The minimalist composer Philip Glass, who wrote music for both the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and the 2004 Athens Games, isn’t looking forward to the competitions in Beijing. “I think that we should pull out,” the noted Tibet supporter said at the BAM Spring Gala honoring Paul Simon, on April 9. “The Chinese are supposed to be taking care of human rights; they haven’t done it. The only reason we don’t pull out is that people are more interested in money than they are in human rights. I think the Olympic Committee should really pull the plug on it.” His anger at the Chinese government extends beyond human-rights issues. “Basically, the Chinese commies have been isolated for 50 years; they have no idea what the rest of the world is like. They think that we’re just another province of China and that they can do what they damn well want to. And they’re a bunch of losers. They make a distinction: As long as you’re not political, you can do whatever you want in China. But politics is about the way we live! They’re drawing the line on the very things that matter to us most.”

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