The Noble Lie

It’s coming through a hole in the air
From those nights in Tiananmen Square
It’s coming from the feel that this ain’t exactly real
Or it’s real, but it ain’t exactly there
From the wars against disorder
From the sirens night and day
From the fires of the homeless
From the ashes of the gay
Democracy is coming to the USA

- Leonard Cohen, “Democracy”

• U.S. cyclists fly into China with face masks
• Bush rebukes China, torch feted in Tiananmen Square

Right or wrong, it shows to me what a focused PR effort is at work here. What is the reason to stack up expert after expert saying that wearing face masks in a polluted area should not be done? This may be the first time I’ve heard officials and authorities urge people who decide to take precautions not to take them.

Of course, what is at stake here (which I think is silly, but nonetheless) is the perceived reputation of China. China is being held up by many in the world as a model. One of the headlines below says Bush rebukes China, but the article mentions he’s going to the Olympics anyway.

An iconic moment too was the Olympic Torch’s passing through Tiananmen Square, with all that location represents. It’s also interesting to read about the history of Tiananmen Square. The location has always been a fixture of Chinese history as the entrance to the Forbidden City, but it became a (Masonic) square only after the communist revolution of 1949.

Of course, the Olympic Torch is not the most innocent symbol, either - it represents the fire of the gods (Olympians) brought down to man by Promethus (or Lucifer, take your pick). It is a solar reference, of the sun traveling the earth. There is a Vangelis song associated with the Olympics called “Chariots of Fire”, as the sun was once said to be driven through the sky on a chariot. It is the symbol of the eternal flame, a dedication to said god(s), much like the eternal flames that burn over the graves of Kennedy and others.

• Tiananmen Square [Wikipedia]