Nice Olympics, but . . .

Here's the Register's editorial wrapping up the Olympics. There's no question the Games were a success, though the opening ceremony was pretty fascist, and it was an athletic success as well. But it came at a price, beyond the reported $40 billion. Dissidents jailed, street people hustled to the sticks, houses bulldozed, no demonstrations authorized. China looked good on the surface but exposed itself as still a totalitarian regime. Will the games lead to or facilitate liberalization eventually? Hope so, but it's hard to tell.

By the way, if Orange County were a separate nation (nice dream), it would have finished 13th in the medals brigade.