wear masks if they are sick as a way of being polite to others and not spreading the illness.

^{“Is not our first thought to go on the road? The road is our source, our vault of treasures, our wealth. Only on the road does the ‘traveller’ feel like himself, at home.”
Ryszard Kapuscinski}

Many Chinese do wear masks for reasons of air quality. Others wear them not to avoid spreading illness, which their cotton mask wouldn't in any event, but to avoid catching illnessess.

I was in Beijing in June. Air was not great but it certainly wouldn't kill me and, if I were in better shape wouldn't slow me down. And I tend to bronchial problems.

My brother-in-law, who runs 10 miles most days when he's home in the U.S., was there on business last year. He said his lungs physically hurt just to try to breath normally from all of the pollution in the air. He said his lungs sort of seized up and spasmed. It took about three weeks back in the U.S. before he could breathe normally again.

I remember a similar experience I had during a particularly bad smog alert in Los Angeles, and it was breathing slivers of glass into my lungs.

I just can't believe we're even entertaining the idea of pumping more oil. We need to be staging a worldwide Manhattan project, a summit of all nations, to developing clean alternatives now

^{“Is not our first thought to go on the road? The road is our source, our vault of treasures, our wealth. Only on the road does the ‘traveller’ feel like himself, at home.”
Ryszard Kapuscinski}

Why are you chiding the athletes? If they believe that their health is imperiled, or that their performances will be diminished, you think that they should suck it up, "be men" (or women), be passive and take it?

I don't understand why your anger is directed at the athletes.

They've been training for years for this moment, and this is their livelihoods. The Olympic Committee is a bunch of corporate whores who clearly don't care about the lives and health of the athletes. It's too bad that the athletes don't have a say in where the games are to be, but they don't, and taking precautions seems a small statement and concession for the huge money that's going to be made off these people.

behavior in Barcelona against the Angolan National team. His behavior was deplorable. Sometimes manners really are a good thing. What's so bad about just having nice manners, a little sensitivity?

^{“Is not our first thought to go on the road? The road is our source, our vault of treasures, our wealth. Only on the road does the ‘traveller’ feel like himself, at home.”
Ryszard Kapuscinski}

These athletes have nothing to apologize for.

According to Daily Kos and Sports Illustrated, the US Olympic Committee made 200 of these masks, and distributed them to athletes:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/olympics/2008/writers/selena_roberts/08/06/beijing/index.html?eref=T1

Even if they didn't, these folks are CYCLISTS... and lung capacity is ESSENTIAL to winning. There is a strong correlation between winning races, and the ability to absorb oxygen into the lungs. Its not like they pissed on the Chinese flag, or were openly obnoxious. They were protecting their most valuable asset in an unknown region. Also, as clearly mentioned here, they probably saw other Chinese wearing masks, so they had no way of knowing it was some kind of artificially manufactured taboo.

A little black mask makes the Chinese freak out? How brittle can they possibly be???

If the whole goal of the Bejing Olympics is to make china look like a "grown up nation," then they got a long way to go. The Chinese who demanded an apology are nothing but a pack of Orwellian dicks who use thuggery and whining to get their way... To them, perception is more important than reality, and they don't want any reality invading their fantasy land.

Lets call a spade a spade, and move on.

--
http://bexhuff.com
Of COURSE you can trust the US Government! Just ask the Indians.

They were wearing the masks in the air conditioned airport for crying out loud. What don't you folks get about how rude and conspicuously unnecessary it is to don masks in an air conditioned building?

The only alternative explanation is that Americans are so xenophobic as to be afraid that either the Chinese aren't up to air conditioning their brand new world class airport in an effective manner or that the risk of catching Chinese cooties would persist even in such an indoor environment.

What don't you folks get about how rude and conspicuously unnecessary it is to don masks in an air conditioned building?

So... an athlete's body is not his own? Why not let him decide what is and what is not necessary to protect his lungs? Or we could appeal to the scientific evidence about how bad pollution is... but that too would "offend" the brittle Chinese, because they failed to clean it up like they claimed:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/7506925.stm

I'm sure it offended a lot of Germans when America sent Jesse Owens to the 1936 Olympics... Should he have just stayed home because successful black people "offend" the Fascists? Or maybe he should paint his body white to please his Aryan hosts?

Don't you see how stupid this whole "I'm Offended!" treadmill is? I, for one, am hopping off.

--
http://bexhuff.com
Of COURSE you can trust the US Government! Just ask the Indians.

Defending SP (and myself parenthetically) no one here has ever said that the Chinese can do no wrong. We would, however, expect that the more reasonable amongst you China haters could allow them the same room to continue improving what they do in much the same way as you allow those other paragons of freedom and democracy (lets put in U.S. and U.K.).

do no wrong. For proof I would point you here and here and that's just an appetizer. I have serious issues with the Chinese, having seen what horrors the perpetrate first hand in Tibet and East Turkestan. So, I think you ought rethink some of your statement.

That being said, I do have an enormous amount of respect for Chinese the world over, even on the mainland for what they have acheieved this century. The good, I dare say, might outweigh the bad, although the environmental devastation makes it a really close call.

