Judging by its soulless anti-democratic swagger across the global village, the Chinese government thinks it can habitually brainwash the global population -- the same way it brainwashes its own -- into believing it's simply pursuing its national interest.
Today Chinese troops are on the streets of a Zimbabwean city, aiding Mugabe's cronies with another illegal helping at the government trough. This coincided with the arrival of a Chinese weapons shipment in South Africa bound for Zimbabwe.
This is the latest in a string of Chinese transgressions aimed at subverting the political behaviour of other states in their favour. Consider the purblind genocide-for-oil arrangement with Darfur and the habitual cover the Chinese provide for Burmese leadership at the UN. During the Olympics, we should be bearing in mind more than their domestic repression of human rights in Tibet and the live organ harvesting of Falun Gong members -- to say nothing of their gross contribution to a worsening environmental crisis.
Those at the top of the political food-chain in that country must not fool themselves into thinking that global citizens would naively shrug off those of China's problems which extend well beyond their borders.
And for those of us who consider ourselves global citizens, we have to ask ourselves how much we should be opening our pockets in support of this kind of arrogant criminality.
Today Chinese troops are on the streets of a Zimbabwean city, aiding Mugabe's cronies with another illegal helping at the government trough. This coincided with the arrival of a Chinese weapons shipment in South Africa bound for Zimbabwe.
This is the latest in a string of Chinese transgressions aimed at subverting the political behaviour of other states in their favour. Consider the purblind genocide-for-oil arrangement with Darfur and the habitual cover the Chinese provide for Burmese leadership at the UN. During the Olympics, we should be bearing in mind more than their domestic repression of human rights in Tibet and the live organ harvesting of Falun Gong members -- to say nothing of their gross contribution to a worsening environmental crisis.
Those at the top of the political food-chain in that country must not fool themselves into thinking that global citizens would naively shrug off those of China's problems which extend well beyond their borders.
And for those of us who consider ourselves global citizens, we have to ask ourselves how much we should be opening our pockets in support of this kind of arrogant criminality.
Labels: china, Darfur, environment, globalization, psychopathic behaviour, Tibet, Zimbabwe
3 Comments:
I wish the Chinese government would stop interfering in the internal affairs of other countries. That's the line that the government uses when anyone makes a complaint about China.
Boycott the Olympic sponsors. Boycott Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Adidas, Snickers, Staples/Bureau en Gros, and the other sponsors.
I'll be watching the NHL playoffs to see if the Olympic sponsors advertise on ice or during the commercials--especially when the CBC broadcasts some games in Mandarin (Rogers 460 in Toronto). I wonder if these hockey games will be aired in Beijing.
Originally I was quite disappointed when China was given the '08 Olympics. I was certain Toronto was going to win that bid, and I was super excited for that to happen. I was also frustrated because of how poor a player China is on the world stage. Frankly, it didn't seem very "Olympic" to give them the Games.
However, I know think of it as a very necessary opportunity. Look at the Olympic Torch disruptions taking place right now; the talks of Olympic boycotts even by conservative-led countries like Canada and the United States; and the global outrage over China's human rights deficiencies and its aid to some of the world's worst atrocities (Darfur, Burma, etc.).
Had the Olympic Games not been in Beijing this year, would any of this be getting nearly this kind of press? I don't believe so. I believe this has allowed for amazing education worldwide to what China really is up to, and is FINALLY allowing for real discussion by our world's political leaders over China's incredibly failings (because really, it may have always been "talked about", but never with the seriousness that real changes need to occur as they are now).
These Games have the REAL chance to bring about some change in China's policies, with both their domestic and foreign policies. At the very least, it should bring a start to these changes, and without the Olympics taking place, I don't think we'd see changes for a long time to come.
Good points, on both counts. China and everything else profiting from this should be given a royal smack in the face.
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