Empire State Building Celebrates Chinese Communism

The Empire State Building officially recognized Communist China's 60th Anniversary by switching its evening lighting to red and yellow for September 30th and October 1st. There is something unsettling about an iconic building like the Empire State Building allowing itself to become a piece of propaganda for a nation that remains a serial violator of human rights.

The Empire State Building officially recognized Communist China's 60th Anniversary by switching its evening lighting to red and yellow for September 30th and October 1st. The move brought out some protesters who realized it is still necessary to remind people of China's ongoing human rights abuses, but a building spokeswoman would only admit that the iconic skyscraper celebrates many world cultures.

Any tourist who visits New York City can see the Empire State Building lit up to celebrate a number of different occasions year-round: St. Patrick's Day, Independence Day, the U.S. Open Tennis Finals, even the 70th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz. But this may be the first time that the lighting scheme has recognized a despotic nation that has subjugated and murdered millions of people.

There is something deeply unsettling about an iconic building like the Empire State Building — once the tallest skyscraper in the world and an ongoing symbol of ingenuity and capitalism — allowing itself to become a piece of propaganda for a nation that remains a serial violator of human rights and a symbol of a state's power over its people. Chinese Consul General Peng Keyu, on hand for the ceremonial lighting, said that China has come a long way in the last few decades toward becoming a more open society. Maybe so, but it hasn't come far enough to warrant this kind of celebration.