Pro-Tibet and Anti-China Olympic Protests

[treg50]

While relaying the Olympic torch through London and Paris the procession has been disrupted numerous times by protestors for Tibetan awareness. In Paris the torch relay was cancelled and the torch extinguished and taken away after the relay was confronted by some 500 protestors.


Olympic torch arrives in San Francisco tomorrow (Wed.Apr.9).

Blah, blah, blah, yes, militaristic domination, slaughter, genocide, and subjugation is what's accounted for almost all of our "modern" societies. Human ignorance, discrimination and greed for power is what our "first world" societies are based on and were built from, yes we know all that already. Yes, most of these scenarios happened decades some centuries ago, but the Tibetan one occuried in 1950. But we aren't the same primitives that lived 100 years ago (yes, one hundred) and we know that type of 'might is right' attitude is bullshit. I think China hopes to wipe out all those who can recount the actual events and hopes that it will fade into forgotten history.

In 2008 in this day and age should this type of "nation building" be accepted? Is 1950 too far to go back to object to China invading Tibet?

[LadyLuck]

I cant imagine the riots that will take place once the olympics start

[rmk]

the sad thing is that the protests and negative coverage which is going to go down will completely overshadow the Olympians. the '08 olympics will not be know for the medals but for how bad the chinese will look.

[JRSC00LUDE]

The olympics have been nothing but a joke for a few decades anyways imo. I mean no offence to those who are or who know athletes participating in the games but as far as I'm concerned they could cancel the whole thing and be done with it. It's nothing more than a monumental waste of money.

[BigMass]

Originally posted by JRSC00LUDE
The olympics have been nothing but a joke for a few decades anyways imo. I mean no offence to those who are or who know athletes participating in the games but as far as I'm concerned they could cancel the whole thing and be done with it. It's nothing more than a monumental waste of money.

And John Titor's prediction will have come to pass

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by treg50
Yes, most of these scenarios happened decades some centuries ago, but the Tibetan one occuried in 1950. But we aren't the same primitives that lived 100 years ago (yes, one hundred) and we know that type of 'might is right' attitude is bullshit. I think China hopes to wipe out all those who can recount the actual events and hopes that it will fade into forgotten history.

China was pretty ass-backward in the 50s.

You have to wonder why is this thing getting more ink and attention than Darfur? Or any nations in Africa for that matter where Human Right abuses make China's look good.

In 2008 in this day and age should this type of "nation building" be accepted? Is 1950 too far to go back to object to China invading Tibet?

Yes, it's too far to go back. People love to fight for a cause that's trendy. This is one of them. In the end, do you think US will pull out of Iraq, Afghanistan, South Korea, Japan and Germany because people protests?

I'm no big fan of China. And their media control is actually making them look even worst. Somewhere up there did not have a plan for this scenario which make them look stupid on the world stage.

How is this different from Russia's claim on Chechen in the 90s?

How is this different from IRA in the 20s and PIRA in the 70s on their attempt of separation from UK?

How is this different than FLQ in 60s and 70s, where is the Free Quebec rallies? I wonder how we shut them up?

How is this different than PLO and why are they labeled as terrorist and Tibet rioters as freedom fighters?

All these are samples of uprising not too different to what's happening in Tibet right now.

In the end, it's the western countries' fear of a new world power in China. And they'll support any cause that will take them down a peg, let that be Tibet or Falun Gong or Taiwan.

Germany supplied weapons to IRA in hope of a UK break up in the 20s. But in this day age, that doesn't work any more, right? (cough cough......Iraq).

Everybody's but their own shit stinks.

[holden]

Originally posted by treg50
While relaying the Olympic torch through London and Paris the procession has been disrupted numerous times by protestors for Tibetan awareness. In Paris the torch relay was cancelled and the torch extinguished and taken away after the relay was confronted by some 500 protestors.


Olympic torch arrives in San Francisco tomorrow (Wed.Apr.9).

