Muttering angrily to myself in my curmudgeonly dudgeon about London 2012 (but, yes, enjoying the splendidly cooked (English) egg on Chirac’s face) I was checking out some of the British blogs for their response to the news. Over at Harry’s Place, I happened to see this 2001 CNN commentary on the selection of Peking for 2008.

Check out the comment from Germany’s interior minister (then, as now, the SPD were in power):

“I am convinced that the Olympic Games will have a positive effect on China’s democratic development…”

Hmmm, any comments now, Otto?

And then there was this:

“Human rights watchdog Amnesty International, refusing to either welcome or condemn the decision, urged China to improve its human rights policies.” Indeed you can read that Amnesty was harshly critical of the human rights situation in China, but the awkward refusal to condemn the decision to hold the Games in a country with a real Gulag is odd, particularly given the, uh, forthrightness of certain more recent comments…