Sometimes I wish, if just for a moment, that I could simply enjoy what I see and hear around me: a parade, a mural, even a TV ad. But as a social and cultural historian, I carry the pleasurable burden of going beyond the simple enjoyment of things, instinctively contextualizing them in time and space, tracing their historical roots and reading between the lines. That was the case earlier today when I watched the Opening Ceremonies of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

As it did in the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, actually in the same Bird's Nest stadium, the People's Republic of China put up a spectacular opening ceremony combining flawless choreographies, high-tech visual displays and music ranging from traditional Chinese tunes to John Lennon's classic: "Imagine all the people / Livin' life in peace."

But much has changed in China in the past 14 years — and for that matter, in the entire world. China's GDP increased around 275% compared to a modest 40% growth in the United States. When measuring purchasing power parity (PPP), China's economy surpassed the United States' back in 2017. Supreme leader Xi Jinping continues to spearhead global economic expansionism as exemplified by the Belt and Road Initiative to build infrastructure in over 70 countries.

The Chinese have also made considerable strides as leading producers of new technologies, accomplishments telegraphed in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Ceremonies (i.e., the thunderous drumming of 2008 traditional "fou" drums synchronized with LED lights) and extravagantly magnified in today's ceremony, where the stadium floor was a giant LED screen and a massive computer-generated ice block melted digitally to reveal the Olympic rings.

Despite the torrent of visual and audible messages of harmony, global togetherness, diversity and peace — the official slogan is "together for a shared future" — these Olympics are clouded by controversy, increasingly strident rumors of war (particularly over Ukraine), and the ugly background of wholesale human rights abuses of Uyghurs, Tibetans and the citizens of Hong Kong.

Such violations have led to a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing games by the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and several other countries. Just hours before the opening ceremonies, the second most populous nation, India, which has territorial disputes with China, joined the diplomatic boycott.

China sent a hard-to-read message to the world today when it used cross-country skier Dinigeer Yilamujiang as one of two athletes who lit the Olympic cauldron. Yilamujiang is a member of the Uyghur Muslim minority, which is enduring what some human rights organizations deem genocidal abuse. Xi is taking a page from the host of the Berlin 1936 Olympics, Adolf Hitler, who tried to clean up Nazi Germany's image by ordering the temporary removal of the city's antisemitic signs and graffiti. The Berlin Olympics of 1936, historians agree, were the first to display grandiose spectacles of nationalism and international ambition, which have characterized Olympic ceremonies ever since.

China has also displayed increasing belligerence beyond its borders, particularly targeting Taiwan, whose meager four-athlete-strong delegation paraded under the International Olympic Committee-imposed name "Chinese Taipei" and a specially designed flag. Just two weeks ago, the Chinese launched their latest deployment of warplanes into Taiwanese defense airspace.

Among the other 91 delegations represented in today's ceremony was Ukraine's, whose territory is surrounded by thousands of Russian troops ready to invade from the east, south and north. Ukrainians are aware of past Russian invasions and their relation to Olympic games. As athletes from around the world competed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Russian troops invaded the former Soviet Socialist Republic of Georgia. More recently, just a few days after hosting the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, Putin launched an attack on Ukraine that resulted in the annexation of Crimea.

Obviously, China will restrain from threating deployments into or near Taiwanese airspace while it hosts the Olympics. I also feel safe saying that Russia will observe an Olympic truce until at least the end of the games.

Xi and Putin, who attended the opening ceremonies, have become close; some say they are even friends. Today, just hours before the start of the ceremonies, Putin and Xi met and announced to the world that "Russia and China stand against attempts by external forces to undermine security and stability in their common adjacent regions."

It's 6:50 p.m. (Eastern), 10 minutes from my deadline. After clicking the send button, I will turn on the TV again and watch, with simple enjoyment, some Olympic competitions.

More to come next week.

Luis Martinez-Fernandez is author of "Revolutionary Cuba: A History" and "Key to the New World: A History of Early Colonial Cuba." Readers can reach him at LMF_Column@yahoo.com. To find out more about Luis Martinez-Fernandez and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www. creators.com.

Photo credit: 12019 at Pixabay