Letters to the Editor
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Cult of personality
Whether it's the Dalai Lama or Oprah - a cult of personality type of blind love is never a good thing.
I've read a small book of some of his writings - didn't finish it: I was surprised how almost Hallmark Cards and banal his thoughts were.
He has been doing his rock star tours for years - it's time for him to retire. I'm tired of seeing Richard Gere and other celebs worship a man who is just that after all: a man.
The people of Tibet have suffered for decades while the Dalai Lama has been getting all of the attention. Maybe they're fed up with him too?
NOTE: I consider myself spiritual - I believe in God, but I do not follow any doctrine and do not attend any house of worship.
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Dalai Lama
Speaking of horseshit, Louis, just what would you have the Dalai Lama do? After the Tibetan cause was abandoned by the United States (we stopped supplying arms, money, and influence) and Tibetan monks were slaughtered in their attempts to resist the Chinese onslaught, and the rest of the world became hypnotized by the Chinese "market" to the point that they fear embarrassing China in the UN over the issue (even Nancy Pelosi won't boycott the Olympics), and so many Han Chinese have been imported into Tibet that Tibetans are now a minority in their own country, and Chinese soldiers randomly pick out members of villagers and shoot them in the back of head in front of their families to "discourage" political dissent, and, most recently, hundreds of monks have been killed, or jailed and tortured for merely protesting - just what the hell do you suggest the Dalai Lama (or anyone else for that matter) do?
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Act locally
As much as you can don't buy Chinese products. I know... it's almost impossible but if there's an alternative from India, Vietnam or whatever buy the non-Chinese.
I plan on not watching the Olympics. Not even discuss it with anyone. The 2008 Olympics ceased to exist.
The Chinese people are great, the government is scary...
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that is why "Mark Twain" have written a novel called <<Running for Governor>>.
There is something very interesting, among the poor countries over the world,Chinese government's reputation is the worst one in western Media. but Chinese people's wallets are swelling rapidly, lives became better and better in China.
and in other poor areas all over the world, by the protection and democratic movements which are organized by some western government, after many years, people have only got the so called freedom with fire and death, but nothing about improvement of life.
In fact, once you have became a major competitor of rich group, you will get slanders from any possible or impossible places, just because your industriousness is a threat of Rich lazy guys , because the world is always operated by money, because the money are not in your hands now, because rich group do not want you get their money by anyway, including the fairly competition.
this has happend all along human history, also the internal of western countires. that is why "Mark Twain" have written a novel called <<Running for Governor>>.
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"After all, he asks so little of us..."
For Western audiences, at least, the message boils down to the equivalent of a Benetton ad: Be nice, live happy.
I find a serious code of ethics in his message. Maybe he does asks a lot of us: to find these things on our own rather than take them from a creed.
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Do not be evil !
You article seems to suggest that Tibetans should use violent means to achieve their goal of independence from China. This is evil ! It is no different than Bin Laden's cause, who fights for an independent Palestine nation. The recent riots in Tibet, sponsored by the Tibetan Youth Congress, a terrorist organization, has resulted in loss of 22 innocent civilians' lives, a real human tragedy which the western media has not yet come to grasp.
To get things straightened out, for those of westerners who strive to live an enlightened life, start reading about Tibet history! Simply go to wikipedia and type in Tibet, you can get a pretty good article about Tibet.
The first conclusion you will draw is that Tibet was never an independent country, at least not for the last 7 centuries. It was always part of China, although at different times they enjoyed varying degree of autonomy. Even back when China was a very poor country, Tibet did not achieve independence, why in the world you would think that Tibet can do it today ? China is a multi-ethnicity country with 56 different ethnicities living in one united country. Face the reality !
The world view of many westerners, even highly educated ones, are so narrow and simplistic, they just can not comprehend the complex issues in the world such as Tibet. It is a pity ! In a globalized world, such narrow and biased perspective of the world is a competitive disadvantage. (I suspect that Barak Obama is an exception to the rule.)
Fast forward 50 years, China will most likely emerge as the world's most powerful nation, and possibly most enlightened / righteous. In the next 30 years, the Tibetan Independence cause will die a slow death due to lack of market. Go and find another cause ! Try climate change ...
I am cutting and pasting my own posting so that I can come back and review my predictions in 50 years, if I can live that long.
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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.