What are you talking about? What criticism are you talking about? Look, I may not agree with some of pro-Tibet side's position or be critical of their argument, just as I don't agree with some of the argument of environmentalists who actually are in bed with the big corporation, but I don't have any problem with people just putting up signs and don't judge the wrong-ness of such action. Be it "free tibet", "go green" or whatever idiotic sign they want to put up. You REALLY need to try to understand other people better.
The only difference is that Mother Teresa was never a leader of slave owners, and she herself was never the biggest slave owner. Nor was Ghandi on CIA's payroll to organize rebellions. There were a lot more much sadder days in Chinese history, Opium War, WWII, GLF, and CR, just to name a few.
the luckiest people in the world are the freed Tibetan slaves, the Chinese invasion and occupation of TIbet just might be the single most selfless altruistic act in China's history!
Lincoln's goal wasn't to liberate black slaves in the South. But as an end result, they were freed, and I assume pretty happy about that. Maybe you should start a petition to rollback to slavery, simply because it wasn't "the single most selfless altruistic act in American history". Please let us know the result.
That article has some points, but as in all over-simplified profiling, it always fail. As far as I can see, most Chinese youth are with the government this time, because: 1. They are appalled by racial violence. 2. The west media cover the events with perceived bias. The anti-China folks cloud and complicate the issues. 3. Most of them don't understand what exactly Dalai and his crowd want. Frankly it's hard to know. In case they do, they don't see it realistic. There's certainly no rolling back of history that is supported by Chinese Youth. 4. They are not overtly religious. 5. They see Tibet as cultural, not political entity. 6. They don't appreciate the timing, and exploitation of Olympics games.
I apologize if I have mischaracterized your position but there have been several threads on Tibet before this one where pro-PRC posters have been stated many of the same things they have in the current threads even without violent protests. If that is not you then I apologize. I would also say the same to you also and consider the Dalai Lama's position and those who support the Tibetan's cause. I believe if more Chinese would understand the Dalai Lama's position the Tibet issue could be resolved peacefully.
I will agree its the article is simplifying things but I don't think that rampant nationalism among the educated youth of the PRC is limited to this one issue and in recent years has been exterting itself, in even violent ways. Consider the protests a few years ago over the Japanese revision of their textbooks.
You are saying freed black slaves weren't happy about it? Or freed Tibetan slaves weren't happy about it? Or, what you were really saying was those ex-slave-owners - Tibetan exiles weren't happy about it? I guess I can understand that.
I don't know why you are so self-conscious here, I am celebrating the gloriously self-sacrificial behavior of the Great Liberator China, the benevolent occupiers, and you are making nasty comparisons to Lincoln. There is no comparison - the gift of CHinese expansionism is plain for all to see - I wish I had an older brother who was so benevolent!
Certainly, overt nationalism is dangerous. But let's not equate these two together. No one died from pretests then, as far as I can remember. It was on scale of the OSU losing a national title game.
I cant see the pictures. I got off the T in Boston downtown the other day and there was this group of seemingly Tibetan protesters with signs walking cross the street. About 20 of them or so. No shouting, no chanting, very peacful. The signs read "freedom" and so on, no mentioning of Tibet and China. But from their apperance and traditional dress, it's clear that they are Tibetans. I thought it was a really powerful message and protest, unlike any protests I have either participated or seen on TV. I am from mainland China. I have to you, I feel their pain and sympathetic towards their cause, and some of you here might be surprised because of my recorded poitions on this issue in other posts. This bickering between the pro China and pro Tibetans camps really bothers me. I really wish the Tibetans' issue could be resolved peacfully and acceptabel to both parties. On another note, my eye was tearing when I stood by quitely and let them walk by me first one by one, I felt for the Chinese on the whole, not only the Tibetens, where is the freedom for them?
Did you talk to any former Tibetan slave to draw that conclusion, or did any exile Tibetan give you a direct quote from a former Tibetan slave that he was happier being a slave? Please do enlighten us, what makes you think Tibetan slaves weren't happy being freed.
I won't comment on the first 5 because I, unlike the author, have no first hand knowledge of what's going on and you may have some points. However, China is the one who began the politicization of the Olympics so they can't expect to attempt to use the Olympics as a political message and get angry when others do the same.
My point is that you can't reasonably draw an analogy between the occupation of Tibet right now and the occupation of the South after the Civil War. During Reconstruction, black people in the South were very glad to have the US presence there to protect their rights. During that period, many black people even became Congressman. After the Army left, Jim Crow set in, and black people suffered. China's presence in Tibet today is clearly not as welcome to common Tibetans as the Union Army was to blacks in the South. Of course, China's crackdown on Tibet in the 50s had little in common with the American Civil War anyway, but I guess that's beside the point, just as is the question of whether the Dalai Lama is actually "supporting riots".
Fair enough. Personally, I don't see anything wrong with anyone politicizing Olympics. Heck, is there anything left in today's world that's not politicized? When every politician or activist is trying to score points one way or another, eagerly offering his/her own opinion about Olympics and China, it shows how much attention China is getting these days. I don't think that's a bad thing for China at all.
My analogy was drown between when the black slaves were freed in the South, and when the Tibetan slaves were freed in the Tibet. Why can't I? Because you just assumed freed black slaves were happy but freed Tibetan slaves weren't? As for Congressman, Chinese minority and female hold far bigger percentage of government officials posts, comparing to US. As for whether Dalai Lama is actually "supporting riots", there is no physical evidence for it. However, Dalai Lama did receive CIA fundings to organize/train exile Tibetan guerrilla till 72'. Motive is there, history supports it, while meanwhile, the aggressive Tibetan youth exile organization did advocate violence. To say he has nothing to do with it at all, or doesn't know anything about it, you need some hard evidence as - who's really behind this. Just you assume or believe, is probably not enough to convince Chinese government or Chinese people.
I just didn't think you showed that the average Tibetan was happy with the Chinese takeover in the 50s. Really, though, what I care about is what's happening today. As for the Dalai Lama, do you think it's ok to just assume that he's behind the riots and state it as fact, with, as you acknowledge, absolutely no evidence? You know perfectly well it's impossible to prove a negative. It can't be proven that he's not behind the riots, but it can be shown that there's currently no reason to believe that he is, as you seem to agree.