^{“Is not our first thought to go on the road? The road is our source, our vault of treasures, our wealth. Only on the road does the ‘traveller’ feel like himself, at home.”
Ryszard Kapuscinski}

Beijing several times. I stress the word 'several' not to mention other cities in China with air problems much, much, much worse than Beijing.

I'm not dumb. I know what of I speak. Might do you some good to look around at my experience in traveling before making unwise assumptions.

^{“Is not our first thought to go on the road? The road is our source, our vault of treasures, our wealth. Only on the road does the ‘traveller’ feel like himself, at home.”
Ryszard Kapuscinski}

First, apologies if you thought the above post's title referred to you; it refers instead to the first line of your post calling the athletes, or at least their wearing of masks, dumb.

As for Beijing's pollution, other cities no doubt have bad pollution, but I trust that you aren't basing your comparisons among various cities on the anecdotal evidence gleaned from just a few short visits. Chinese cities, Beijing among them, still dominate the world tables (16 of the top 20?) in terms of air pollution, at least according to the World Bank. Beijing's air has admittedly improved somewhat over the last decade, though sadly the exploding number of cars in the city threatens those modest gains, but it's still bad by most standards. Whether the air is a danger to the athletes during the Olympics is clearly the subject of debate. I'm just suggesting that the Chinese government and IOC aren't exactly disinterested parties in that debate.

Speaking of assumptions, before touting your knowledge of things China (or anywhere for that matter) based on a few trips to the country, you might consider that someone else might have actually lived there 'several' years. You might think it presumptuous for someone to claim expertise on things Texas based on 'several' trips to Dallas, no?

well founded and I don't dispute them. At the same time, I understand an athlete's need for health and Beijing is NOT ideal. Again, no argument.

My beef was with the propriety of the whole thing, the signal lack of manners it showed. I guess it's my Asian manners rubbing off--as opposed to those I've gotten from growing up in Texas. I just found it insulting to the Chinese what the athletes did and I felt it uneccessary. And it was dumb. A little forethought, like, hmmm, maybe I oughta wait til I get out of the way of the press til I put this on? Just a little forethgouth is all it would have taken.

^{“Is not our first thought to go on the road? The road is our source, our vault of treasures, our wealth. Only on the road does the ‘traveller’ feel like himself, at home.”
Ryszard Kapuscinski}

certainly not something that merits an apology to Bocog, however 'voluntary' or not. Waiting until they got to the village, however, if they indeed insisted on wearing masks, might have been the better part of valor.

Then again, the athletes aren't run-of-the-mill guests in China, they're participants in an international athletic event that China fought long and hard for the privilege to host, and I would emphasize privilege here. China didn't invite these athletes, they won their places through hard work and grueling competition. Nor did the athletes have any choice about going to Beijing if they wanted to compete in their possibly one chance at Olympic glory, the IOC made that decision for them years ago. (I will note that at the time Bocog promised that there would be clean air during the Olympics.) All things considered, I would lean toward giving the athletes a break, and not worry too much about the host's often prickly sensitivities.

This episode has sadly highlighted that for all too many, most particularly the Chinese government, these Games have become more about China and the Chinese than the athletes. Now, the athletes may have lost out long ago to crass commercialism and IOC corruption, but one can still cling to the ideal.

As I am in the medical field, I tend to approach this from the potential health hazard standpoint and fully agree with Blackburn.
A cyclist was pointed out as an example. The amount of air he or she would use, or a runner would use, in full exertion is probably double or triple our normal (activity) intake, and at a much more rapid rate.
Do this multiple times in a day and you are going to be in bad shape when all is finished.

For me the point is health safety. And the atheletes are just doing one of, I am sure, many prudent things, when your sole objective is to win the race, yes.

Food for thought. Thanks, Bb

They were wearing the masks in the air conditioned airport for crying out loud. What don't you folks get about how rude and conspicuously unnecessary it is to don masks in an air conditioned building?

The only alternative explanation is that Americans are so xenophobic as to be afraid that either the Chinese aren't up to air conditioning their brand new world class airport in an effective manner or that the risk of catching Chinese cooties would persist even in such an indoor environment.

^{“Is not our first thought to go on the road? The road is our source, our vault of treasures, our wealth. Only on the road does the ‘traveller’ feel like himself, at home.”
Ryszard Kapuscinski}

already apologized. My point has been made. And if you read any of my previous posts on the Chinese you'd realize this was far from a knee-jerk reaction. Sometimes it is just better to behave well and show good manners.

^{“Is not our first thought to go on the road? The road is our source, our vault of treasures, our wealth. Only on the road does the ‘traveller’ feel like himself, at home.”
Ryszard Kapuscinski}

out of fear they would not be allowed to compete.

From Sports Illustrated:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/olympics/2008/writers/selena_roberts/08/06/beijing/index.html?eref=T1

The USOC made sure the cyclists understood this breach of guest etiquette by scolding them to tears, eliciting an official apology from Michael Friedman, Sarah Hammer, Bobby Lea and Jennie Reed

Yeah, nice... the Chinese turn the thumbscrews because of some manufactured "insult" to show how tough they are... then demand concessions. And the USOC plays the puppet.

