Lhasa Massacre and the West's Double Standard

Katczinsky · 03-15-2008, 01:18 PM

When the government of Myanmar violently suppresses protests lead by Buddhist monks in an effort toward political democracy, the west is quick to take sides even as far as to pass official resolutions in the UN against the government.

When the Chinese government, however, guilty of a lot more human rights violations than that of Myanmar, decides to violently put down anti-Imperialist protests in Tibet, the United States and the European Union feel that the Chinese government is right in their actions, only they should 'exercise some constraint". Further evidence that the west doesn't give a shit about human rights or democracy at all, but is only interested in their economic self-interests.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/15/wo...html?ref=world

pensacola_niceman · 03-16-2008, 09:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Katczinsky

When the government of Myanmar violently suppresses protests lead by Buddhist monks in an effort toward political democracy, the west is quick to take sides even as far as to pass official resolutions in the UN against the government.

When the Chinese government, however, guilty of a lot more human rights violations than that of Myanmar, decides to violently put down anti-Imperialist protests in Tibet, the United States and the European Union feel that the Chinese government is right in their actions, only they should 'exercise some constraint". Further evidence that the west doesn't give a shit about human rights or democracy at all, but is only interested in their economic self-interests.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/15/wo...html?ref=world

Ehhhhh, yeah? I figured that out a long time ago. There are plenty more examples to support what you just posted.

Grace · 03-18-2008, 07:16 AM

Pick your battles wisely. China doesnt give a rats ass what we or anyone else thinks or does. One battle is possibly winnable, the other isnt.

waitingtables · 03-18-2008, 09:27 AM

We have specifically put China in a catbird seat, even more so since Iraq. We should have been paying a lot closer attention a very long time ago to China. I am ashamed that we do such big business with them, at the cost of so may innocent lives, and not just in China. If China cared, or thought we actually cared about human rights enough to cause tensions between us, they would have done something about Darfur. And they wouldn't be rounding up all the dissidents and cracking down in Tibet before the Olympics in fears of a large population of press that will be there. It's only a show. Just like we have been doing in regards to the human rights violations that other actual allies of ours commit, or the water-boarding that we don't find to be torture.

Grace · 03-18-2008, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by waitingtables

We have specifically put China in a catbird seat, even more so since Iraq. We should have been paying a lot closer attention a very long time ago to China. I am ashamed that we do such big business with them, at the cost of so may innocent lives, and not just in China. If China cared, or thought we actually cared about human rights enough to cause tensions between us, they would have done something about Darfur. And they wouldn't be rounding up all the dissidents and cracking down in Tibet before the Olympics in fears of a large population of press that will be there. It's only a show. Just like we have been doing in regards to the human rights violations that other actual allies of ours commit, or the water-boarding that we don't find to be torture.

I agree about the business we do with China. Its really a shame.

Doeth · 03-20-2008, 11:44 PM

They killed thirty violent protesters, Myanmar forces killed hundreds of monks.

And it is not a double standard, it is simple logical thought. A weak Skolnick-esque nerd punches you in the stomach and demands your lunch money. A six foot tall truck sized football player does the same. Who are you going to give your lunch money to?

We sanction China, our economy falls apart. And that is more than enough reason to let China do whatever it wants to in Tibet. Because you may not like the fact that they could be killing thousands of people in a peaceful part of the world, but I am damn sure you don't want to loose your computer.
Or your shoes.
Or your clothes.
Or your furniture.
Or your TV.
Or your books.
Or your video games.
Or your music.

Katczinsky · 03-21-2008, 02:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doeth

They killed thirty violent protesters, Myanmar forces killed hundreds of monks.

Those numbers are debatable; it's disingenuous to pick and choose doctored numbers by a lying tyrannical Chinese government and some of the more liberal estimates in Myanmar. 'Violent protesters' carries a negative connotation; as if they were using harmful violence. The protesters in Tibet are no more violent than those in Myanmar. And even if they were, can you blame them?

I know I'd be pretty goddamn violent if a tyrannical nation invaded, occupied, and attempted to ethnically cleanse my country. By all rights they would continue to have the moral high ground even if it were a violent resistance.

Quote:

And it is not a double standard, it is simple logical thought. A weak Skolnick-esque nerd punches you in the stomach and demands your lunch money. A six foot tall truck sized football player does the same. Who are you going to give your lunch money to?

We sanction China, our economy falls apart. And that is more than enough reason to let China do whatever it wants to in Tibet. Because you may not like the fact that they could be killing thousands of people in a peaceful part of the world, but I am damn sure you don't want to loose your computer.
Or your shoes.
Or your clothes.
Or your furniture.
Or your TV.
Or your books.
Or your video games.
Or your music.

I fail to see the alleged logic in this. It seems you like to peddle the lie that our economy is somehow dependent upon China's? Despite the persuasiveness of the doom and gloom sayers, we're still the most powerful economy on Earth and can quite suffice without the shitty mass produced toxic crap that comes from China.

In actuality, China's economic development is highly dependent upon the United States and the west. We have a lot more leverage than they. The Chinese care a lot what we think. But so long as our governments are more interested in expanding business into the opening vast Chinese market than standing up for our sovereignty, the sovereignty of occupied countries, or human rights then the Chinese don't have much to worry about.

It's when foreign governments stop saying the Chinese should "exercise constraint" in their putting down of Tibetan non-violent resistance (thereby effectively sanctioning it) and start saying that Chinese should recognize Tibet's sovereignty and they should recognize universal human rights when the Chinese need to start being worried.

Had today's global socio-economic climate been applied to the times of WWII, then we probably wouldn't give a crap about the occupation of France and much of Eastern Europe, because it would be so economically beneficial to trade with the Nazis.

waitingtables · 03-21-2008, 09:15 AM

I agree with Kat 100%. Well said.

diablo1987 · 03-22-2008, 12:54 AM

If only you know a little Chinese and can read what the reality is in Chinese.
If only you can go to Tibet to see what really happens there.
If only you would see what those violent and fierce so-called "protesters" have done to the innocent people of Lhasa.
The Chinese government made good policys of Tibet, gave many many autonmous rihgts to it and improved lives of people mordernized citys there.

Just don't mix the biased articles and reports with the reality.

Katczinsky · 03-22-2008, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by diablo1987

If only you know a little Chinese and can read what the reality is in Chinese.
If only you can go to Tibet to see what really happens there.
If only you would see what those violent and fierce so-called "protesters" have done to the innocent people of Lhasa.
The Chinese government made good policys of Tibet, gave many many autonmous rihgts to it and improved lives of people mordernized citys there.

Just don't mix the biased articles and reports with the reality.

I would say the same thing to you. Do you honestly think your so-called "Communist" government reports the news with an honest journalistic integrity?

If only your government didn't censor western news websites, or websites that have certain information that might make your government look a little bad.

If you're 19 or younger you probably don't even know about the Tiananmen Square Massacre unless you heard of it from strictly word of mouth. But then again that's another story.

It doesn't matter how much your government modernized Tibet; Tibet is Tibetan. Your occupation of Tibet is no more valid than the imperialist Japanese in Korea or China. Korea was a primitive nation prior to Japan's invasion; they brought a lot of modernization to Korea, but does that mean the Koreans don't deserve their own country?

Your government likes to portray these protesters as 'violent and fierce', as if that justifies the violent military suppression on behalf of your "People's Liberation Army". Truth is, their rioting is no more violent than many protests here in the west (burning of cars, breaking of windows, etc.), but we have the common sense not to instill martial law and shoot them down dead.