Oh No, Here We Go Again
Posted by MyLaowai on Wednesday, January 28, 2009
I have received an email from a reader, which says:
Seen my fair share of brain dead articles about Tibetan history, but when my daily World Tibet Network News e-mail brought this article to my attention, well, it might be the douchebaggiest of dumbass articles on the subject. Therefore, thought you of all people would enjoy it the most: http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=8439
Now, feel free to read the entire article yourself – I did. If however, you have a functioning brain, and you don’t like reading CCP propaganda, allow me to summarise for you:
Recent commentary in the international media on the pre-Olympics riots in Tibet is typical of most western reporting in this part of the world: surface-level observations which do not do justice to a complex historico-political situation.
First, understand where China is coming from. Without this understanding, western criticism of China’s policy in Tibet will continue to be an exercise in useless self-righteousness.
Furthermore, China’s long history justifies its fear of invasion
If we put aside our moral outrage over Tibet for one moment and consider the scale of China’s current political concerns, surely we should have some sympathy for her geopolitical position.
The West is unaware of the reality of Tibetan society
The uncomfortable truth for us westerners is that Tibetan buddhism in 1950 was a religious/political theocracy which was intolerant of other religions, and which ruled in a manner not dissimilar to autocratic dictatorships elsewhere around the planet. Serfs, slaves, and superstition were a feature of this society as well as the well-known pathway to spiritual enlightenment. It was a cruel, unjust, feudal society.
Tibet has always been politically linked to China. It is also a historical fact that during the last days of the Qing Dynasty, western powers (e.g., Russia and Britain) conspired to acquire Tibet for themselves. Misty-eyed, sentimental westerners should read their history.
China is a proud nation. A nation which remembers the humiliations of the last two centuries, and which is determined never again to allow foreign influence over domestic matters.
Crikey!
So, to summarise the summary:
Here is the Truth for all ignorant Westerners. Disclaimer: I have a Chinese wife, I have a business in China, I need the CCP in ChongQing to award me a new contract, and so I love China. Jiayou etc…
Well, gentle readers, let it never be said that I wasn’t fair and unbiased. On the contrary, MyLaowai has become known far and wide as the very paragon of virtuous writing, with a reputation for justness and balance that is greater than the sky, and the mountains, and the very span of time. Ye, for so mote it be!
And in this spirit of fairness and balance, I hereby invite the apologists, the fenqing, the propagandists, and Wet Pussies everywhere… to a competition. Send me your article on Tibetan history. I shall post it here for my readers, along with an article by me. I promise not to censor your article in any way, although I reserve the right to edit it for grammar and spelling (I do have standards, you see).
Whaddaya say?
Wo Shi Laowai - Wo Pa Shui 
C.A. Yeung said
This article sounds like something the famously infamous MAJ will write.
Remember to read the comments. Most of them are well written. I particularly agree with this:
“Frankly, I find your regurgitation of CCP history to be an insult not only to the Tibetans, but to the Chinese people as well. After all, there are millions who do not share your viewpoints.”
justrecently said
Net Nanny had summarized it before you summarized it! Appropriate and inappropriate ways to celebrate serf-liberation day.
mlr said
Well, if you want an article that makes no apologies for anyone, I’d suggest the one the War Nerd did last year on Tibet’s military history:
http://exiledonline.com/war-nerd-tibet-five-to-one-against/all/1/
The Tibetans certainly don’t need apologists either, it seems (what kind of pussy needs apologists when you have donkey-loads of the stinking right ears of your dead enemies!?)
Neddy said
Good read, that link you gave us, Mlr!
Btw, what’s wrong about “donkey-loads of the stinking right ears of your dead enemies”? In a different age, there would be a camera fitted in a fighter plane to confirm a kill; what’s the difference?
justrecently said
I’d say the camera fitted in a fighter plane is much more scientific. Even the Dailai has to admit that science is important.
MyLaowai said
Oddly enough, that was sort of my thoughts on the subject, too. In fact, so far as I can work it out, the only difference between ears and cameras is that one can’t chew on a camera in the pub over a pint. Well, not as a rule.
Neddy said
Justrecently, no problem with your science link, except that you dodge the point here: Given the time and place I refer to, “right ears” IS scientific, as opposed to “donkey-loads of the stinking
rightears”. A scientific way of determining the true numbers…Next point: “the only difference between ears and cameras is that one can’t chew on a camera in the pub over a pint”. Can’t one?
“Well, not as a rule.”, one says. But the “pub”, and “pint”, is a general locale give-away. Yet whom, in particular, shall we scapegoat as suspects here? The haggis eaters? Oy, I did not say that; just wondering…
justrecently said
Oh come on, Neddy. When the Tibetans ran around with those stinking ears, the Egyptians had long found ways to conserve entire dead bodies. It would have been scientific and convenient to make those ears dry and crisp. Which in turn might have gone down fine with some salt and a pint, too.
Given the time and place. Sheesh.
Neddy said
The Egyptians were bloody perfectionists, JR. And they did it to preserve the stuff for posterity, not to munch on it! I suspect here you are just sucking up to those hypothetical haggis eaters I mentioned, and whetting up their appalling appetites…
MyLaowai said
Neddy, if I find out you’re the person who was chewing on my camera the other night in the pub, you’re for the high jump, me old son.
Neddy said
Hah, sorry about that one, it was nothing but my sloppy writing which led to this misunderstanding!
All along, the talk was only a culinary debate about stinking ears versus crisp salty ones. Ignore the camera bit, and… Jeez, who dragged ancient Egyptians into this?
While we speak of cutting off your enemies’ ears, I note JR has been doing it, too. See his post “The REAL Quote of the Week”:
http://justrecently.wordpress.com/2009/01/30/the-real-quote-of-the-week/
Except he won’t name names. Boooo!
justrecently said
I’m incorrigible. Besides, it is much more effective to cut ears off without putting names to them. The suspense, you know. I’m a terrifying… terrorist.
MyLaowai said
C’mon JR, don’t be shy. Your mother wasn’t. Name the names…
justrecently said
Hehe. I knew that my post would catch some attention.