The headline here is bleaker than the one on the other blog, where I explain why western powers have their hands tied and cannot — well, will not — help Tibet.
The Mahablog
Politics. Society. Group Therapy.
The headline here is bleaker than the one on the other blog, where I explain why western powers have their hands tied and cannot — well, will not — help Tibet.
Good post on the ‘other blog’. I am mostly pleased that the networks are covering it to some degree, and asking about Bush going to the Olympics. Unfortunately, I agree that since we are dependent on China for everything from TVs to loans for the deficit, the administration will not use words stronger than ‘ urge restraint’. Wall Street is also married to China, having outsourced jobs to China for decades.
Once upon a time, we could take an ethical stand. South Africa comes to mind. But though we exerted influence by refusing to do business there, such will not be the case unless there is a consumer revolt against ‘Made in China’.Tom Clancy wrote in a novel about just such a revolution sparked by the fictional murders by China of a Catholic Priest and a Baptist missionary,which was broadcast on CNN. Pardon me for being cynical, but the real victims of murder are only Buddhists and do not rate the same level of outrage as if Christians were being persecuted.
One way we can protest is to refuse to buy anything “made in China.” That is increasingly hard to do, but I am trying to find products I can afford that are made elsewhere. I think we should boycott the Olympics too, though I realize we would be punishing our athletes more than we would punish China. Still it would state a position. Of course, Bush would never take a position unless it was for one of his own wrong-headed ideas!
I asked this question in the comments on that other blog knowing full well what the answer was so we could get an article like this…. as I suspected it would be, it was well written, intelligent and succinct.
Also, why don’t you call it Burma?
MNPundit — I am kind of stuck with Myanmar because it is the style of About.com. I suppose I could just call it Burma and wait for the editors to complain, though.