08.08.08

The opening ceremonies last night were enough to make even an Olympics-neutral viewer excited and maybe even a little scared.

BEIJING, China (CNN) -- Fireworks, athletes and pageantry on a scale never before seen in the Olympics opened the Summer Games in Beijing on Friday as the Asian nation kicked off the biggest and most scrutinized Games in history.

Some media observers believe that the Opening Ceremony may be the most-watched television event in history (an estimated 4 billion across the globe).

Emotion was high, as Friday's Opening Ceremony not only officially started the Summer Games but was a symbolic expression of a nation seeking its place as a global superpower.

China's very deliberate desire to seek its place as a global superpower was not a subtle message. NBC's Asian Analyst (I think that is what they called him) walked the viewers through the presentation, which showed demonstrations of art forms spanning China's 5,000 year history.

There were thousands (literally 2008) of awe-and- nerve-inspiring drummers that kicked off the show.

Every movement was coordinated. The commentator mentioned these drummers had been instructed to smile more, although it did not look like many incorporated that feedback. This initial presentation set the tone for an awe-inspiringly creative,intimidating, cinematic-quality demonstration of how China wants to be seen as a country. With the theme of harmony woven through out, I vacillated between feelings of inadequacy and fear and gasps of delight.

In contrast,America feels broken. People seem jaded and confused, broke and angry, skeptical and self-interested. Yet, despite the human rights and environmental concerns around the controversial decision to hold the Olympics in Bejing, last night China looked unified, solidly rooted, strong, and impressive. The nerdy little commentators informed me that China wished to replace one view of itself with another- in large part, I think they accomplished this last night.

Dad - do not read this and call me a Communist. I can be inspired by a representation of a country without agreeing with their beliefs. I was inspired by their belief that a country as old and as...communist...and with as many human rights violations as they have, under a thick cloud of smog, could put a stunning presentation together of who they want to be.

China is massive 1.3 billion people. This "symbolic expression of a nation seeking its place as a global superpower" seemed to me more like a nation that was reminding everyone they ALREADY are a global superpower. Flash to the crowd where goofy George and Laura and looking as clueless and plump as ever.

Children march through the bird's nest, representing China's 56 ethnic groups ( I had no idea). I suddenly recall growing up feeling like everyone in the world knew there was no better place than the US to live. I felt like everyone in the world looked at the US and aspired towards our economy, or policy, our lifestyle, our fashions...I remember watching the Sound of Music or hearing about the starving children in Ethiopia and thinking thank God I was born here in America.

The masses of children and drummers and dancers were countered with respites of fairy-like women floating on wires and gracefully dancing in air. They looked like tiny Tinkerbell glows of light, floating through the middle of the 91,000 people audience.

Pan to the stands again and George is looking bored as he could be, his arm relaxed in his lap but his hand furiously waving back and forth a tiny American flag- he looked like a petulant toddler in a stroller at a long parade.

I could not peel my eyes away from the dancers dragging and rolling black ink marks to make a
traditional mountain and water painting on the massive football field and a half long LCD screen. This dance represented the Chinese invention of paper making and continued the thematic HARMONY - loud and quiet, tough and serene, yin and yang quality- that weaved its way through the entire presentation.

A dancer in vivid Easter colors tip-toed across a rug supported by hundreds of dancers below her. She waved ribbons of silk representing the silk road and the communist ideal of

the individual being supported by the masses and individual successes coming from the group.

Then the thousands of boxes which undulated up and down to show wind, and pooled in to out in concentric circles, like a drop on a pond, were mesmerizing. Especially once you realized that people, not hydraulics were lifting each box. I wish I could find the online pictures in case you missed it.

I grew up feeling like America was THE place to be. Somewhere along the way, it seems more and more countries began to disagree with 10 year old me. I remember the first time my idea about how everyone else thought of us was shattered when I travelled as an exchange student to France. In a conversation with my "sister" Florence, she explained everyone in France thought Americans were violent and stupid - didn't I know that?

Now flash forward, watch anything from Idiocracy (a relatively little indie comedy that might have made $126 dollars at the box office) to Wall-e and you can see that more and more Americans are beginning to agree with what the international community has thought of us for years.

Americans are seen by the world at large as obese, sedentary, self righteous, politically lazy and entitled, indulgent, war-mongering, celebrity and wealth-obsessed, ignorant little bastards. It's pathetic and frightening.

We have to make a change - a coordinated, artistic, cinematic change. We need to inspire our own people.

Just like China, there are a lot of things to be both proud of and humiliated by - but we can't move forward with out a coordinated effort. If the jaded and the doubtful wait until we are perfect again before voting and thinking and changing, we may never get back on track.