Texas was French, Spanish, and then under Mexican control for only 15 years. During that time it was sparsely populated. Mexico was the Viceroyalty of New Spain until 1821 when they won their own independence. Texas became a Republic in 1836. We joined the US in 1845. It wasn't slavery. It was immigration. Mexico outlawed immigration from the Sates to Texas state. (Pretty ironic these days). Stephen F Austin loved New Spain until Santa Anna took over. Edit: Santa Anna abolished the Constitution of 1824 (which was almost identical to the US) and proclaimed a new anti-federalist constitution in its place (1835 Constitution of Mexico). That's what pissed of the once Mexican state of Texas.
how is that not true? have you talked to older generations? i've talked to my grandparents, and their friends about the old days. at the time, there was nothing better than communism. there wasn't a democracy yet in the states. the nationalist party only cared about folks in the city. vast majority of people were country folks. and they were getting exploited like there is no tomorrow. you can enlighten me why that's not true. i would rather believe the people from that time that i actually talked to.
Another fact conveniently overlooked by China/Tibet apologists re Texas is that many of the Texas revolutionaries were people who had been in Texas for generations, and were of Spanish descent, descended from the Spanish colonial era. They joined the revolt against oppressive rule from Mexico and Santa Anna. German immigrants began arriving in Texas in 1831, and by 1841 were arriving in the thousands. To this day, there are German speaking descendants of those people from 175 years ago, especially in Central Texas. When states began seceding from the Union just prior to the Civil War, Sam Houston, the leader of the revolutionary army that defeated the Mexican army under Santa Anna and the Republic's first President, proposed that Texas secede and stay independent as the Republic of Texas. People hadn't forgotten independence. Sadly, he failed in his attempt, but he wasn't alone. Impeach Bush.
1. China is not communist. 2. There was never a congress of the people who elected to follow Mao. Mao led a coup de tat' against a Military dictatorship. 3.No government is legitimate without an expression of the will of the governed. 4.There are no current territories of the United States that have any desire to seceed. (with the possible exception of the Seminole and Kickapoo reservations and I'm never quite sure what the current mood of Puerto Rico is. I think they voted to remain a protectorate.)
No, the joke is in your imagination only. If you can read, my point is that these people argue for the form of their government now. So they deserve the freedom to be happy with it. They have their freedom to decide what they really want. Just because you think something else is better does not mean you have the right to impose it on them. Is that your definition of freedom anyway?
You guys are so defensive, being able to beat someone up is not the debate here. It's what is right and what is wrong. You guys believe that the biggest bully on the block rules?!! So the next time, the Japanese go in Nanking and kill millions of your people, it is ok? If they have the bigger stick, they are in the right? Maybe the rest of the World should stand idly by and watch they rape you again? I was just messing with you ... we will help you if that should happen ... You see, part of living and sharing this world is to look out for each others. Being the biggest guy in the block means you are responsible for the little guy ... not step on him just because you can.
I agree with what you said. However, the fact is that people intend being double-stand for themself. For example, what about U.S as the biggest guy in the block and the Iraq as the little guy?
Of course there is right and there is wrong. Step on people when you can then don't cry when the next big guy steps on you. As far as the Indians are concerned, I think that was a travesty, a dark chapter in American's history. The Indians do deserve better. You are very quick to call people idiot. That is very macho of you hiding behind a keyboard. The truth is there is a "Free Tibet" movement, they do have some good arguments. If you don't like it, tough! It never gets old. You and your friends will die soon but this World will always have your kind and they will always be beat.
I was against the war from the beginning. The US was wrong in Iraq and China was wrong in Tibet. Two wrongs do not make a right.
i don't even know what you are talking about. i don't know if others are defensive or not. but with your attitude, we don't even want your help if anything happened.
You are missing the point entirely. Your original reply to me said "the world recognized English rule over India years ago," does it make it right. I said, the world recognizes American rule over the other "Indians" right now. I think that is very "wrong." But that merely shows that there is no right or wrong in politics, only expedience. Macho? Hardly. There is a lot of truth to what I say and you know it. After all, you are talking about people sitting in front of a keyboard half way across the world, who are unwilling and/or incapable to understanding the finer nuances of a very complicated portion of history. But those self-righteous people nevertheless feel their opinions are above those of others in the other camp. Yes, there is truth to their claims, but they never attempt to paint the entire truth. "Truth" in favour of Dalai is shouted and "truth" in favour of the CCP need to be silenced. And that's truth for ya. You mean the greedy, pragmatic, realistic, educated cynic? The likes of us are doing quite well thank you. The problem with idealists is that they always hold some highly lofty goals that will never be achieved and invariably become disenfranchised. We just stick to the more manageable things.
You are getting too much fed to your head. Do you honestly believe all the "landlords" were exploiting poor peasants that they need to be "re-educated?" After they took over, the CCP did the equivalent of an election bribe, saying they will recognize a peasants legitimacy over a land previous not his if he gets the landlord in line (some such landlords are no longer with us). As China was mostly peasantry at the time... It is no different than if Hillary Clinton decided give $1 million to each voter. The CCP straightened out a lot since the 80's, but if you ask the Chinese people how they felt living under the CCP in the 50's, 60's and 70's (and take away the propaganda), significant portion of them would have liked a different government.
