And Mr. Peace himself, the Dalai Lama, said this week that waging war for the cause of freedom can be justified. You have to welcome his open-mindedness on the subject. Unfortunately for the bumper sticker crowd, his comment continues by ruling out armed struggle for the freedom of his own country from China.
The allied victory in World War II "saved Western civilization," and conflicts fought in Korea and Vietnam were honorable from a moral standpoint, the 14th Dalai Lama said in answer to questions.
But he ruled out armed struggle for Tibet's grievances with the Chinese government.
"In the case of Tibet versus China, violence is almost like suicide," the Dalai Lama said. "If violence, then bloodshed. Bloodshed means more casualties among the Chinese and, again, more hatred."
"We must follow nonviolent principle so that later we can live happily."
Fighting a war of independence with China would also take a vast arsenal that Tibet lacks, he added.
I wonder if the bumper sticker crowd would mind if the US, which does have an adequate arsenal, were to give the Tibetans a little assistance. If not, I wonder just how they propose to "Free Tibet".
8 comments:
"How many 10s of millions have been freed from tyranny in Iraq and Afghanistan due to action, not words or bumper stickers?"
What are they free from?
Free from torture?
Free from having their bodies burned?
Free to be dirt poor and be shot at and bombed?
"...conflicts fought in Korea and Vietnam were honorable from a moral standpoint"
Or at least they would have been, had the US not been backing tyrants and autocrats just as bad as their communist counterparts in both cases.
-Andrew (Suprised that it took so long for a Paris Riots post, by the way.)
Anomo, get a clue…today Saddam’s torture chambers are not filled with people getting their tongues cut off, thrown into acid, put on the rack or into an Iron Maiden because they pissed off a distant friend of the President’s mistress…and before you start howling about Abu Ghraib, shut up before you make a bigger ass out of your self. Unlike the “representatives of the people” the left seems to like (Castro, Kim in North Korea) our system holds people accountable. That former Specialist pictured with the leash around the neck of a prisoner is currently a prisoner at Ft Leavenworth ...I don't recall that happening in Cuba, Vietnam or China. Your showing you ignorance with the comment on burning bodies…it’s an acceptable means of disposal when burial is not an option and that is in accordance with the Geneva Convention on Land Warfare, which we follow and that scum blowing up Iraqi’s doesn’t. Your last line implies people were not “dirt poor” prior to the war….tens of thousands died in Iraq because Saddam used Oil for Food proceeds to make himself comfortable. Their economy is growing slowly but surely…democracy isn’t made in a day….it’s an ugly process, but to quote the greatest Prime Minister in the history of the United Kingdom, “Democracy is the worse form of government in history except for every other form of government tried.”
Anonymous: they're free to have purple ink on their fingers as proof they've chosen their own leaders, something you obviously either take for granted or no longer value.
Andrew: the Dalai Lama said it, not me. And who are you? If you've waited for a Paris riots post it's obvious you've been here before, yet I don't recall your name--although that could just be my Alzheimers. Welcome!
MikeT: truth to power.
Think, Mr. Miller. I'll give you a few hints- student, lib, and truly, dashingly handsome.
(When I read about the Paris riots one of my first thoughts was "there's a few dozen Mr. Miller posts in there... just took you longer than I expected, is all.)
And yes, the Dalai Lama said it, not you... but something so, uhhh, how should I put it? Mildly insane?... it kind of puts the validity of his statements in general in question.
But then again, I am a debater, so maybe that's just how my mind functions.
I thought you libs accorded the Dalai Lama "absolute moral authority." My mistake.
As for your identity, I don't have any students named Andrew that meet your definition. I have one that comes close. You guess which description doesn't match :-)
Ahhh jealously... if you must, Mr. Miller, if you must. :-)
Got me :(
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