Extracts 1 and 2 disagree about weather China should host the 2008 Olympic games. How do you account for the differences? Explain your answer using the sources and the knowledge from your studies.

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Extract 1 says “China’s appalling record on human rights should have disqualified it from hosting this or any other Olympics until it has put its house it order”

Extract 2 says hosting the Olympics would “greatly inspire the patriotism of the Chinese people” and promote China’s “reform and opening up”.

Extracts 1 and 2 disagree about weather China should host the 2008 Olympic games.  How do you account for the differences? Explain your answer using the sources and the knowledge from your studies. 

The Olympic games are the biggest sporting event in the world, and for a country to be awarded the honour of hosting the event will bring them great prestige.  The country will also receive a lot of publicity because all the world’s media will be covering the event.  

        The Olympics have been used to make political stands through out its history.  In 1936 Adolf Hitler used the Olympic games to show the superiority of the Arian race, but black athlete thwarted his plan.  In 1972 in Munich Israel terrorists killed Palestine athletes because they knew it would be publicised over the whole world.  Also in Moscow in 1980 USA boycotted the Olympic games because they were protesting over Russia invading Afghanistan.  

        Extract 1 from the Guardian newspaper states that China should not be allowed to host the 2008 Olympic games due to their “appalling record on human rights”.   So Extract one is against China hosting the Olympic games.  Extract 2 printed also in the Guardian newspaper by was the view of ‘Peoples Daily’.  It states that hosting the Olympic games will help China move forward and ‘reform and open up’.  Extract 2 agrees with China hosting the Olympic games.   To answer the question ‘how do I account for the differences’ of the sources, I will examine the sources by view.  I will look at the sources, which look at China negatively, and the sources, which look at China positively, I will then look at the sources that show a balanced view of China.  

        I each of the sources I will look at different aspects of China and life in the country.  I will look at human rights, the environment, the economy and social changes.  To begin with I will examine all the sources, which give a negative impression of China.  I will look at ‘source b’ this is written by ‘Amnesty International On-line’ in June 2001.  This source refers to the ‘brutal killings’ in Tiananmen Square in 1989.  It suggests that the protests in Tiananmen Square were peaceful and many ‘unarmed citizens’ were killed.  The source also describes the treatment ‘the Tiananmen Mothers’ receive.  It states that ‘more than 200 people are still imprisoned’ for their activities during the 1989 protests.  This source must be questioned because it may give an unfair opinion.  The Christian church set up amnesty International.  As China is a communist country there may be conflicts with them.  Amnesty International may be trying to damage China’s creditability.  Between 2000 and 2002 Amnesty International have been campaigning against the death penalty, which China supports and so Amnesty probably dislike the ideas of China.  

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The second source I will examine is E.  ‘Stefan Landsberger’ who was a lecturer in Chinese affairs in the Netherlands wrote source E.  Source E describes the ‘serve environmental pollution’ that China is subject to due to their industrialization and economic developments.  This source is negative to China hosting the Olympic games, as it believes China should spend the money on reducing the pollution.  This is an opinion of source E. China would argue that most countries produce pollution not just them.  They could also claim that it would be unfair for them not to host the Olympic games because ...

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