The Winter Olympics open on Feb. 4 in Beijing and, seemingly in preparation for the big day, the host nation is trying to clear up any confusion about whether it might tolerate any hint of political protest by the athletes. The short answer: Don’t even think about it. “Any behavior or speech that is against the Olympic spirit, especially against the Chinese laws and regulations, are also subject to certain punishment,” Yang Shu, deputy director general of international relations for the Beijing Organizing Committee, said Tuesday. That word “certain” — which could be read, in context, to mean either “inevitable”…