'One World One Dream' is China's slogan for the 2008 Olympics which, on the face of it, makes their government seem no more harmful than Bono.
And if Bono rang you up and said he wanted you to be artistic advisor for one of his gigs promoting this ‘One World One Dream’ ideal and he’d pay you a lot of money for it, so much so that the shame of working with U2 was totally rescinded, you’d no doubt quickly jump on board and put on one hell of a 3D laser-fest.
But what if it turned out that Bono, on his days off, in acquiescence to his idyllic showmanship, was financially supporting genocide in Darfur? And what if it turned out that, in the past, in an effort to reach this ‘One World One Dream’ ideal, he had ritualistically executed somewhere between 40 and 90 million of his own fans who didn’t quite ‘get it’? And what if he had scared the Dalai Lama away from his peaceful Tibetan home and into a friendship with Richard Gere? Would you still be happy to dazzle the world with your laser-show?
Of course, that’s all hypothetical; Bono doesn’t have any of those atrocities on his head; he has a whole host of his own to worry about. But the Chinese Government has apparently been funding the Darfur genocide and Steven Spielberg is the man it has hired to advise the artistic development of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, much to the annoyance of UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and human rights activist/actress Mia Farrow.
According to Mia Farrow:
"It has been nearly a year since Mr. Spielberg contacted President Hu about Beijing's role in the Darfur genocide. Given the deteriorating situation on the ground, we hope that Mr. Spielberg will waste no more time – and officially distance himself from the Games."
However, Andy Spahn, a representative for Mr. Spielberg, insists the director is doing all he can to help stop the atrocities in Darfur – even spearheading the campaign led by George Clooney and Don Cheadle to bring the world's attention to the crisis. Spahn told the New York Post:
"Steven left the set of his Indiana Jones movie to fly to New York to meet with the Chinese delegation. He is totally committed to stopping the genocide in Darfur."
In September 2004 US Secretary of State Colin Powell acknowledged the situation in Darfur to be ‘genocide’, before he and his government proceeded to do little to nothing about it. UN Coordinator Mukesh Kapila has said that it is "the world's worst humanitarian crisis," and he and the UN have gone on to write a number of very aggressive letters. So, amidst all this, how dare Spielberg work hand-in-hand with China. He hasn’t faced such uproar since he was asked to defend the plot of War Of The Worlds – and he had a bloody futile case then.
One way of looking at it is that there are very few countries in the world that don’t have a history with similar depravity – apart from maybe Finland. The US, after all, has had its fair share of embarrassing moments, with the Native Americans, the slave trade, Vietnam, Iraq and Justin Timberlake to name but a few.
Even in dear old England we’ve done some shit in Ireland that’ll never make it into our secondary school history syllabus. So would it not – in Mia's eyes – be a similarly offensive act to work in conjunction with the games if they were held in LA or London? Perhaps Spielberg is just taking in the bigger picture and is working with China to improve relationships and move into a better future for us all?
What do you think: A supporter of genocide, or merely a man of progression? Leave your comments below.
To find out more on the crisis in Darfur, visit www.miafarrow.org.
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Beth says
I fail to see how Spielberg working with them on the Olympics is more evil than my buying a hoodie made in China. The one I’m wearing right now. I checked the tag. We’re both supporting a nation with a sketchy human-rights record. It’s just I only had $20 and he has all that expertise and fame, so he gets attention for being part of the problem while I quietly send as much as I can afford to fund questionable activities abroad.
Coventry child abuse says
interesting point, beth. but a big problem is that spielberg has celebrity and is in the position to make an impacting statement. If spielberg was make a protest the whole world would hear about darfur. it’s a bit like michael j fox getting parkinsons: far better news for parkinsons sufferers if a celebrity can highlight it than if you or i get it and simply upset our mothers.
Gilbert Wham says
Well, it’s also far better that Michael J Fox gets it than me getting it.
Coventry child abuse says
if it was put to the public vote i reckon you’d be the one to suffer. no offence, gilb, but he was marty mcfly. aparrently, so i’m told by someone who read his autobiography, his parkinsons was triggered in the filming of btf3, when he was being hanged (before doc shoots him free) and he insisted he’d be ok without any aids whilst filming it, and then the cocky git gets parky’s disease. but, more to the point, what point are you making? are you saying that as long as the darfurians are the ones bein genocided and not you then that’s ok? or are you simply choosing to ignore the original story and feel a need to express how fortunate you are that god chose michael j fox instead of you, as if he decided it over the flip of a coin? you’ve hurt my brain a bit.
A Darfurian local says
Dear Paul Sorrenti,
Me and my people cannot thank you enough for your article. The bravery you showed in writing this piece will never be forgotten. As the world can today see, because of you, Steven Spielberg has broken off his link with the Olympic games and saved my country.
The changes to to our life can already be felt, a mere 24 hours since the news broke; Our school and hospitals are working again, the water is clean like crystal and our internet system is receiving a signal strength of ‘excellent’. Our mud-for-breakfast, rape-for-luch, death-for-dinner days feel long behind us.
So, to you, Paul Sorrenti, and to all at the beautiful hecklerspray, we salute you.
From Darfur.
A Chinese Man says
I still can not understand why link 2008 Beijing Olympic Game with Darfur Issue? What’s wrong with Spielberg? Does he forget he has millions of fans in China? Do you really know CHinese people? Do you really understand the 30 year old Chinese foreign policy, which we knew even we were in middle school?
If it is a fact we support Sudan government in certain type, if it is a fact we have built some oil plant or power plant in Sudan, but,PLZ, what you american people have done? Do you really care about the world? how many wars have been you fighting in recent 30 years? What really caused the 911 attact? And who are the real sufferers and victims of Gulf War and Iraq War? PLZ give us the answers? But one thing is certain, not China!
We Chinese don’t like war, but never fear the war if imposed on us. PLZ remember we are one of the biggest and powerful contry in the world, and we are growing. Your bias and prejudices against China and Chinese will finally be proved wrong in future!
One more thing: most CHinese young man don’t think there are any linkage between Beijing Olympic Games and Sudan Darfur Issue. Doing so just proves your hypocrisy and intrinsical world police profile.