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User	Sir Jimeth | 2008-08-22 |
Subject	untitled
Message	"The class issue isn’t an excuse for what China did." Didn’t mean to suggest it was. Just that all that really occurred was one oppressive class taking the other’s place. The Dalai Lama and his ilk want it back because they aren’t so fond of living the way they are now (like international celebrities that many people almost worship? I don’t know.) "Most governments today oppress their people in some fashion - exorbitent taxes, extreme regulations, spying on them, jailing without trial, etc." This is also true, but I didn’t deny it. I think, though, governments must have some use. At least, I’d like to think people wise enough to not let a government abuse its power forever. It seems a mistake to fear a government. Without people to govern, what use do they serve?

User	joeyalphabet | 2008-08-22 |
Subject	untitled
Message	Yeah, now everybody in Tiebet’s poor. The class issue isn’t an excuse for what China did. Annexation is hardly ever right. In fact if someone can think of an instance where it was I’d be surprised. Most governments today oppress their people in some fashion - exorbitent taxes, extreme regulations, spying on them, jailing without trial, etc.

User	Sir Jimeth | 2008-08-21 |
Subject	untitled
Message	I figure what one’s government does doesn’t make its people less credible. China is pretty bad to its people. I didn’t think any of the stuff had anything to do with race (we’re all human). The Tibet thing is iffy. I think Tibet should have its independence, but I’d also note that before China, Tibet was made up of a wealthy and powerful religious class (Dalai Lama and his ilk) and the dirt poor, basically slave class. China gave Tibet secular schools, better infrastructure, and a few other things. China is rather shit as far as government goes, but they have had a re-emerging art scene that still has to be careful what it does and says, but has so far been given some leeway by the government. Though, China is oppressive and joeyalphabet is correct. Unless you’re completely apolitical, or lockstep in line with the government’s view, you don’t want to be in China for long. They’ve already engaged in some censorship and harm to foreign reporters since the games’ve begun. It’s one thing for a country to oppress its own people, it’s another more risky thing to try and do so to foreigners. But, China has an advanced military and isn’t harmless, so it’s unlikely anyone in the world will willingly go to war to fight their oppressive leaders. Not saying the world’s words are empty, just that the world’s countries are cowardly.

User	LunaMoth | 2008-08-21 |
Subject	untitled
Message	Hear hear

User	joeyalphabet | 2008-08-21 |
Subject	untitled
Message	No, but if you know anything about China, you know that regime is still quite oppressive to its citizens whose opinions are different from the rulers, even to the extent they have locked up people protesting the corruption of local officials and being displaced from their homes for some project. They also annexed Tibet in the 50s and have no desire to release it. They oppress religions not approved by the government, like Falun Gong. So the answer is, no it isn’t a racial thing, it’s about human rights. Not that we have the street cred to lecture them, based on what our government has done in the name of the ‘war on terror.’