I think it's VERY fair to say that this video is not 100% unbiased. However, I also think it's time some of the kids who just jump on the "FREE TIBET!!11!ONE!!" bandwagon for the sake of it should settle down and gain a better understanding of the political/historical/religious background of this matter. I'm not sure where I stand on this dilemma, but I do know it's a lot more complicated than China being a commie bully with a thirst for blood.
I guess I just want some people to see how strong the opposite argument can be aswell. Don't forget that "Free Tibet" facebook groups are really just cheap propaganda at its best; feeding off today's largely ignorant youth.
Incase you're wondering, I am Chinese but living/grew-up in Australia. And let me tell you that I'm not just saying that the Western youth are ignorant. The Chinese are just as much, if not more. These kids are growing up in a society with very heavily censored media. An alarming number of them really don't have any idea about the Tiananmen Square incident. Isn't it therefore incredibly injust to punish the entire nation eventhough most of the citizens are in the dark about what its government is getting up to? What I'm implying here is that I think the notion of 'embarassing China' by boycotting this year's Olympics is simply outrageous, if not childish. What distresses me mostly is that the "Free Tibet" campaign has been around for decades. Why was China given the initial right to host the Olympics at all then? Ofcourse, this is perhaps something the Chinese government brought onto themselves, but after all the millions(billions?) of dollars and resources spent on the preparation for the '08 Olympics, where is the sense in boycotting them?
Bleh, I think this rant is as much me being confused as me trying to make others more aware. I just hope that people are giving thought before they choose to put down their name for a "Free Tibet" facebook group or petition.
Peace.
samedi 29 mars 2008
i'm not trying to brainwash you so don't cyber-bite my head off
Inscription à :
Publier les commentaires (Atom)
4 commentaires:
Yeah, 'cos epic music and swearing is all it takes to sway us objectors...
Certainly the entire thing is no way near as simple as it is being presented, but in the same fashion it's not as complex as this clip makes it out to be.
Certainly, when the British took over Tibet there was slaughter and slavery, but that does not in any way make the current goings-on tolerable. Certainly at that point it was better for China to rule Tibet than Britan, but who's to say that at this point in time it is better for TIBET that China rules it instead of self-ruling.
Fact #4
As far as I know, no one is saying that in the past Chinese rule was always bad for Tibet. The thing is, to match every one of the facts they've brought up there are counter-facts. For example, at the start of the 18th century the Chinese Emperor approved a Mongol invasion of Tibet, after which the Dalai Lama died, and those Mongols tried to establish their own Dalai Lama in his place.
That 1903 invasion by the British? Well, it was an invasion, and the British did impose certain regulations on Tibet, but the main thing they did was open the border to trading. Slavery was in evidence, but it was no way near as bad as this video claims it to be.
The Chinese then invaded Tibet after this British annexation, and, deposing the current rulers, replaced them all with their own rulers, ostensibly for the protection of Tibet.
Some of these rulers were revolted against, so the Chinese sent in Zhao Erfang, who then went about destroying monastries and generally being a badass, though his punishment was of course for good reasons...right?
Tibetans wanted their independence in 1913!
Almost 100 years later, and they're still stuck with the same problem!
The "Peaceful liberation" of the puppetry? It was only peaceful beacuse the Chinese had far superior military, and the Tibetans had no choice but to accede to their demands.
Are you aware of how many times the Dalai Lama has had to flee his own country because he was under threat of being killed? A hell of a lot, I can tell you that much. It wasn't all from the Chinese threat, but the majority were.
I'm not quite sure of this, but I know that for quite a while the Tibetan government...wasn't made up of Tibetans. I have a feeling that this is still the case, but I'm not sure. Whether or not, it's hardly a case of "for the people, of the people, by the people."
Oh, and guess what...you know the Panchen Lama? Second only to the Dalai Lama? Well, when the incarnation before the current one died, both the Dalai Lama and the Chinese government named different successors. The one the Dalai Lama recommended 'disappeared', along with his family, and the other one was raised in Beijing, and is lucky enough to be a puppet of the Chinese. Hurrah! =)
So sure, in the past the Chinese have helped the Tibetans immensely. But they've also been rather nasty to them as well. This clip has taken the positives in isolation, and that's an impossibility if you want to choose properly.
I'd contend that while most of this is very important, it leaves out something very important...this is happening NOW.
The past is important, but in some regards a little unimportant towards this context.
I don't know anything about the "CIA funded" protests...so I can't really argue that...but... I still think it's taken out of context, like most of the stuff in here.
Hehe, I like the short bits it has on each country, and why they should "shut the f*** up". Because there's definitely tonnes of documented human rights abuse there...
(Just one quick think that made me actually laugh out loud...none of the countries mentioned there have ever done anything about their own internal problems and native problems, huh? Nope, Never.)
Also...using the "go back to" blah blah blah? Maybe we should all just go back to Africa then?
Funnily enough, though I know a bit about the history of Tibet...I don't know shit about its current situation =P
So... I think that there should definitely be an opening up of Tibet, but whether or not it should be 'liberated', I can't say. But it should definitely at least be known what's going on there...how can one make rational decisions without knowing exactly what's going on?
P.S. Lots of very irrelevant photos in that thing...It's very nice that you have pictures of smiling children and burning houses....but context? Never...
P.P.S
*looks up*
Hmm.
Have fun! =D
P.P.P.S
Hehe...forgot to comment about your writing, the most important thing!
Yes, Tibet has basically taken advantage of the media coverage in their attempt to gain independence, that's why this has become such a big thing recently, not because we're suddenly "just becoming aware", but because the Dalai Lama (in particular) is being intelligent, and capitalising on the media frenzy.
Where is the sense in boycotting them? Because it shows that there is international pressure towards China and its history, rather than it just being left alone.
Personally, I find this whole issue far less interesting than why suddenly China has been taken off the list of human rights abusers, though nothing's changed.
Coincidence that this happens as the games up up?
Anonymous I, signing off Post 2.
ok well we just had a big ass conversation about this on msn so i'm going to skip commenting that essay all over again on here oliver m'dear :P
BOOYEAH! Sure did fire up my Chinese Pride there.
But in all seriousness, I don't actually know much about this issue. I had told myself to look into it, but i've always been a little busy. Although i have found it rather annoying that all the supporters of this "Free Tibet" business seems all to be carried out by young westerners. Which really makes me question the knowledge that they have of the area, living conditions and mentality of the people in Tibet. I mean, do they WANT to be Freed? It's silly to grant freedom to those who don't want it.
Plus, wasn't it only last year that China opened up it's massive multimillion dollar train network into Tibet to help with it's infrastructure and tourism industry? Come on! as in China's going to give up Tibet now that it's finally being developed?
I stand by the saying, "You weren't there, you won't understand". So don't fight for something you have no knowledge about.
Enregistrer un commentaire