It's funny though, we're visiting the national capital the day before the Olympic Torch relay. I'm curious to see what the vibe is like, and just how much security will be in place. We're not staying overnight, but presumably preparations will be underway.
I've been thinking quite a bit recently about how the Olympics have created this fascinating global panopticon effect on Beijing. Panopticon was a term I became familiar with at university. It refers to a prison cell designed by a utilitarian philosopher, Jeremy Benthem. The design was radial, so the prisoners were in cells lining the edge of a spiral-shaped jail. In the centre was a tower, where an observer would be positioned. However the prisoners could not see into the tower. Basically, it created the effect of being watched from every angle, although there was no guarantee anyone was in the tower at the time! Sneaky! Below is a picture of Bentham's design.
But it's interesting how normally our (the media's) attention on rogue states - eg. North Korea, Iran etc oscillates depending on the day's news. Whereas with China at the moment, all its warts are under constant scrutiny because of the Olympics. There is a clear panopticon effect - wherein they must feel like prisoners being watched. And it's really interesting that it's through the Olympics, which most people view as quite benign. It makes me think North Korea should host the next Olympics!
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