Michael, did you just insinuate that the five interlocking Olympic rings represent the universal interlocking bond between people, employees, management, companies, and customers? If that was intentional, you are spot on.

And pass me a Coke.

I'm impressed (chagrined? stunned?) with how brazen and unabashed China is in the face of these various PR blunders. Most recently, it's been announced that a performer was permanently paralyzed during a mishap in rehearsals for the opening ceremonies.

Now, the press reports: "Making up for its belated reporting, China's official news media have spun Liu's tragedy into a tale of national heroism. She has been photographed smiling angelically from her bed at a Beijing military hospital, making a victory sign with her fingers."

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-chinese-danceraug15,0,2964490.story

"China's abuses certainly help us keep the attention away from our own serious issues."

What about the atrocities in Darfur? What about the fact that France is denying Muslims freedom of religious expression? What about the Middle East's oppression of women and homosexuals? What about the fact that in England, people are pulling out their own teeth because the NHS has caused a shortage of dentists and people are on 6-month waiting lists?

Do you want me to go on? I know it's really fashionable to hate America right now, but here's a news flash - EVERY country has their own dirty little secrets. Always have. Always will. And compared to the rest of the world, our "atrocities" are probably the softest.

So, while I appreciate how you seized this opportunity to express your disgust with America, how about keeping in mind that the country that gives you the freedom to express your opinions without fear of prosecution, is not the worst place in the world to live compared with other places. Keeping prisoners of war, who have no right to legal representation, locked up for six years is hardly the second coming of Hitler's holocaust.

Good point. I think that speaks to relativity. Americans believe China's invasion and suppression of Tibet is wrong, but generally ignore the human rights abuses happening in our backyard.

However, when it comes to communications, especially among cultures, it is apparent that instead of seeing similarities--even if those similarities reveal our own ugly behavior--we'd rather focus on differences.

That speaks directly to communications. In one sense spotlighting differences creates subterfuge, as you pointed out Peter; in another sense highlighting the similarities helps bring people together, which creates bonds--bonds among employees, between employees and management, companies and customers, etc.

Your comments are not totally off base, but what about the human rights violations of the U.S. in GITMO? China's abuses certainly help us keep the attention away from our own serious issues.