But do you even know where Tibet is?
Can you name its capital?
Can you tell us when China occupied it?
When China occupied it, was it a thriving multi-cultural democracy, or a feudal backwater?
I know saying "Free Tibet" is all very trendy, but really, if you're protesting, it would be great if you actually knew what your issue was. Because it seems to me that so many of the "Free Tibet" types are a bit like pageant queens who always say they want "World Peace"--it's a mantra you can invoke to look like you're Cool and Caring and Sensitive.
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None of this is to say that I think China's a good country or that it should have the Olympics. Far from it, as I said a while ago. Hairy Fish Nuts has a good point too. ("Learn the lesson tyrants and dictators, make the West some money and you can do whatever you like. Poor Saddam all he had to do was open some Nike factories and he'd be gassing Kurds to his black heart's content.")
But there are far more reasons to protest China getting them than simply the Tibetan issue.
You can also bet that if China weren't the place everyone needs money from and is a big-ass market, the fact it's not a democracy would have derailed it nicely. Honestly, if we actually cared about these things, the IOC would put forward criteria for being an Olympic host: Stable democracy, respect for the rule of law and human rights (Sorry, USA, you'd be out), etc etc etc.
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3 comments:
Although it is wrong to use excessive force by Chinese but it looks that West wants a niche in China through Tibet. Rest is bull.
Easy now, useing that common sense thing gets you in alot of trouble in the blogosphere these days.....I imagine the suits are heading to your home as I write this to take you away for voicing an opinion different of the average "progressive".
Gotta love a good straw man argument.
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