Obviously only narrow-minded people believe in one source only and usually that means their gov't and their biased media. The funny thing is how these naive brainwashed people keep saying other country's media is propaganda or other people are brainwashed..... oh the irony. I wonder how many people know many Chinese are so fed up with the constant smearing...... hey I guess nobody knows because medias never report these demonstrations. Demonstration in Toronto against Chinese smearing in recent Tibet incident These are demonstration in Vancouver All pro-freedom singletons should realize the fact that in reality, one can have all freedom he/she want in China as long as you have money and the connections just like America or Canada or anywhere else in the world. It's all about politics and politics are always dirty and manipulative. US and Europe should stop being a prick and abusing their power and influence, especially when they do all these things just for own greed and self benefits... The public should not take on a side without looking at both sides equally because some phony religion people pretend to be peaceful and nice and pretend to be a victim. Those what so called activists are just a bunch of lazy smartasses that do not want to work so they create conflicts to generate donations for themselves.
http://www.thestar.com/printArticle/346763 Canadians caught in Tibet's violence TheStar.com - World - Canadians caught in Tibet's violence REUTERS A Tibetan protester in New Delhi, India. The Dalai Lama, Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, called for an international probe into the crackdown against protesters in Tibet. Mar 16, 2008 March 17, 2008 Bill Schiller Asia Bureau BEIJING–For 19-year-old John Kenwood of Victoria B.C., his worst Lhasa moment was witnessing a Chinese motorcyclist being pummelled unconscious by a mob hurling chunks of pavement as big as bricks. "He may have died," Kenwood said last night. "I can't be certain." For Vancouver-born Alex Sinclair, 40, it was the agonizing time he spent cowering in a stairwell in the post office of Tibet's capital as machine-gun fire exploded all around him. "I honestly feared for my life," he said. But Susan Wetmore of London, Ont., wasn't prepared to specify her worst moment last night. Not yet. "Let's just say we're struggling with what we've seen," the 59-year-old consultant confided. "Some of it was pretty ugly . . . pretty ugly." Wetmore is one of eight Canadians who have been caught up in the worst violence in Tibet in 20 years. She fears there's more to come. "There's been a lot of killing here already," Wetmore said in an interview yesterday. "I think there's going to be a lot more. "The safest place for me – is to be out of here." With Chinese troops pouring into the Tibetan capital yesterday, and an ultimatum for instigators of last week's riots to surrender to Chinese authorities by midnight today, those staying behind are bracing for the worst. At least four eyewitnesses told the Star they had seen a convoy of between 70 and 100 vehicles, including tanks, carrying between 2,000 and 3,000 Chinese troops. Last night, Wetmore said she was thankful she had a Chinese driver "who literally risked his life" to get her to Lhasa's Gonggar airport. "We had to cross 10 police checkpoints and at every one I had to show a letter, explaining my circumstances, that had been translated by my guide. "Without that, I never would have got here." Wetmore is no novice traveller. A consultant with a Toronto-based non-profit organization that provides volunteer consulting to developing countries, she's been to hot spots before. But never for a vacation. The trip to Tibet was her gift to herself in advance of her 60th birthday. "This wasn't quite the trip I'd planned," she said. Meanwhile, Kenwood said yesterday that Lhasa's main street, Beijing Lu, was still strewn with garbage and the burned-out hulks of torched vehicles. "It's a ghost town. Every third, fourth or fifth shop has been burned to a crisp. I'm sure lots of people lost their lives in those fires," he said. Riots broke out Friday after a week of demonstrations that marked the 49th anniversary of Tibet's failed uprising against Chinese rule. China's military took over Tibet in 1951. Kenwood recalls seeing four or five military trucks driving by on Lhasa's main street Friday when someone emerged from the crowd brandishing a piece of pavement, and hurled it through the front windshield of the first vehicle. The soldiers formed "a kind of Roman-legion style barricade with their shields," he said, and immediately the Tibetans began breaking up the sidewalks and throwing chunks at the soldiers, screaming "Free Tibet!" Later, the real mayhem began when buses and motorcyclists were stopped and anything that had Chinese markings was targeted to be burned, smashed or looted. Then the worst happened: a Chinese man on a smart-looking motorcycle was forced by stone throwers to come to a halt. "He didn't seem to understand what was going on," said Kenwood. "He was wearing a gold helmet and he got off his bike and raised his arms. He didn't know what to do." A mob of perhaps 15 men carrying what appeared to be two-metre long, silver poles began beating him. When he went down, they continued to beat and kick him. "Then they took off his golden helmet and beat him with it. "I can't confirm that he was dead," said Kenwood who is taking a year off school before going to university. "But I think he was. There was blood everywhere. His face was unrecognizable." Sinclair, a university college lecturer now living in Britain, said he feels both sides had been preparing for the confrontation. He noted that on Thursday, Chinese police boarded a bus he was on en route to Samye Monastery. "They didn't look at passports," he said. "They were just taking monks and nuns off – not civilians, not foreigners. Looking back, that suggests to me that the Chinese authorities knew there was going to be some kind of uprising." When rioting did erupt, Sinclair sought refuge in Lhasa's post office, squeezing into their courtyard moments before they closed the gate. Although they experienced understandable fear throughout the ordeal, Wetmore, Kenwood and Sinclair all spoke of how well they had been treated by Chinese authorities and Tibetan hosts. "We've seen some pretty amazing stuff," said Wetmore, "some pretty sad and very frightening stuff. "But we've also been treated very, very well and been looked after."
wow those photos of the pro chinese rallies are something else, their unity is quite obvious, it really reminds me of something.
No, WE shouldn't boycott the Beijing Olympics. Personally, I will be. But I'd also boycott the Los Angeles Olympics. Because they're boring. Except for watching Team USA dominate in basketball. Speaking in fragments.
fed too much? do you even have any family members that experienced it? are you saying the older generations are lying to me? if that's how you think, then i don't have much respect for you anymore. some of my family members are from the poor class that were exploited. some of my other family members were from rich class that were doing the exploitation. in fact, during cultural revolution, my grandpa was beaten and locked up and labeled a "counter-revolutionary". i doubt they would be lying to me. i trust my family more than you, who probably have no direct experience in any of it.
