Regrets About the Pomp and Circumstance

Regrets About the Pomp and Circumstance
China Times editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
August 11, 2008

Everyone is happy that Republic of China weightlifter Chen Wei-ling won an Olympic bronze medal. At the same time reports have emerged that Taiwan cheerleading team members Yang Hui-ju and Li Kun-lin were forced to return to Taiwan on the same plane on which they departed. According to media reports, on opening day five westerners were arrested in Tiananmen Square protesting human rights in Tibet. Sporadic incidents such as these will of course not interfere with the smooth progress of the Olympic Games. But in view of the spectacle of the opening ceremony, these episodes of "crisis management" were nevertheless a source of regret.

No one can deny that the pomp and circumstance of the Olympic opening ceremony left the world with jaws agape. It allowed the world to witness the "rise of a great nation." That rise is not merely economic. It is scientific and technological, cultural, creative, and represents a comprehensive national strength. Such scenes were unprecedented in the history of the Olympics. The next host will have a hard time surpassing them. Rumor has it London, the next host of the Olympics, is already feeling the pressure. In other words, when it comes to demonstrating the power a great nation, Beijing has already succeeded. In terms of international public relations, Beijing has received a positive assessment from much of the world media. Unfortunately, when it comes to tolerating dissent, the Beijing authorities still cannot let go. Although China has already arisen, it is still one step behind in embracing universal values.

How much harm could Yang Hui-lin and Li Kun-ling, the Taiwan cheerleading team members repatriated to Taiwan, have done? On Taiwan, they are merely a couple of mavericks. Their political influence is minimal. They organized a trip to Beijing to cheer for the Chinese Taipei Olympic Team. If they behave inappropriately, they are the ones who will be criticized, not the Beijing Olympic organizers. Besides, they were probably merely going there as cheerleaders. To make a big deal of it by returning them to Taiwan, has perversely turned them into heroes. DPP politicians fell over each other receiving them at the airport. The photo op was too much to resist.

One day the Beijing authorities will realize that when mavericks such as Yang Hui-ju and Li Kun-lin go to Beijing to say and do certain things, they are engaging in free expression. When people lie down on Tiananmen Square to protest human rights issues, and are neither harassed nor removed, but allowed to peacefully express their opinions, that will be the moment when democracy has arisen in China. All year around people protest in front of the White House and the Capitol Building. We all have grown accustomed to it. Most of the time the media doesn't even cover it. Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei is often very lively. People no longer think protests are a big deal. But in Beijing this sort of interference with personal expression, paradoxically allows protesters to make something out of nothing. The five westerners who lay down on Tiananmen Square pretending to be dead for less than 10 minutes, received global media coverage. Beijing lost points on its human rights record, for no reason. Isn't this losing proposition clear enough?

This relates to another feeling of ours about the opening ceremony for the Beijing Olympics. Internationally-famed director Zhang Yimou choreographed the opening ceremony. Three dimensional light shows plus an string of pyrotechnics, allowed Zhang full visual expression. Few people will decline to give this feast for the eyes a giant thumbs up. It used the universal language to introduce the world to Chinese culture. It proclaimed the Confucian tradition of "celebrating the arrival of friends from afar." It conspicuously stressed the Chinese values of "he" or harmony. These motives deserve affirmation. Unfortunately the momentum is temporary. It lacks a humanistic spirit. It mobilized a 2,000 drummer welcome, an 800 person living billboard, and over 3,000 persons to symbolize the disciples of Confucius. These formations allowed people to see the collective, but submerged the individual. Many people praised the disciplined uniformity. What was missing was public sounds of excitement.

The most vital legacy ancient Greek civilization bequeathed the modern world is statues with many different postures. The legacy ancient Chinese civilization bequeathed the modern world is terracotta warriors and horses arrayed in military formation. Movie director Zhang Yimou brought this formation to life in his film, "Hero." He reintroduced it in the opening ceremony for the Beijing Olympics. Whether this collectivist aesthetic, ought to be the main theme of Chinese culture is debatable.

Beijing has successfully used the Beijing Olympics to display its national strength to the world. The Beijing Olympics will probably end successfully as well. When it reaps its Olympic success, Beijing might also want to think about whether it wants to be a formidable power, or a benevolent power. Beijing has already achieved the former. It could do more to achieve the latter.

