Beijing 2008. Share the Smog.

Why is everybody getting sooo uptight about the smog in Beijing? Didn't the organisers know of this before giving China the rights for the Olympic Games? It's not new news, so why are we so bothered by it? Everybody knew from before the decision was made that there would be many problems faced with not only the pollution issue, but other political problems facing the host country. Did the IOC do this in order to prove to the world that these games could possibly bring peace and happiness? Or did they simply do it because they knew it would end Stephanie Rice's relationship and force Dawn Fraser to stay back home in Australia?