Blah, blah, blah, yes, militaristic domination, slaughter, genocide, and subjugation is what's accounted for almost all of our "modern" societies. Human ignorance, discrimination and greed for power is what our "first world" societies are based on and were built from, yes we know all that already. Yes, most of these scenarios happened decades some centuries ago, but the Tibetan one occuried in 1950. But we aren't the same primitives that lived 100 years ago (yes, one hundred) and we know that type of 'might is right' attitude is bullshit. I think China hopes to wipe out all those who can recount the actual events and hopes that it will fade into forgotten history.

In 2008 in this day and age should this type of "nation building" be accepted? Is 1950 too far to go back to object to China invading Tibet?

You do know that the pro-Tibet protests that are occurring are not about the "invasion"/"liberation" of Tibet by the People's Liberation Army in the 1950's right?

They are about the human rights violations that are occuring now... today. I am Tibetan, and though I was born in Canada, I have travelled back to Tibet. It's true that many Chinese live under oppression, but Tibetans live as second-class citizens to the Han Chinese that the Chinese Communist goverment is migrating into Tibet. They are being socially, economically and culturally marginalized, I can tell you from personal experience.

You might see "FREE TIBET" banners and such, but this speaks more to the freedom of the Tibetan people and not a seperation from China (which would be nearly impossible now).

[TKRIS]

Fucking exactly Xtrema!!!

For the average Tibetan, life sucks under China's rule, and it sucks under the Lama class rule.

The Chinese treat them like shit, but they've got running water.
The Lama's would go right back to using them as , essentially, slaves. One ain't much better than the other, and neither are the type of system I'm willing to support/fight for.

Next time some Birkenstock wearing, soy eating asshole (or trendy fucktard college hipster) says "Free Tibet", ask them if they've ever even heard of Xinjiang. Considering they don't have a CIA/Richard Gere sponsored poster-boy, they'll likely say no, at which point you've done your due dilligence and are free to kick them in the shins.

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by holden
You might see "FREE TIBET" banners and such, but this speaks more to the freedom of the Tibetan people and not a seperation from China (which would be nearly impossible now).

Unfortunately, that's been lost through all the noises. It has become Dalai's vehicle to return to power.

[01RedDX]

.

[holden]

Originally posted by Xtrema


Unfortunately, that's been lost through all the noises. It has become Dalai's vehicle to return to power.

Ummm, "return to power"? Are you assuming that the Dalai Lama want's to become the ruler of Tibet or something?

He has stated over and over again that he will happily step down from any political role, into a purely spiritual role, if true democratic reforms took place in Tibet and he were allowed to return. The Tibetan Government in Exile is actually democratically elected government (I have voted in a couple of elections).

I personally can't say what the intentions of all the Western supporters are. There are many that are truly interested in justice and equality. I'm sure there are also some that are just anti-China. But that makes the cause no less just.

[tentacles]

Ha, this whole thing is such an Epic PR Fail for the Chinese government. A bunch of Tibetans riot and kill a bunch of Chinese civilians, and yet the Chinese are STILL the bad guys?

They need to hire a good PR firm like the Dalai Lama has. People without good PR representation end up like the Bosnian Serbs.

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by Xtrema
It has become Dalai's vehicle to return to power.

Originally posted by holden
He has stated over and over again that he will happily step down from any political role, into a purely spiritual role, if true democratic reforms took place in Tibet and he were allowed to return. The Tibetan Government in Exile is actually democratically elected government (I have voted in a couple of elections).

Right.... Dalai will be Pat Robertson or Jerry Falwell in USA or Ayatollahs in Iran. I wonder how much influence they have on the country's politics?

Politicians will always say the right things to hide the true intention.

Democratic reform? From China? Good luck.

It barely works in US with all the corruptions. It will never work in China.

[Super_Geo]

Originally posted by holden
There are many that are truly interested in justice and equality.

Nope, the 'many' you're referring to are (for the most part) yuppie-wannabes who can't even be said to have a superficial understanding of the issue at hand. They're voicing their support because it's (currently) very in to voice their support. It's very 2008 of them, free this, free that, large mocchachino please, dictator this, dictator that, blah blah blah.

