Ethics Newsline®

Heavy security, drug use, and morality of building boom trouble critics

BEIJING
The Olympic Games got off to an aesthetically impressive start last week with a lavish and stunning opening ceremony, but in the run-up to the games, it remained obvious that some ethical issues remained outstanding.

TIME magazine’s Simon Elegant reports that the preparations for perfection soured some visitors and many average Chinese. “Foremost is the massive security operation that has disrupted the lives of residents and visitors, as the host city’s ubiquitous policemen and soldiers repeatedly stop vehicles and individuals for inspection. Then there are other issues, such as the ejection from the city of migrant workers, the government-ordered closure of numerous bars, restaurants and clubs, even the surprising lack of foreign visitors due to strict new visa policies put in place to lessen the threat of terrorists and outside agitators spoiling Beijing’s festive mood. And let’s not forget the air; despite restrictions on car travel, temporary factory closures and construction-site shutdowns, Beijing’s atmosphere remains murky, and pollution levels hover at a level that would be classified as ‘heavy’ in most countries.”

At the same time, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) head is unhappy — not because of anything China did, but because of China’s critics. CBS News quotes IOC president Jacques Rogge as saying, “Politics invited itself into sports. We didn’t call for politics to come.”

Rogge also told athletes that while they are free to answer reporters’ questions, the “venues of the Games are not a place for proactive political or religious expression…. Sanctions and penalties will be applied in any cases considered to be a breach of IOC policy,” according to the CBS News report.

In related stories, the London-based Independent reports that John Fahey, president of the World Anti-Doping Agency, said that sports are in danger of “withering” unless the use of performance-enhancing drugs can be stanched. IOC president Rogge went so far as to predict that there could be 30 to 40 positive drug tests during the 15 days of Olympic action.

Also, Los Angeles Times architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne, in a piece titled “Ethics’ Place in the Building Boom,” reiterated concerns over the spike in construction that has been profitable to architects but has, in the view of some, damaged the environment and leveled worthwhile traditional architecture.

Hawthorne also notes a level of discomfort about dealing with a totalitarian government: “Certainly there has been precious little coverage in the Beijing media of a subject that has captured the attention of architects and critics throughout the West in recent months — whether firms should refuse on principle to work in China, particularly on high-profile government buildings. With an increasing share of the world’s most innovative architecture being sponsored by autocratic regimes, an age-old question has gained new traction on the eve of the Beijing Olympics: To what degree are architects responsible for the political records or ethical shortcomings of their clients?”

Sources: CBS News, Aug. 9 — TIME, Aug. 8 — ESPN, Aug. 8 — Independent, Aug. 8 — Los Angeles Times, Aug. 7 — CBS, Aug. 7.

For more information, see: Related Newsline story, Aug 4 — Related Newsline story, July 14 — Related Newsline story, July 7 — Related Newsline story, June 30 — Related Newsline story, June 23.