. Though weird and sometimes sad there’s no fans. Such great facilities. Empty. Though they need not have been. That was just an over cautious decision by…who? The Japanese? The IOC?

Our favourite sport, surprise to us, has been Archery. The format is terrific, quick and utterly fair competitions, that aren’t over till they’re over, and often tense. Jing and I are going to head off to buy Archery kits, after John has headed back to LA.

Inspector named to look into publisher

I’d thought it might be looking into the publisher arrested the other day for publishing kiddies books. 

But it’s all about the campaign of revenge against the Apple Daily. Not enough to have jailed the owner, his staff and shut it down. They’re dancing on the grave.

Meantime just to the right of the above headline, the good news… of Siobhan Haughey’s Sillver medal in the women’s 200 m freestyle. Just an arm behind Australia’s Ariadne Titmus in Gold, her second.

We’re enjoying the Olympics. Archery has been the surprise package fo us. Easy to understand, skilful and tense competitions. Cool gear too…

Zen and the art of Archery (and Air Pistolry)

Korean men's and women's teams both won Gold

Great sport to watch! Passes Roy and HG's "pub test" for watchability. The men's final was tense and exciting. 

Both the Korean men's and women's teams are world conquerors, having won all the gold medals since it became Olympic.

What a great sport. You don't have to punish your body or bend it out of shape. Shoot a few quivers with your mates and head off to the pub.... A similar other is 10-metre Air Pistol. All the guys lining up for the final the other day looked like they'd wandered in off the street after a few pints and a fag.... Fun. Was exciting too. Definitely passes the pub test for watchability and great format. Easy to understand and quick results. Ditto the archery.

Jing and I are looking into it.... There's an Archery Centre in Kowloon.

Hong Kong’s golden boy

Hong Kong fencer Edgar Cheung wins Gold 🎃in the Fencing foil. Watched by millions here.

The Hong Kong government did something good. They bought the rights to the coverage and gave them out for free. So we have no less than nine channels in Olympics at any one time.

We’ve enjoyed the Archery. Jing and I are going to buy some gear and give it a try.