A Hint of Hypocrisy
I haven’t really discussed politics much on this blog/site simply because the discourse is usually wasteful. Most people cannot separate ideology from politics and so discussion quickly descends into vitriol, dogma, etc. But I cannot resist the urge to register my disdain for the current Chinese Olympic protests in London, Paris, San Francisco, etc.
I am not necessarily a supporter of Chinese policy regarding Tibet (I don’t know enough to make a reasoned judgment). And I don’t give a hoot about the Olympics (and neither do the protesters). But frankly, the harassment of these torch-bearers, who have no bearing or input on formulating Communist Party policy, leaves me with a sense of disgust. Before the Brits or Americans lecture others on “occupations”, perhaps they should focus more on Iraq or at the very least, close Guantanamo Bay. I’m not saying I’m anti-war — just that it smacks of hypocrisy.
Oh, I’m sure these protesters will say that they’ve protested the Iraq War/Gitmo/etc. And I don’t doubt it. The progressive movement is seemingly plagued with people who do nothing but protest. These locusts will swarm wherever there is a demonstration with news cameras present but when the cameras are gone and it comes time to put in the hard work — to organize, to raise money, to get shit done — the swarm is nowhere to be found.
Talk is cheap. So are wood sticks with cardboard. If you want to change Chinese policy, put your money where your mouth is. Don’t drive or fly to these places, consuming oil & gas, wearing your Asian-made clothes and shoes, blowing whistles made in China in all likelihood. Don’t return to your homes — mortgaged and financed ultimately with foreign money, a large chunk of it Chinese — with any sense of accomplishment. Because here is the kicker: these protests only harden the Chinese public’s sentiment against Tibet and against the West in general. The next time there is a “situation” in Tibet, the Chinese public will probably support more draconian measures.
The Chinese public views the recent Tibetan riots much differently. They saw a supposed peaceful “protest” inspired by the Dalai Lama descend into violence, with stories of ethnic Chinese being burnt alive in their shops and other brutal acts. At that point, the logical move would be to bring in law and order.
The Chinese public also senses the anti-Chinese sentiment that permeates from the West, especially the US. Americans blame them for their/our currency, for taking jobs, for global warming — there’s a laundry list. But the reality is we spent our way into oblivion, arbitraged our own wages into the gutter and enjoyed all the benefits of ramped-up industrial production (and low prices) while all the nastiness (such as heavy pollution, health issues, meager pay, piss-poor working conditions) stays in places like China. Even as they export away, the majority of the profits go to foreign corporations.
These protests, against innocent people and regarding an event completely unrelated to Chinese domestic policy, only reinforce the Chinese view that the West is working to suppress the ascent of China. As with most recent liberalism, these activists accomplish nothing and actually weaken their cause.
And Hillary Clinton has the nerve to push George W. Bush to boycott the opening ceremony all the while it was her husband who granted China most-favored-nation status? I don’t know what’s worse: Hillary’s shameful pandering or the support she garners from lower-income voters who are supposedly the most affected by her husband’s policies.
Just so you can factor whatever bias you perceive into this post:So readers know where I am coming from, I have always considered myself a progressive. I first registered to the Green Party but quickly tired of endless meetings which accomplished nothing (a recurring theme among progressives). I switched to the Democrats and have worked in state and local election campaigns as well as working for a county workers union. And for what it’s worth, I am also Vietnamese with a father who bears several shrapnel wounds inflicted by communists during the Vietnam War. And I am neutral on the Iraq War as I view it through the perspective of peak oil — Americans have never had an honest discussion of the current war.
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