More than anything, that was a justification for what was essentially an economic decision, opening up the massive, emerging China market for Olympics Inc. But how was it not political to say that granting the Games to China would improve human rights there? It's political to say that China must improve on human rights, and it's political to argue that certain actions, such as granting the Games, will foster that improvement.
It must be, because the opposite -- arguing that China shouldn't be allowed to host the Olympics because of its poor human-rights record -- is indisputably political.
And that initial economic and political decision has forced Rogge into either making the political decision to withdraw the Olympics or making the political decision to defend China, which is what he's chosen to do. He told the AP he disputes the claim by human-rights groups that the situation in China has deteriorated since 2001.
"I believe the Games have advanced the agenda of human rights," he said. "Is the situation perfect? By no means. Has it improved? I'm saying yes. Is the glass half full, or half empty? I'm saying half full."
How is it not a political statement to say the glass is half-full in China? Ask the people on any street corner in Lhasa if the glass is half-full. They'd probably be afraid to talk to you, but if not, you might find some healthy disagreement with Rogge's position amid the bullets and tear gas.
"We cannot deny one-fifth of mankind the advantages of Olympism," Rogge told the Associated Press. But the Olympics denied South Africans "Olympism" for years because of that nation's apartheid policy. And rightly so. That was politics, but that's the thing: There's no avoiding politics. To stand aside is to take sides.
Refusing to award the Olympics to countries that don't have excellent human-rights records is political. But it's a better way of doing politics than the way the IOC has chosen. At least that way you don't have to sit there and defend a regime as it cracks down on freedoms.
Rogge wants to pretend that the Olympics are above the dirty business of politics. They're not. They're up to their rings in it.
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About the writer
King Kaufman is a senior writer for Salon. You can e-mail him at king at salon dot com or visit his Facebook page.
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