Why did the USOC so quickly turn on the very athletes they are supposed to represent? Conspiracy theories are budding:

There was also another, perhaps far more important, reason for the USOC to play nice with China: fear of retribution for criticizing the Beijing Games. The Americans are already on edge about the medal count, knowing they could fall short of expectations and short of China, and would not want to compromise the outcome of any event by agitating the hosts. It may sound far-fetched, but this is the Olympics, home to French judge scandals in ice skating and doping cheats worldwide.

Yikes...

Seriously, how many of you have done business in China? This is standard operating procedure for bureaucrats. Pretend to be insulted about something, forcing the dim-witted westerner to fall all over himself trying to let you save-face.

I'm ashamed that the USOC didn't learn how to handle this kind of crap before it happened. Mark my words: this will not be the first "manufactured insult" that China will demand an apology for.

--
http://bexhuff.com
Of COURSE you can trust the US Government! Just ask the Indians.

BBC takes and posts measurements of PM10, along with a picture, every day (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/7506925.stm). The Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau post daily reports of PM10, as well as SO2 and NO2 levels, in various areas in and around Beijing on their website (http://bjepb.gov.cn/air2008/olympic.aspx). And yes, the readings differ markedly.

The levels reported by the BBC are quite high. On some days, almost 300 (08/04). I'd probably wear a mask on those days if I had to walk around. On the 5th, when the US athletes were using the masks, it was just above 100. If it was just to go from the plane to a shuttle bus, probably wearing a mask was excessive.

not knowing about the egregiously poor air quality. Either you come to compete under the existing conditions or stay away. The masks don't help and the athletes certainly aren't going to wear them while competing. If you don't want to compete under these conditions stay away, don't embarrass the host country to no good end. The cyclists made a bad decision for which they have rightly apologized.

Nobody showed up in Beijing

not knowing about the egregiously poor air quality. Either you come to compete under the existing conditions or stay away. The mssks don't help and the athletes certainly aren't going to wear them while competing. If you don't want to compete under these conditions stay away, don't embarrass the host country to no good end. The cyclists made a bad decision for which they have rightly apologized.

As for my athletic prowess: I was an avid runner, even marathons, before I blew out my back in a car wreck in Tibet coming down from the Everest base camp. So, I know about athletes.

^{“Is not our first thought to go on the road? The road is our source, our vault of treasures, our wealth. Only on the road does the ‘traveller’ feel like himself, at home.”
Ryszard Kapuscinski}

you're a runner and you don't think smog and air quality make a difference? um, ok. and as for the whole "you showed up, deal with it" argument, well, it's not like the athletes have a choice about where the olympics will be. that's left to the corrupt IOC and national pols looking to make political hay off sports and hype. what are they going to do, say no to the professional and athletic opportunity of a lifetime, the very event that could literally determine if they can survive on what they could potentially make in endorsements? throwing away a lifetime's worth of effort? of course they're going to go whereever the olympics are held; it's up to people like us to pressure governments to make sure they don't have to sacrifice themselves anymore than they already do already for purely political purposes.

cmon, SP. given a choice, would you *want* to run a marathon in mexico city? downtown LA during an ozone action day? these olympics? or would you want to run thru the streets of someplace with strict air quality regulations? and again, you distance people never did quite get just how much the little stuff matters to the sprinting classes. it really does matter: the temperature, humidity, the nature of the material of the track, wind...yes, these things matter to distance runners too, but for sprinters, it's life or death, or rather, the difference between having a chance at breaking records, beating your key opponents, that sort of thing. think about it...01 seconds separates some of these folks. it's hard to even perceive that unit in your mind, and your body has to make or break that mark for you.

it does make a difference, and it's not good to run in smog. i just can't believe you think being nice to the chinese gov't is more important that pointing out, even as an "ineffectual" or "rude" or "stupid" protest, that the air quality there sucks. that's just simple fact, and it has an impact on many billions more people than just some visiting athletes. isn't their right to breath clean air worth highlighting, in any way that gets real attention? i guess not. 'saving face' is what counts.

starting from the assumption that saving face has the same negligible value it does in America. A lot of people are looking at this situation and trying to process it through their value systems. Saving face in Chinese culture can be above life and death. You simply cannot use American cultural algorithms here and expect to get anything except gibberish as output. You will *not* get insight into what's really on the table here, you will be flying blind.

how much of this is genuine insult, and how much is artificial insult? How much of this deserves a genuine apology, and how much of it is flat-out manipulation?

The American athletes do not understand Chinese culture, nor should they have to... this is the Olympics, not the UN. As a result, the Chinese will inflate as many insults as much as possible, to elicit as many formal apologies as possible, to try to look "big."

--
http://bexhuff.com
Of COURSE you can trust the US Government! Just ask the Indians.

Face it, s-p:-)

_{"The mythical John McCain is an affable, straight-talking, moderately conservative war hero who is an expert on foreign policy" - Bob Herbert}