China just got humiliated again as this guy Liu Xiaobo is serving an 11-year prison sentence for "inciting subversion or state power." They blocked the announcements on CNN and BBC, and blocked people from commenting on it on social networking cites. Good for him, and another black eye for China.
I always wondered why government keep these folx around. I always figured they would just kill them and be done with it. I know some say they don't wanna make martyrs. . but . . . It seems you would avoid stuff like this. I am happy the not dead. I am happy he won the prize I'm just surprised that the 'cold-blooded-blood-thirsty-ruthless' chinese govt didn't just kill him. Maybe there is more to China, the Chinese govt and the Chinese than a 2 minute news blip?? Rocket River *smile*
It's funny how Western societies look down upon the Chinese government and their laws, much the same way they did during the opium wars.
I am critical about the PRC but that is a ridiculous comparison that is a disservice to history. Anyway back on subject the PRC said this would damage relations with Norway. I wonder if this means they will dismantle the Norwegian Pavilion early at the Shanghai World Expo?
How often do these prisoners get awarded international peace prizes? Usually when a country stashes someone way in prisons it disappears from the news. Killing them is probably the only way to draw more attention to them on a big scale once it's died down. International groups may know they are in prison, but usually people just ignore groups like Amnesty International. Killing someone they were advocating for the release of would do more harm than good.
Judoka, the dude you responded to is not far off. Liu Xiaobo did advocate 300 years of (Western) colonialism of China. On that ground alone, he should be treated in the same way as Quisling was dealt by the Norwegians.
Was Mandela in prison when he won the Nobel Prize? I think he won after he was released. Either way, agree the repercussions from China executing political prisoners would be a million times worse than this.
Seriously? You think the Nobel committee giving the Peace Prize to an imprisoned Chinese dissident is comparable to the British invading China so they could sell opium. I can understand a criticism of Liu Xiaobo's as weakening the PRC but this type of comparison is so off base that it undermines the legitimacy of the argument. Its like the Tea Partiers comparing the HRC Bill to the Final Solution. It so extreme has to remove the possibility of serious debate.
Because they are a country of laws. the law does not call for the death penalty for this crime. If it did he would already be dead.
The real joke is the Nobel peace prize. If they really gave a crap about the guy they would use the money to try to get him out of jail instead of giving out a token reward in an attempt to humiliate the PRC.
No, I think you missed the point, which is, a foreign country (typically from the West) tells China should not apply its law to prosecute those who try to subvert the Chinese government.
No I got that point and it still is a ridiculous comparison given the magnitude of what is being called for in both conditions. This would be like me saying that Wen Jiaboa is like Hitler. Why? Because both are leaders of a country and they like vegetables. Its a true comparison but one that ignores vast differences between the two and is only really brought out just as hyperbole.
