A Celebration of Tyranny

Russia and China's Red Letter Day

Today is a red letter day for authoritarianism. Today the cold warriors have officially been outflanked.

In China the Olympics begin, with great pomp and meticulously timed circumstance. Despite the protests of a few displaced citizens, decrying the bulldozing of their homes to make room for the international celebration of athletic prowess, the show is going on in style. Leaders from around the world have gathered to tip their hats to the political, economic and military might of China. The huddled masses of humanity surrounding Beijing gasp in a lungful of polluted air and dream of a place where once they might have breathed more freely. President Bush applauds while the same tanks that symbolized authoritarianism in Tiananmen Square guard the athletes and the Olympic Village.

Meanwhile, not so very far away, the reempowered Russia invades Georgia. Tanks and planes smash through civilian targets in a move that is long past a cliché to Axis & Allies players. The timing is no accident. With world leaders busy saluting China, response will be slow. The move will be completed before any official protests can be raised. A few token wagging fingers, and a brief blip in the price of oil will likely be the only international response.

This is no accident. No surprise. The massing of tanks along the borders, the fueling of planes doesn’t happen without notice. On some level, the hawkish move of Putin’s protégée has already been given tacit approval from the CIA.

Witness today as a turning point. Witness the fully empowered ascendency of the former communist countries, China and Russia. Empowered with a new, leaner authoritarianism of economics, flush with the wealth of oil, financial maneuvering and population, they flex their muscles as the world applauds.