No one understands China. Sniff, sniff, sniff

Steven Spielberg's resignation as a advisor to China on the Summer Olympics in Beijing has poked a finger in the eye of its puffery as a gentle, growing economic giant. Spielberg cited the Chinese support of Sudanese government 'genocide' against Dafur as his reason for resigning. China's immediate response: foreigners cannot nor are able to understand us. Yet anyone who reads the daily press should not be surprised at this little boy hurt response. Beijing cares not a whit of what others think of her. She operates on a simple rule of thumb: is it good for China! Sudan has oil, and China needs oil, so let high winds and tides come, it wouldn't let support for the repressive government in Khartoum falter one bit.
China's disregard for standards of any sort is legend. Look at the poisoned cough medicine and the dead that it left behind in Central America; look at the poisoned dumplings sold in Japan; look at the lead paint in toys sold in the US and elsewhere. Look at the pollution its smoke stacks belch out thereby exacerbating global warming. Look at the repression of Tibetans and of the Ouigar minority in Xiajiang. Look at the repression of its own rural population. The laundry list of ills and complaints and misdemeanors and felonies is long. Beijing stands before the court of public opinion and is found guilty and wanting in contrition and reform. So do shed crocodile tears China but don't expect sympathy!