Oh, dear God...

China attempts The Fatal Conceit

You know, it must really be hard being the Chinese government right now. You go and tick off half the world through top-down command-and-control economic and military policy, have such a level of dereliction of human rights as a matter of course that Amnesty International contemplates regime change, have a cultural tradition that seems straight out of a Disney World exhibit, and yet somehow the international community puts you in charge of putting on one of the biggest shows in the world, the Summer Olympic Games.

And then the dark clouds roll in. What's a totalitarian state to do?

Of course -- Attempt to alter the weather!

With an army of civilian operators with particulate-matter-belching artillery, the Chinese government hopes to get the clouds to expend themselves before getting to Beijing, allowing the opening ceremonies to go off without a hitch. At least, that's the plan.

At this point, all it seems to be doing is proving the megalomania of the country's leaders.