It's been an interesting morning. I have just returned from a weekend workshop on security dilemmas affecting Israel. Fascinating and provocative, I read this morning's paper with a bit more stimulation that usual. I began the day with an article recapping the myriad complexities of crafting the 9/11 Memorial Museum. Meditating on the horror of that day, my patriotism kicked in to overdrive. This is when I came to my next article, one on China.
The article itself discussed the recent trend of self-immolation by Tibetan monks. These monks and most Tibetans are living in areas strictly if not brutally repressed by the Chinese government. China's treatment of Tibet has been textbook objectionable, and I fault many of my leaders for not pushing China on this issue. The closest a U.S. President has come to showing Tibet and His Holiness the Dalai Lama the support they deserve was when George W. Bush met with the Dalai Lama in the White House. Welcoming the Dalai Lama is considered taboo and easily angers China's government.
By the time I had my oatmeal I was all worked up. I posted a new facebook status:
"they tell me china is coming. they tell me they own us. they tell me they are a competitor. but no amount of debt or interest paid can buy liberty. any country that blocks news stories from the internet and views human rights as a western annoyance is not worthy of my fear. me, i'm not scared of a house of cards."
After two minutes, I took the post down.
In the end, I felt my sentiments were unfair. Don't get me wrong, Chinese policy when it comes to transparency, human rights, and anything having to do with Tibet is appalling and archaic. They deserve proper condemnation. And yet I did not want to, nor is it my place to chastise an entire nation of people, many of whom also suffer from Chinese policies. Eventually I realized I don't know how to discuss China. Do I refer to the regime in power? To the positive potential of the people? To Tibetans?
Are our hands as tied as we think they are? America cannot push China on these issues, they hold too much sway. Yet surely China must realize that living up to their international obligations, allowing their citizens to surf the internet freely, and allowing Tibetan Buddhism a proper place in the world is in their own best interest. Closed societies who jail activist lawyers can become superpowers, it's true. The Soviet Union gave us a run for our money. But I ask you, where is the Soviet Union now?
If China's power is to be sustainable, I should no longer have to read about burning monks.
