Simon says

As protests take place along the route of the Olympic torch relay in London, it's good to read a piece in today's Sunday Times calling, in robust terms, for just such protests:

Today's London publicity stunt for the Chinese regime [it says] should be ignored by the public and any reputable athlete or politician, unless to register a fierce protest.

And:

The more odious the host regime, the more assiduous visitors can be in publicising the odium.

Politicians should go nowhere near these Games except in protest... This is an opportunity to publicise and protest against the world's greatest dictatorship.

At the same time, not protesting is here characterized in just as forthright a way:

It is appalling that the prime minister is to "greet" his torch in Downing Street.
.....
From the moment the Games were awarded to Beijing, all involved knew they risked becoming quislings to the Chinese cause.

But who is it that is saying this? Why, Simon Jenkins - Simon Jenkins who, only three months ago, was singing a rather different song, this one on the subject of not 'lecturing' others in such matters. At that time, his lyric included the following lines:

We may regard liberal democracy as the one true religion, but it is doubtful if many Russians or Chinese do likewise at present. Like many places on earth, they give a higher rating to security and prosperity.

And these lines too:

We are not so clean that we can lecture others on how they should govern themselves...
.....
But democracy is best propagated by example, not by conquest or official admonition.

I could now go on to make some observation about consistency. But better, I think, is to repeat what I said in my comment on the earlier Jenkins piece: namely, that most of those who say you shouldn't focus your criticisms on problems and injustices that are far away, but on those close to home, don't really believe it. Similarly with those like Jenkins who say you can't criticize unless the place from which you do so is 'clean' - he doesn't in fact believe it. And that's a relief.