Topic: WORST since the FIRST grand spectacle??

[Dave Chiu]

The grotesquely militarist display in the Beijing opening ceremonies may have even surpassed what is perceived about Berlin '36.

The Nazi Games are rightly considered the first really grand modern Olympic spectacle, w/ the mass formations, torch run, etc. first instituted, and now taken to a new level of grandiosity.

I love what military spirit and precision can mean -- it is my signal honor to be the father of a US Marine.

But when we saw the goose-stepping chinese troopers carrying the communist banner in stark reminder of the oppression of 20% of humanity...

And when we saw the Olympic flag stained by the grasp of the same goose-stepping representatives of wanna-be super-power thuggery...

The rest of the spectacle was awesome (if often farcical for it's claim of communist environmental idealism), and the athletes' striving for excellence will always be the cake that the the spectacle is but frosting for, but it's sad to see such anti-Olympic detractions.