If It's Bad For China's Government, It's Good For Everyone Else

I was planning on posting staggered entries about China over the course of the next year. But unless you live under a rock, you know there's no time like the present to blog about China. They've been showing its true colors in Tibet.

Do a quick news search for Tibet and video, and you'll be treated to images about as Orwellian as they come: black helmets, boots stomping on heads, monks getting beaten...and it's going on RIGHT NOW. I've included some highlights of Tibet (and
Western China in general here.

Until 1950 Tibet was an independent country, and this isn't the first revolt they've had. Of course, you'll never hear this from the official anti-historians in China. And the Chinese don't tolerate such talk from diplomats. And they certainly don't tolerate it from Tibetans. Doing web searches on your own will inevitably reveal the official Chinese party line about the "evil" Dalai Lama (hippie-ish or not, I'm pretty sure he's not throwing firebombs in Lhasa). Me, I always feel dirty when Chinese propaganda shows up on my computer. And there's plenty of it. Fortunately it's usually pretty ham-handed and easy to spot.

The issues aren't just Tibet. It's much bigger than that. Does any of this look familiar? It should. Change the names and the dates and this could be going on in 1956 Budapest or 1968 Prague. Or 1959 Tibet for that matter.

Modern China is the 21st century Soviet Union, except with a strong economy, and an ongoing diaspora that puts sympathizers with their policies in every country in the world. In other words, a much worse nightmare than the Soviets ever were. The War on Terror is going to be viewed as a footnote to the beginning of the worlds' struggle against China. Remember the Hainan Island spy plane incident? Most are forgetting this. That was August 2001, the month before 9/11. Though we shouldn't forget 9/11, someone needs to remember Hainan Island too. And how about the multiple espionage cases involving scientists working for Federal Labs. Where is the outrage among conservatives? Or anybody?

The take-home message is the Russians were a warm-up for China. IF IT'S BAD FOR CHINA'S GOVERNMENT, IT'S GOOD FOR EVERYONE ELSE.