Re: Boycott of Olympics
Dongle said:
The West may have recognised the evils of colonialism. But that doesn't mean they have stopped doing it. What about the various US military bases stationed throughout the Pacific, in Guam, Japan, South Korea etc?
They all have mutual defence treaties with America you twit. They specifically WANT American bases there. Japan because it is worried about China, and South Korea because it was worried about China and North Korea.
The invasion of a sovereign nation - Iraq?
That's a thread in and of itself. Still, controlling Iraq was never America's agenda - pulling out eventually and returning power to the citizens of Iraq was always planned, regardless of whether or not you believe moving into Iraq was for good or ill.
Aren't these modern-day examples of colonialism?
No. You should probably check what colonialism means.
Isn't trying to impose your morals and values on other countries also a form of imperialism in the information age?
No, campaigning for better human rights in China is a form of
caring. One human sees another human in suffering, and as a result they feel moved to try to find somewhere to alleviate that person's pain. Is this a foreign concept to you? Because you keep trying to call it imperialism or Western bias (whatever that's supposed to mean) - as though human rights are a Western invention and people in China don't value their own lives.
Should China have to cede territory jst because outsiders believe that every individual should have the right of self-determination, ie: independence?
Cede territory? Dude, China took over it last century. It was never yours to take. Yes it bloody well deserves indepence; it's an entirely distinct culture and people.
Not to mention it's not "outsiders" who believe it should be independent - it's the Tibetans themselves, and has been since the start; the West simply acknowledges the validity of their claim.
The Aboriginals are economically and culturally marginalised in Australia, like the Tibetans, and constantly demand change, etc. But does Australia grant any form of indepedence?
You gigantic bastard. You're really going to claim that the Aboriginals are like the Tibetans? Do you even
know anything about either culture?
Similarly, the majority of Chinese do not want Tibet to secede, like the sane citizens who want to maintain the power and sovereignty of their nation away from foreign influences.
The majority of Chinese are brainwashed by their government, as I'm sure you'll agree (it is afterall the purpose of the internet firewall, the Propaganda Department, etc). Still, it is regardless not the Chinese's choice. Tibet has never really been part of China, and certainly hasn't been related to Chinese rule in anyway for the past 400 years - and that includes Mongol rule. It was a seperate nation for far longer than it has ever been part of China.
Is that not the voice of the people, ie: democracy? I'm sure any referendum in Australia granting sovereignty to the Aboriginal state would be defeated, simply because of the governing principle of democracy: the interests of the majority rule.
Here you go back to your incorrect "you did it, so can we!" argument. Aboriginals have very powerful inbuilt defences and rights in today's Australia. While the Tibetans are oppressed and silenced, and have no benefits or rights as the first rulers of their country before the Chinese occupation. Further, many Aboriginal settlements exist in Queensland and Northern Australia. Unlike China, we don't try to force them to mingle and drown out their remaining culture by forcing our citizens to move into their settlements.
And re democracy: no. We practice 'liberal democracy' in the majority of the Western world, which is a) representative, and b) places constraints on the will of the majority.
Anyway, back to the Olympics. I hope we have a good games this year. We probably will, and afterwards Tibet will be swept under the carpet by Western moralists simply because it's not 'hip' and in the spotlight anymore.
Tibet has been under the spotlight for a long time you jerk. You can't just "sweep it under the carpet" because fewer eyes are watching.
Perhaps you should start campaigning against corruption, starvation and AIDS in Africa instead.
Many people already do, in case you've never heard of the concept of 'aid organisation'. Many such organisations also operate in China to help that country out.
It probably has a greater element of human tragedy, but has always been there and hence been less fashionable to embrace as a humanitarian cause. The newest human right 'abuse' outside the west gets full attention because it gives opportunity for us to vent our moral narcissism, a need for ourselves to feel better by striking others down.
You really are an asshole. You're so bitter and twisted that you think trying to help others have better lives is a product of selfishness and narcissim? Get out of my sight.
