If you ask someone to describe Beijing, it’s highly likely they will mention the pollution. In fact, tales of Beijing pollution travel far and wide and, as if they didn’t have enough on their plate, it’s even been causing concerns for the Olympics.

With all of this, it’s only natural that friends and family should inquire about the pollution. Is it really all that bad?! To answer this, I took a photo out of my window a few days ago:

The photo is taken mid-morning and is of what I would describe as a ‘two block day’. Quite literally, one can only see two blocks down the street. ‘One block’ days are not uncommon.

As I am currently residing in China, I tend to try to hold my tongue — at least on the internet — when it comes to Chinese politics. Politics which, so oft, gives me what might be described as “The Willies“.

I must allow myself one miner digression, however, to highlight the irony in CCTV — a Chinese TV news network — showing people protesting about the reliability of BBC news coverage, whilst CCTV’s own record in such matters is somewhat… interesting:

Now, after much thought (and a regular changing of the mind), I am of the opinion that Beijing should certainly be given the oportunity to host the Olympics and we – in the rest of the World – must embrace China. China should be given every chance possible to continue to prosper [though perhaps it is arrogant to assume we have much choice in the matter now].

However, as part of this, it is time for the establishment to realise that, as China takes an ever increasingly prominent role on the World-stage, even its internal politics will come under greater scrutiny. The traditional solution of smoke-and-mirrors will no longer suffice.

As a side-note, I’m interested to see if my digression gets my website blocked by the Great Firewall or not.

Update: Thanks go to Mike, my self-appointed editor, for his re-wording of paragraph 2.