Seriously though, if you ask most of the protesters exactly what they're protesting the most you can hope to get is "Um... to be... free?"

Go give it a try.

[holden]

Originally posted by Xtrema




Right.... Dalai will be Pat Robertson or Jerry Falwell in USA or Ayatollahs in Iran. I wonder how much influence they have on the country's politics?

Politicians will always say the right things to hide the true intention.

Democratic reform? From China? Good luck.

It barely works in US with all the corruptions. It will never work in China.

Well I'm certainly not defending those people. But do you think it's fair to deny people the right to follow Christianity and Islam. I think people should have the freedom to do what they want. I'm personally not religous myself, but I'm glad I have the right in Canada to choose for myself.

[holden]

Originally posted by Super_Geo


Nope, the 'many' you're referring to are (for the most part) yuppie-wannabes who can't even be said to have a superficial understanding of the issue at hand. They're voicing their support because it's (currently) very in to voice their support. It's very 2008 of them, free this, free that, large mocchachino please, dictator this, dictator that, blah blah blah.

Seriously though, if you ask most of the protesters exactly what they're protesting the most you can hope to get is "Um... to be... free?"

Go give it a try.

Well, the Westerners I've met at protests are almost always educated about the issue. They've either been to Tibet, or to Tibetan refugee camps in India. They've been involved in the Tibet issue for years, sometimes decades. They've read books on the history of Tibet, so they know know not to view Tibet's past in rose-colored glasses. The people who come to protests are not the type who see a clip on the news and go "sure, free tibet, why not". While those people exist, their surely not the ones who'll get off their butts and do something about it.

[boredengineer]

Seems a lot of people have been drinking the Chinese propaganda kool-aid... Next thing you know we are going to have people claiming that Taiwan should be annexed by China even though the population of Taiwan has no interest in becoming a vasal state to a authoritarian regime.

[sexualbanana]

Originally posted by 01RedDX
Sure, it's a legitimate cause, but I am sure there wouldn't be as much of an outcry if Tibet was a dusty desert and all the inhabitants looked like starvin' Marvin from Ethiopia. Many high profile celebrities happen to be Buddhist as well, which lets this overshadow other important conflicts.

From my own perception of the whole situation, the only reason it's an outcry is because China is emerging on the world stage.

As a hypothetical example:
Botswana begins a conflict with their neighbor, Zimbabwe. Resulting in an unlawful occupation of Zimbabwe and the mass genocide and marginalization of the Zimbabwe people.
- As it stands right now, no one gives a shit - about either country. Why? Because - no offense to anyone of either descent - in this current reality, both Botswana and Zimbabwe would be lucky to make a blip on the international radar. Like most of you said, worse things happen in Chad and Sudan, and other places. But nothing is said.

Now in a truly an alternate reality to that... Botswana commits the same invasion of Zimbabwe, but also makes a major move towards international prominance as an emerging economical superpower. The more Botswana tries to maneuver themselves to the top of the international power ladder, the more frequently they'll be targeted for their unlawful occupation of Zimbabwe, resulting in big banners everywhere calling for a Free Zimbabwe.

In my opinion, a country like China could not afford to make such a big push towards international legitimacy in politics and economics, and expect to hang onto their history of territorial occupation and minority oppression.

A parallel to the ludicrous example above would be; who would make the bigger headline, thus cause bigger protests? Rory Fitzpatrick raping an underage girl, or Sidney Crosby raping the same girl under the exact same consequences?

[sexualbanana]

In addition, I don't think that the protestors are completely oblivious to what they're actually protesting against. I'm simply just saying that China is the easy target because they've become so prominent on the world stage.

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by holden


Well I'm certainly not defending those people. But do you think it's fair to deny people the right to follow Christianity and Islam. I think people should have the freedom to do what they want. I'm personally not religous myself, but I'm glad I have the right in Canada to choose for myself.

I don't see China cracking down on Christians.

Just don't rock the boat and government will stay out of your hair.