China: A State of Insanity

First of all, let me preface this rant with an admission that I have not researched the issue as thoroughly as I would like. Second, I want to say that this post is critical of the Chinese government, not the Chinese people. Finally, I have a personal bias against the Chinese government due to incidences that resulted in the physical and psychological torture of close relatives. That being said...

Of all the misguided, ridiculous diplomatic stances (including the asinine Armenian massacre/Turkey drama), the latest from Beijing is truly stupid. The United States plan to award the Dalai Lama with the Congressional Gold Medal and China is having a snit fit. The thought in China seems to be that it is an insult to award a prestigious medal to a separatist, and has threatened to create a diplomatic iciness between China and the USA. There's so many things wrong with the Chinese government's stance that I'm going to have to break this down:

1. The USA is honoring a much revered moral authority, and is not the first institution to do so. Where was the outrage and threats to Stockholm when the Dalai Lama won the Nobel Peace Prize? The fact is that the Dalai Lama is a well respected man of peace that is beloved not only by citizens of the free world, but also by the people from whom the Dalai Lama is exiled from. This should be a reviled move by the Chinese, and the world leaders need to see this as another example of China's absolute backwardness in global political relations. We are not dealing with an equal to the First World nations, but rather a slightly relaxed terrorist regime who seeks to make a pariah of one of the most respected moral leaders living today.

2. The Chinese government continues to hold Tibet under an iron fist, thus seeking to prevent any sort of international movement to Free Tibet. By coming out and speaking against the Dalai Lama, the Chinese legitimize their brutal rule in Tibet. Why is such tyranny still allowed by a so-called favored nation? Obviously, the USA needs to improve its dealings with such an awful state.

3. Why would we listen to these baseless threats from China? Here's why China can get away with this stupid diplomatic baloney...the US has given China an enormous amount of clout by giving so much of our economic power to them. Additionally, since giving China the assignation of Most Favored Nation, and including China into most world committees, China is now a world power that the US has to keep placated. The sad truth is that China can pretty much demand ridiculous things, and the US will have concede most minor issues to China. The fact is, the USA needs China more than they need us. Thus, the White House carefully considers even the crackpot-est claims of outrage by China.

4. Let's read this quote: "We solemnly demand that the U.S. cancel the extremely wrong arrangements," said Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi in Beijing. "It seriously violates the norm of international relations and seriously wounded the feelings of the Chinese people and interfered with China's internal affairs." Rewarding a spiritual leader violates what norm? I don't believe is a norm in honorific titles and awards being presented by a government. Is there really such a practice that believes that people reviled by one's country cannot be awarded and celebrated in another? I don't understand. Additionally, of all this wrong things that the USA has perpetrated on the world (including China), honoring the Dalai Lama somehow doesn't seem to warrant the use of "extremely." It would be different if the USA decided to make an effigy of Mao and then had Yao Ming poop on it, and then awarded Yao with a US citizenship, that would be a tad extreme. Giving a medal to Da Lama ain't that serious, China.

With all the stuff that's swirling around the awful nightmare that is the Chinese government, why did we give them the Olympics? Sometimes, any and everything about this world seems corrupt and indefensible.