Tibetans are taking wrong actions in SF

[tiejiba]

Boycott Olympic!

Drive Chinese out of the States!

 

[orangat]

Originally posted by: Drift3r
I don't think you'll ever see a US or European style democracy in China. Not even a Japanese style one. China has had a long history of wanting and craving strong central governments which even predates the current Communist government today. The only instances of Democratic or Republic style rule in China were fraught with corruption and ended up in utter failure.
........

You have to be more charitable when reading history or cultures because history is by definition contingent and happenstance. Taiwan and Korea had military dictatorships for decades after WW2 not because they had a history of strong rulers. Also take into account that much of history in China were probably written by some self-congratulatory Confucian scholar.

There is no gene or genetic propensity for chopsticks, democracy, corruption or stir fries.

 

[Drift3r]

Originally posted by: orangat

Originally posted by: Drift3r
I don't think you'll ever see a US or European style democracy in China. Not even a Japanese style one. China has had a long history of wanting and craving strong central governments which even predates the current Communist government today. The only instances of Democratic or Republic style rule in China were fraught with corruption and ended up in utter failure.
........

You have to be more charitable when reading history or cultures because history is by definition contingent and happenstance. Taiwan and Korea had military dictatorships for decades after WW2 not because they had a history of strong rulers. Also take into account that much of history in China were probably written by some self-congratulatory Confucian scholar.

There is no gene or genetic propensity for chopsticks, democracy, corruption or stir fries.

Yet there is such a thing as culture of which China's has been around for longer then the US and many European countries have existed. Chinese culture for a very, very long time has supported and slanted more toward law, order and prosperity for the many above the needs of the "individual" in China since it first came together a unified nation. We can put a American slant on Chinese history all we want but it won't change the nature of Chinese culture and China's history.

 

[orangat]

Won't change the nature of Chinese culture or the Chinese themselves?

While I agree there is such a thing as culture, the Chinese (or any other group) can also do just about anything with equal propensity. As I have said earlier history is by definition something of a contigency. China certainly has enough of unlawful disorderly famine ridden events after being unified in its long and bumpy history.

You mentioned law, order and putting the community above the individual smells suspiciously close to the so called 'Asian values' espoused by some Asian leaders.With such values, they reasoned individual rights, freedom of speech, press, assembly, normal checks and balances (that any good democracy should have) can be de-emphasised. In fact such 'values' only help to confer moral legitimacy for their hard line undemocratic authoritarian regimes.

Democracy, law and order, individual rights are universal values not cultural dictates. Korea and Taiwan didn't choose harsh military dictatorships after WW2 because of a cultural craving for strong ruler type.

 

[Modelworks]

I was watching an interview with the Dalai Lama and Dan Rather.
The Dalai Lama has to be one of the coolest people I have ever watched.
You can tell by the way he speaks he is a very spiritual person, but not to the point of being overly so. He just seems like the kind of guy you could sit down and have a beer with.

He is denouncing the violence and asking people to stop interfering with the torch.

You can watch online the interview they did with him about tibet at :
http://www.hd.net/drr234.html

 

[Dari]

Chinese people don't care about democracy, so why force it down their throats? They want to make money and lead a quiet life. Democracy is too messy. Hell, look at Japan, we gave them democracy and they've only voted for one party the past 60 years:laugh:.

 

[hunewbie]

thought this was a good article that relates to this topic.


Article

 

[tiejiba]

Drive Chinese out of Tibet, K#ll them all!

 

[orangat]

Originally posted by: Dari
Chinese people don't care about democracy, so why force it down their throats? They want to make money and lead a quiet life. Democracy is too messy. Hell, look at Japan, we gave them democracy and they've only voted for one party the past 60 years:laugh:.

You're just joking I assume, so my comment below isn't directed at you.
The US has gotten in alot of trouble all over the world by trying to 'give' democracy. In Japan's case, the US has undermined democracy by covertly supporting that one said party for several decades. Military dictators in Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia, Philippines were also supported for decades with arms and aid.

I'll repeat that history and culture is shaped by people (not races or ethnicity) and people can do anything. So called 'Asian values' espoused by authoritarian Asian leaders have more in common with German Kultur in early 20th century or elites anywhere who insist that democracy is somehow incompatible with the national psyche.

Originally posted by: Modelworks
I was watching an interview with the Dalai Lama and Dan Rather.
The Dalai Lama has to be one of the coolest people I have ever watched.
You can tell by the way he speaks he is a very spiritual person, but not to the point of being overly so. He just seems like the kind of guy you could sit down and have a beer with.

He is denouncing the violence and asking people to stop interfering with the torch.
.........

The Dalai Lama is so cool, he personally petitioned the British govt NOT to extradite Pinochet to Spain to stand trial for crimes against humanity.

Don't get me wrong, the Dalai Lama has his good sides but it is important to know the truth about his cold war background and also to judge him by what he actually does.