讚嘆炫麗排場後的些許遺憾
2008-08-11
中國時報

當大家正在在為我國舉重選手陳葦綾勇奪奧運銅牌而欣喜之際，同時卻傳出台灣加油隊的成員楊蕙如、李昆霖相繼遭原機遣返的憾事，據媒體報導在京奧賽事展開的第一天，有五位西方人士在天安門廣場為西藏人權抗議而遭逮捕，這些零星的事件當然不可能干擾奧運的順利進行，但在觀賞過炫麗的開幕式之後，對照這些被迅速「危機處理」掉的小插曲，還是讓人徒增些許的遺憾。

沒有人能否認，這場華麗排場的奧運開幕式，讓全球所有人都為之眼睛一亮，它確實讓世人見識到了中國的「大國崛起」，不僅僅是經濟的崛起、科技的崛起、文化創意的崛起，更是總體國力的崛起。這種場面不必懷疑已是奧運史上的空前，就算後繼者要超越也很辛苦，據說接辦下屆奧運的倫敦已經倍感壓力。換言之，在展現「大國氣勢」上，北京確實做到了，在國際公關操作上，北京也贏得全球媒體不少正面的評價。只不過很可惜的，在對異見包容的高度上，北京當局還是放不開，這使得中國縱然已經強勢崛起，卻依舊在「擁抱普世價值」上，總還是差那麼一步。

其實，被遣返的台灣加油團成員楊蕙如與李昆霖兩人，能有多大能耐？在台灣，他們不過只是行事風格特立獨行的人士，在政治影響力上其實微乎其微，他們組團到北京為中華奧運代表隊加油，如果出現不適當的言行，受到公評的是他們，不是京奧主辦當局，更何況他們很可能就只是單純的加油。如今這般大陣仗的將他們遣送回國，反而把他們捧成了英雄，再見到不少民進黨政客簇擁到機場接機插花，要不被政治化也很難了。

嘗試想想，如果有一天，北京當局學習認識到，類似如楊蕙如、李昆霖這類特立獨行人士到北京說什麼或表達什麼，都是他們個人的言論自由，有人躺在天安門廣場為人權議題抗議，既不干涉也不取締，就任其和平表達意見，那麼我們就可以說，中國是真的「民主崛起」了。美國白宮與國會大廈一年到頭都有人在示威抗議，但大家都早就習以為常，多半連媒體都上不了；如今台北總統府前的凱達格蘭大道上也經常很熱鬧，卻已經沒多少人還認為那有什麼大不了。但在北京這種對個人意見表達的強勢干涉，反而讓抗議者有更大操作空間，那五位躺在天安門廣場抗議的西方人士不過才「裝死」十分鐘不到，就成功登上全球媒體的版面，讓北京在人權紀錄上平白又失了分，這種得失之間，還不夠清楚嗎？

這其實也反襯出我們對京奧開幕式的另一種感受。是的，在國際大導演張藝謀的籌劃下，這場炫麗的開幕式藉由整齊劃一的舞步，結合現代三Ｄ光電科技，外加煙火串連，簡直讓張氏美學發揮到極致，很少人不會對這場視覺饗宴豎起大姆指，它標榜用世界的語言介紹中國文化，也不斷宣揚「有朋自遠方來，不亦樂乎」的儒家傳統，更刻意突出「和」的華夏價值，這些用心，絕對是值得肯定的。只不過這種氣勢美則美矣，還是少了人文氣息，試想動員兩千人擊缶迎賓，動員八百多人排活字印刷，動員三千多人象徵孔子弟子，這種陣仗讓人見識到了「集體」，卻消解了「個體」，讓人多了對整齊劃一的讚嘆，卻少了眾聲喧嘩的感動。

這就好像，古希臘文明留給當今世人最鮮活的資產，是表情、姿態不一的雕像，而古中國文明留存至今的主要資產，卻是軍容壯盛的兵馬俑，這支部隊張藝謀導演還曾在電影「英雄」中活化過，如今這種陣仗也再度展現在京奧開幕式裡，這種集體的美學，該不該是中華文化所要彰顯的主軸，真的值得討論。

北京已經成功的藉由京奧的順利開幕，向世人展現它的國力，預期中京奧也一定會圓滿閉幕，在收割奧運成功果實之際，北京或許也可以想想，是要做一個令人敬畏的大國，還是一個予人和善可親的大國，對於前者，北京已經做到了，對於後者，則還有更寬廣的努力空間！