The Olympics nears the end

I think the Chinese can be proud. From where I sit and with the limited knowledge I have, it seems they put on a good Olympic Games. I know there are problems - nobody was given a permit to protest in the designated areas, the bureaucracy wasn't able to handle the tickets for some events, etc. I know Tibet isn't free and I know the country doesn't celebrate human rights very well. Considering where they've come from though, I think its quite impressive.
I'm going to research some more, but I think the country was fairly well isolated and minding their own business until the mid 19th century when the British came and it was the beginning of the Opium wars. Next came the Japanese invading, and then the Cultural Revolution of Mao. Americans have a view of them that's so different than their story would warrant. I think.
I'd also like to make the point that the United States isn't much better, in my opinion. In China, its the communists who want to stay in power. In the United States, its the Republican neo-cons. They forget what their ideology is and only want to do whatever it takes to stay in power.

As far as the athletics...
I can't even say. It turns out I couldn't get behind any one event or athlete because I can't watch the whole thing. I watched a lot of the NBC primetime coverage. Not too much live stuff because it was on at the same time as the primetime coverage and I was tired of sitting at my computer all day. Also, they played a lot of swimming, gymnastics, and beach volleyball. It was hard to get a good feel for anything. Except for Michael Phelps and the Beach Volleyball guys and gals. We got a lot of them. A lot.
I don't know - its all so packaged nowadays. I feel I'm being snookered into feeling something for them because they've given up so much to be athletes competing for our country. I don't think that's an accurate picture of reality anymore. There are endorsements and funded athletics and professionals are allowed to participate. The Olympics is a forum for telegenic athletes to make more money later for endorsements. I know that's not the case for all the athletes. There aren't going to be a lot of financial benefits for the rowing team, or the rhythmic gymnasts, or the shotputters (to name three random competitions). But, they don't make money because they don't get exposure. And they don't get exposure because they don't make money. Lots of athletes from smaller countries probably are happy to be participating, but in the United States its a big business.
There's just no heart in the Olympics anymore. NBC doesn't allow us to get emotionally involved in anything. They give us a 1 minute bio and expect we've heard enough to care. Was it different in the 70's? My recollection is that it was - there was so much heart. Jim McKay made me care. Maybe I'm just getting too old to find it special anymore.