The Beijing party pooper

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As a nation that claims to value freedom and justice for all, how best should we address the worst behaviour of those who manifestly ride roughshod over such ideals? What is the most effective way for us to encourage an improvement in the manners and morals of another country?

Should we refuse to let them join in with our game? Or should we maybe simply stop speaking to them? Perhaps we should deprive those dependent on International aid of their pocket money and sweets, or even more harshly, withhold some of the goods and services critical to their health and survival

The ultimate sanction of course, and one reserved, it must be presumed, for only the very worst and irredeemable of offenders, is intervention itself. This involves agreeing as best you can with all the others in the gang that fundamental rules of the game have been broken and that, as a result, the sovereignty of the country in question has been forfeited. Then you can walk right in and hand out a good hiding.

In recent history, the combined impact of wholesale boycotting and international isolation has had a crucial role to play and nowhere more so than in the ending of apartheid in South Africa, but sadly, it’s not an approach that always works as intended. A harsh embargo regime applied to Iraq during the 1990s cost hundreds of thousands of innocent young lives without any productive outcome at all. In fact the country still ended up getting a good hiding anyway.

At the other end of the spectrum of remedial action is absolute indulgence. Think of the parent who looks on smilingly at their offspring’s little acts of cruelty, declaring confidently that they will grow out of it, while also harbouring a quiet sense of pride in the sort of wilfulness which will stand them in good stead in a brutally competitive world.

The state of Israel has bristled and scrapped its way through all the phases of childhood but even as a young adult it is still not required to be accountable for its actions by the world community. In this case, the endless indulgence it has been granted has done nothing to improve its manners nor its dysfunctional personality.

But i only pose the question as part of a reflection upon the problem of China.

Steven Spielburg has now taken his place among the few celebrity heavyweights prepared to take a meaningful stand of principle against the very badly behaved. He is quite right to draw attention to China’s links to the Sudanese government, whose genocide it is effectively bankrolling, and his resignation from a role connected to that jamboree of Chinese self-promotion otherwise known as the Beijing Olympic Games is a major embarrassment to the hosts, and now threatens to set in motion a campaign that will most likely escalate as the summer event approaches.

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More interesting however, is the response of other governments. Those of the free world. Like our own, for instance. And the message implied by the stated policy of the UK on this issue is that countries with truly horrible personalities should be embraced, because that’s the best way to effect a change for the better. So when invited to play at their house, we should all turn up because by being in the warm company of really nice, kind folk some of that goodness might actually rub off. And even if they don’t really want to change, then due to all the attention, a degree of shame will force them to.

Tessa Jowell might well vaunt the right of activists to conspicuously not show up, or to show up and speak out, but there is little doubt as to the attitude of government and our associated sporting officialdom on the matter.

UK athletes have already been respectfully reminded of the small print governing their behaviour as sporting representatives. While they are permitted to answer any questions honestly, they should refrain from unsolicited or proactive political opinions. It will be interesting to see just how many Chinese journalists queue up to give our young bucks and fillys a chance to say just what they really think about the country’s political values.

And there’s nothing to say that such politeness around bullies, sadists and control freaks need extend merely to accepting invitations when offered.

Take Saudi Arabia for instance. The ruling dynasty there represents one of the harshest regimes in the world, but rather than upbraid them with a wagging finger or simply avoid their company in disgust, we should get them over to ours. Then, if we extend every courtesy and honour that the pomp and circumstance of our constitutional monarchy can muster, the penny might drop. “These really are the most hospitable people” thinks King Abdullah as he steps from the Queen’s best gold coach onto the gleaming red carpet, noting also the fact that it seems possible to live in opulence and privilege without keeping a straitjacket on your people, “Perhaps we are a bit too hard on the folks back home”.

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This inclusive, understanding approach is truly enlightened. Indeed it displays the very noblest human characteristics. It might even be a credible approach to the challenges of international politics if only it was implemented consistently. Take Iran for example. They even offered their help to the US, post 9/11. But after seeing their cautious offer of collaboration roundly snubbed, they simply recoiled into a wounded, then defensive, “axis-of-evil” paranoia. And little wonder. The sanctions have started already. And they’ll be lucky to avoid a good hiding in due course.

With all that said, I am finally, slowly starting to accept that the business of politics is amoral, and that no country’s behaviour is ever bad enough to justify a cessation of relations as long as another’s national interest is best served by maintaining them.

In all likelihood, China is,the emerging power of the 21st century, but its long, historical insularity means that a mentality suitable to such a role is taking time to evolve. Even now, it doesn’t fully grasp the burden of responsibility that comes with such influence. The impact of globalisation on this vast country’s culture and politics is nonetheless inevitable and profound change is certain, however strongly resisted and slow to emerge. Governments, and ours foremost among them, are now quite obviously jostling for position to ensure both economic advantage and the ear of its leaders. But none of this should mean that China’s current very bad behaviour is so indulged as to ensure that its big Beijing party goes off with a bang.

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For that reason, I shall be one of those people mentally boycotting the Olympic Games this summer. I may even make a nuisance of myself outside the Chinese embassy up the road. And if i can think of a suitably pithy T-shirt logo (”The Genocide Olympics” is a bit too obvious for my taste) then i’ll be wearing that too.