News of the day:
Chinese torch officials have been warned their paramilitary “flame attendants” will be arrested and hauled away if they touch an Australian during the torch relay.
So that’s clear. There’ll be no manhandling Down Under in the name of “protecting the sacred flame” or whatever job description these Men in Blue have.
But check out this scene on the streets of San Francisco a few weeks back - at least one member of the Chinese People’s Armed Police Force (PAP) got in a physical altercation with an American citizen, Majora Carter.
Apparently, the handler (a Chinese woman who sits in a car and issues commands via radio) of these so-called “goons” didn’t get the message they weren’t to assault Americans during the visit to San Francisco. Wonder why…
Desmond Tutu, Richard Gere, and Majora Carter all happy as clams under the watchful eyes of Fake Bono during a pre torch-relay shindig in San Francisco
Anyway, Coke now takes a dim view of the activist they recruited for the torch relay:
A Coca-Cola spokesman, Kelly Brooks, said, “It’s unfortunate that Ms. Carter used an invitation to participate in the torch relay as a platform to make a personal political statement. We firmly believe the Olympics are a force for good that celebrates the best in sports, and we are proud to support the Beijing 2008 Olympics.”
Were the 1936 Olympics “a force for good” also? It seems Coke might have had hand in that fiasco as well. We’ll all just have to ponder that one.
But it turns out that Majora signed a “code of conduct” that prohibited torchbearers from displaying political or religious signs.
So what’s Coke’s next move? Extradition to Atlanta, Georgia? Rendition to Beijing? How are they going to make Majora pay for speaking out, because after all, you know, she signed a piece of paper.
The world wonders.
