2 posts tagged “news”

BBC NEWS | World | Asia-Pacific | Dalai Lama sees change in China

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia...

The Dalai Lama's visit to the UK comes at a time of tense relations with ChinaThe Dalai Lama has told the BBC he believes China is changing and that this could lead to a "more transparent" attitude over Tibet. In an interview with the Radio 4 Today Programme he said China's reaction to the devastating earthquake in Sichuan province was one sign of change. Tibet's spiritual leader said he wanted a "middle way" of autonomy, despite calls for independence among Tibetans. But he warned of growing frustration if there was "no improvement" in Tibet. 'Wider contact' Speaking during a 10-day visit to London the Dalai Lama said he was "quite optimistic" about the future. Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

"Tibet's spiritual leader said he wanted a "middle way" of autonomy, despite calls for independence among Tibetans."

I get the distinct impression that this bloke is some sort of a bourgeois humanitarian.  

The 'middle way' which he speaks of - which is a perversion of Buddha's 'Middle Way' which promotes the quest for enlightenment without self-mortification or addiction to earthly pleasures (sort of an 'anglican' buddhism) - is basically to sit-back and wait for the Chinese to handout some empathy to the Tibetans. 

What he forgets is that the maintainence of Chinese tyranny in Tibet will, over time, and if not resisted, accustom the people to an apathetic way of life where one sees all creation as a means to self-aggrandizement - which is one of the quintessential features of China's 2000 year old culture - as it is a significant degree of apathy and focus on self-interest that is required for the acceptance of Chinese misrule and occupation.  The rule is simple, where tyranny is left unresisted, into one's worldview, it is incorporated.  Such incorporation is the ultimate coping method.

Secondly, his not seeking separation from China reinforces Chinese action in taking Tibet as alright so long as it leads to both sides learning to live peacefully together.  In this, he promotes the general perspective that it is alright for any country to take any other country by force so long as living peacefully together is achieved at some future date and some degree of cultural autonomy is granted.  So, analogically, Saddam wasn't wrong for taking Kuwait years ago; Hitler wasn't wrong in taking Austria and then attempting to take the rest of Europe; the west weren't wrong for their colonial banditry; England wasn't wrong for taking Ireland, amongst others; Israel wasn't wrong for taking Palestine; etc, etc, etc.  What might make it wrong is their not working towards a peaceful coexistence.

But learning to live peacefully together is not a virtue in itself.  It is the system within which they live that determines that.  What this bloke essentially promotes is two things -

1.  It is alright to take any country by force so long as you work towards a peaceful coexistence,

2. That peaceful coexistence is a virtue in itself and the socio-economic status quo promoted amongst the people as irrelevant. 

To sit on the fence, in this context, and perhaps others, is to basically sit on the devil's trident and validate his forward march.  To adopt a wait and 'see' attitude, as opposed to seizing change, is to firstly, give time to the conqueror to assimilate them to their way of seeing things, and secondly, to validate the right of any powerful nation to see-and-conquer as and when they please so long as a peaceful coexistence is arrived at eventually - no matter what the cost and consequence to human life and development.

Tibet: What's the fuss all about?

BBC NEWS | UK | Tibet and China: 7 questions

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7392519...

Here, two leading academics analyse both sides of the dispute. Dr Steve Tsang specialises in Modern Chinese Studies at St Antony's College, Oxford. Andrew Fischer is an expert in Tibet at the Development Studies Institute, at the London School of Economics.

Is Europe becoming a platform for terrorists?

http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/threa...

One of the biggest threats to US security may now come from within Europe, US Homeland Security head Michael Chertoff has told the BBC. Do you agree?He said militant attacks and plots in Europe over recent years had made the US aware of the "real risk that Europe will become a platform for terrorists". Mr Chertoff said it was likely security checks on travellers from Europe would be increased. He cited deadly bomb attacks on Madrid and London, and a terror alert affecting UK-US flights in August 2006, as well as "people travelling from South Asia and the Middle East into Europe and carrying out attacks there". How serious is the terrorist threat from within Europe? Do you think security measures need to be improved? Have you a personal experience of being affected by increased security measures?Click here to read the main story

No. 

'Global Apathy', 'Self-absorption', 'Americocentrism', and 'Ignorance', and the division of humanity via 'nation-states', is.

The above question by the BBC is just another instance of the microcosmicised and self-absorbed mindset that it took to bring about all these problems in the first place.

ed-infinitum