Letters to the Editor
-
We are all part of the Tibetan Problem.
I am wearing clothes made in China. I am a computer geek who has many computer peripherals made in China. I own a cell phone and many computers who's existence would not be possible without a rare earth element called tantalum which is only available in the most unstable parts of the World (read "blood diamond" West Africa).
The Dalai Lama and others in the 1950's made a huge mistake by not realizing that they were up against a very aggressive, violent, imperialist nation state called China. They needed to join the United Nations. They did not.
I am a non-violent Buddhist. I am proud of it this but I would have fought in the American Revolution, maybe our Civil War and definitely WW II. (even with the U.S. blunder, support of the League of Nations post WW 1 who’s unreasonable war reparations asked of the German’s helped Hitler to rise to power in 1933). So at this point, I diverge from the totally non-violent stance of my Teachers. But the rest of "our" U.S. wars were/are imperialist horse crap. Just like the current occupation of Tibet by the Chinese. OCCUPATION BY A FOREIGN POWER RARELY WORKS. CAUSES RESENTMENT. Ask the Romans. Or as Bob Dylan and other’s have asked “When Will We Ever Learn?”.
I understand the author's point of non-appeasement in special circumstances. But the author does not expand on what the Tibetan Gov't or the Tibeten Gov't (in exile) would have done differently than already done. But maybe that is a moot point in that they mistake was made in the 1950's (not joining the U.N.) and the Greediest Nation on earth buys their goods so that one of the most violent purveyors on Earth (China only seconded by Burma) can help pay off our debt by lending us low interest loans. Tidy arrangement. But this is Genocide for the Tibetans or anyone who disagrees with the Chinese "gov't".
I have visited Lhasa on pilgrimage and traveled extensively in China. Most Chinese despise their “Gov't” and their next door Spys, but cannot say so (for fear of Torture and then Death for their extended Families). Most Tibetan's despise their Occupation and their next door Chinese Spys but cannot say so for the same reasons as the Chinese. I help support the political prisoners and their children jailed throughout Tibet and China with big U.S. $$. And find this a huge Tragedy.
The great irony here is that it was helped by my buying habits to get the best deal at the lowest possible price. Hopefully, as the Dalai Lama says, the Chinese will ultimately be "My Friend, The Enemy". And my Teacher in Greed. I am glad that I did not bring life into this world to receive the consequences of my Greed.
Just as my (and your) tax dollars support genocide in the Middle East of which I (and assume you) are vehemently opposed.