NYT editorial: The Torch and Freedom

[DeepModem Mom]

Editorial
The Torch and Freedom
Published: April 9, 2008

After facing major protests in London and Paris as the Olympic torch made stops on its journey to Beijing, the Chinese government is said to be looking for a public relations firm to patch up China’s image before the 2008 Games in August. In the spirit of the Olympic ideals, we are prepared to help China — free of charge.

Here’s what you do: Stop arresting dissidents. Stop spreading lies about the Dalai Lama, and start talking to him about greater religious and cultural freedoms for Tibet. Stop being an enabler to Sudan in its genocide in Darfur. In other words, start delivering on the pledge you made to the International Olympic Committee to respect human rights — which, by the way, include the freedom of expression and the freedom of assembly.

It is sadly typical of authoritarian regimes to presume that huge protests of the sort that have accompanied the Olympic torch are provocations instigated by devious foreign foes. It was the same when the United States and several other Western countries boycotted the 1980 Moscow Games over the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Since the Kremlin suppressed all dissent, it was beyond the ken of Soviet leaders to imagine that their actions could actually infuriate people and that they would then act on their outrage....

***

Nobody expected China to democratize overnight, and, given the country’s mighty economic power, nobody really wants to antagonize Beijing. But a nation that applies to host the Olympic Games also must demonstrate that it is worthy of the honor. China has only itself to blame for messing up its coming-out party.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/09/opinion/09wed2.html?_r=1&hp&oref=login

[dantyrant]

1. What a load of crap.

More BS from the times.

Do we not arrest dissidents here, put them on no-fly lists, spy on 'radical extremists'(ie bloggers), etc?

Have we not, per Seymour Hersh's reporting, been working with Sudanese intelligence agencies in Iraq? That would seem to me to be us supporting the regime(which we do).

I'm sorry, despite the NYT editorial's apologetics about not wanting to inflame Beijing, lets recognize that this is EXACTLY the program. This isn't about human rights or freedom of expression, but the media knows that the American people have a hard-on for those ideals and that's how this is being framed. This is nonsense.

See, China is an enemy that the divided US people can all get behind coming into an election, and the Times is going to keep pushing that Red button.

My point isn't to insult anyone who DOES support a free Tibet or other political reforms in China. Of course such reforms are worth fighting for, and if China runs into growing pains internal pressures may well arise. But we in the West only care about human rights in that part of the world when it suits our political needs, so that we can tar other nations into submission.

The people decrying China for clamping down on Tibet certainly include all those who were shrieking hysterically over WMDs in Iraq, and who are now telling us to invade Iran, but notice that China gets the liberals fired up too... Our politicians love it. Get that? THEY LOVE IT.