Friday, April 18, 2008

Darn those brainwashed goons and thugs

People don't seem to understand why many Chinese people are angry. In the Chinese perspective, there was a riot in Tibet and its suppression became the rallying point of world angst against what most of them think of something that's symbolic of Chinese success much more than Chinese government success. They look at the suppression of LA race riots in the 80s and last year's riots in France and feel that the "free world" is being hypocritical. That's not something the government has taught them. So right or wrong, it is their own judgment.

Of course, people would be absolutely right to implore the Chinese to look beyond the riots themselves and at the underlying causes. But the Chinese people are asking, where is this introspection when it comes to the Middle East?

Bottom-line is you have to ask yourself what your goal is. If your goal is to improve the situation in Tibet, then you have to understand that the Chinese people are not a bunch of brainwashed goons and thugs and you cannot treat the Chinese government as a unitary actor. There are liberalizing forces and there are hardline ultranationalistic forces in the CCP and in the population. You have to enable the former to gain more power in China. Protesting the Olympics, attacking torch bearers, and telling Chinese people they're brainwashed goons and thugs will only achieve the opposite.

It will, however, provide you with a lot more publicity and a sense of moral superiority. And sadly that's enough for most people in the free and morally superior world.

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