![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Please tell me I'm not the only one irked by his much ballyhooed decision to withdraw as artistic advisor for the Beijing Olympics because of China's then unwillingness to intervene in Sudan.
Maybe Spielberg believes his actions demonstrate altruistic sacrifice in the name of the greater good. From where I'm standing, however, all they demonstrate is that while Spielberg's "conscience will not allow [him] to continue with business as usual" when it comes to China's middling influence over Sudan, it was happy to do just that while China violates the rights of its own citizens.
In other words, Spielberg will intervene in a situation where China has no direct control over violations of human rights, but he's not brave enough to make a stand against a much more egregious violater who can offer him publicity (and perhaps product tie-ins and licensing fees), and whose abuse of its own citizens isn't currently considered sexy by TV news networks.
Way to strike a blow at the heart of human repression, Steve! Your ability to look the other way when there's great personal benefit to you is sure to strike fear into the hearts of wealthy, influential human rights-violating regimes the world over!
That will be all.
Maybe Spielberg believes his actions demonstrate altruistic sacrifice in the name of the greater good. From where I'm standing, however, all they demonstrate is that while Spielberg's "conscience will not allow [him] to continue with business as usual" when it comes to China's middling influence over Sudan, it was happy to do just that while China violates the rights of its own citizens.
In other words, Spielberg will intervene in a situation where China has no direct control over violations of human rights, but he's not brave enough to make a stand against a much more egregious violater who can offer him publicity (and perhaps product tie-ins and licensing fees), and whose abuse of its own citizens isn't currently considered sexy by TV news networks.
Way to strike a blow at the heart of human repression, Steve! Your ability to look the other way when there's great personal benefit to you is sure to strike fear into the hearts of wealthy, influential human rights-violating regimes the world over!
That will be all.