Pass the torch

The Chinese have shown that they really don't "get" the Western world ... again. They don't understand that we really would rather that they stop funding the Sudanese, thereby permitting genocide in Darfur. They don't understand that we believe Tibet should be a sovereign nation and that their occupation is precisely ... an occupation ... of someone else's historic land.

Before you start, the critical difference between Iraq (and the U.S.) and Tibet (and China) is that we don't claim it as part of the United States. And the majority of us would rather let the Sunnis and Shiites just kill each other until they stopped, whereas the people of Tibet today are generally Buddhist peace-niks. Rather unlike the Iraqis of today (or at any time in the past), then.

Actually Iraq as a nation or concept is more of a Western confection to start with. Prior to Western (British) meddling there, borders were ... indistinct, but the notion of a local culture centered on the rivers and Baghdad is ancient -- all the way back to Mesopotamia. The word "Iraq" may be descended from the Sumerian city of Uruk. Tibetans, too, can point into antiquity as one culture and nation/kingdom/territory -- albeit invaded from time to time by Ghurkas, Mongols, Chinese, British, etc. Sort of like Iraq. I am digressing ... if you want to get confused, try a brief bit of research into Tibetan history.

China wants the Beijing Olympics to showcase their modern society. It just doesn't look good, even with their best foot forwards. Athletes are scared to compete in the air of Beijing because the environment is simply too polluted. High jump in a gas mask? And the usual protests are unlikely because the potential protesters are afraid of being "disappeared" in the Argentine sense, remember Tiananmen Square? Also, apart from some excellent duck, I advise the athletes to be careful of some of the food there ... woof, woof.

China can't even get the propaganda-torch relay off ... (pro) Tibetan protesters across Europe keep snuffing out the flame of brotherhood, cooperation and peace. So China, in its typical "I just don't get it" manner have started employing "minders" to protect the flame. Actually, probably the same sort of person that would "disappear" you, if you tried this in China itself. Europeans have taken to calling these minders "thugs." They certainly look the part. And remember, they are doing this in someone else's sovereign nation! Who is meant to be holding the torch, anyway? Like the standard-issue sunglasses from the Matrix?

We are going to get the flame of peace and brotherhood through to Beijing, even if we have to kill you in the process. Great. The Aussies have said "sod off." Your minders will not be doing anything near the flame while in Oz. Maybe I need to move there.

An interesting question would be,"what would the People's Republic of Cambridge do if faced with the torch dilemma?" You see, the knee-jerk pinkos in Cambridge would have a powerful urge to support the last Communist (quasi) dictatorship. They would also have need to be pro-Tibet ... after all, Richard Geer is Buddhist and Buddhists are Vegetarians/Vegans, just like us. And we LOVE the Dalai Lama. No doubt Bush would be to blame.

And Hil-liar is calling for Bush to boycott the Olympics, or at least calling for him not to go. What BS is that? She'd be all over the royal treatment the Chinese would give her, and probably pocket a few trinkets to decorate with back at home. McCain would probably report back to his Chinese control -- you know the one that he has reported to since meeting him in the Hanoi Hilton -- but secretly (or is that double secretly?), he'd be dreaming of nuking the bastards. Obama ... I just don't know? I think that he'd be pretty pissed-off at the Chinese, and in a very different way than Hil-Liar, McCain or Boosh.

But nobody is going to boycott the Chinese ... because they hold too much of our sovereign debt. Should the Chinese really wish to screw us, they only need to start selling Treasury Bonds. Drive interest rates up -- and nuke our economy more efficiently than any bombs. Heck, if they started selling in a meaningful way, UBS and Bear Stearns would be pocket change and the 1930's would be golden years. And for you Europeans too.

So be nice to the Panda, even though the sucker has claws, fangs, venom and a mean disposition. Coz he's made his list and he's checking it twice.