amit wrote:DavidD wrote:I think many Western journalists are missing the point. The Chinese government's first and foremost concern is with its own citizens, and what they've done are aimed at saving face in front of the domestic audience. Many Chinese people would greatly appreciate more human rights, but it'll be hard to find any Chinese person who'd root for a man like Liu, who advocates for "300 years of colonialism" of China in the hand of Western nations. To not act strongly and even overbearingly against an award handed out to a perceived traitor is political suicide for the CCP, and overreaction such as calling the Chinese Nazis will only strengthen Chinese people's feelings of "us vs. them" and strengthen the CCP rule in China.
David,
You should learn the game of cricket under the able patronage of China's taller than mountains, deeper than seas friend who are know in these parts as the Terrorist Republic of Pakistan. There's an art form in cricket called spin bowling; you've guessed it, this involves imparting spin to the 12 oz leather ball which is used to play cricket. Since you're a past master at spinning everything you'd be a natural - why you could even try to master the Chinaman, a very interesting variation of spin.
Coming back to Liu. He's a guy the ordinary person on the streets in Beijing didn't even know about, let alone folks in New York, London, New Delhi or even BRF. Since 1989 his name has been expunged from the ordinary discourse within China.
However, thanks to the great CPC leadership's tactical brilliance he's become a worldwide celebrity. Now however way you may try to spin that you can't hide the central fact that all your smiling, hand waving (a good aping of the US leadership) and smart suited leaders are nothing but old style dictators who are shit scared of losing power. He's going to become a symbol of freedom much like Aung San Suu Kyi, another person whom a brute regime did not allow to collect the Nobel Peace Prize.
The only mentions of Liu in the Chinese media have been in terms of him being a criminal, gangster, a one man army which can bring down the PLA etc. In such a situation one may ask you a simple question: Where did you get that piece of news that he advocated 300 years of colonialism for China? I really hope you didn't get it from the People's Daily?
Sorry bro but you're bull shitting will be called out here. Liu came to fame during the Tienanmen Square events where your glorious army showed its true colors by turning on its own citizens with tanks and that too in the capital. All he's done is ask for democracy and the rights of ordinary Chinese. It's telling that the all powerful Communist Party is so terrified of an ordinary citizen who has no political power, no visibility in the media (including the Internet) and who's spend most of his time in detention since 1989. A chap who could walk down the streets of Beijing without anyone recognizing him.
Says a lot doesn't it? If you indeed live abroad in some western country, please look yourself in the mirror and think for a moment what you're trying to justify. It's alright, you don't have to make a confession to us but talk to yourself. You'd be surprised at what you see and hear.
Look, you need to get your facts straight first, and then get back to me. Here are some facts:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liu_Xiaobo ... e-open1-12
In a 1988 interview with Hong Kong's Liberation Monthly (now known as Open Magazine), Liu was asked what it would take for China to realize a true historical transformation. He replied in this way: "(It would take) 300 years of colonialism. In 100 years of colonialism, Hong Kong has changed to what we see today. With China being so big, of course it would take 300 years of colonialism for it to be able to transform into how Hong Kong is today. I have my doubts as to whether 300 years would be enough."[13] Liu admitted in 2006 that the response was extemporaneous, although he did not intend to take it back. The quote was nonetheless used against him. He has commented, "Even today [in 2006], patriotic 'angry youth' still frequently use these words to paint me with 'treason."[13]
Extemporaneous? Yea, that'll get you off the hook.
Just so we're sure that it's not taken out of context, here's the full interview in Chinese and my translation of that part of the interview:
http://lkcn.net/bbs/index.php?showtopic=236135
问:中国可能在根本上加以改造吗?
刘晓波:不可能,即使一两个统治者下决心,也没办法,因为没有土壤。
问:那什么条件下,中国才有可能实现一个真正的历史变革呢?
刘晓波:三百年殖民地。香港一百年殖民地变成今天这样,中国那么大,当然需要三百年殖民地,才会变成今天香港这样,三百年够不够,我还有怀疑。
问:十足的:“卖国主义”啦。
刘晓波:我要引用马克思“***宣言”的一句话:“工人没有祖国,决不能剥夺他们所没有的东西。”我无所谓爱国、叛国,你要说我叛国,我就叛国!就承认自己是挖祖坟的不孝子孙,且以此为荣。
问:你是说,中国还要走香港的路?
刘晓波:但历史不会再给中国人这样的机会了,殖民地时代已经过去了,没人会愿意再背中国这个包袱。
问:那怎么办呢?岂不太令人悲观?
刘晓波:没办法。我对整个人类都是悲观的,但我的悲观主义并不逃避,即使摆在我面前的是一个又一个悲剧,我也要挣扎,也要对抗,我不喜欢叔本华而喜欢尼采,原因便在于此。
Interviewer: Can China fundamentally reform?
Liu: Impossible, even if one or two rulers have the will, it's still useless, there is no base.
Interviewer: Under what conditions, could China achieve a truly historic transformation?
Liu: 300 years of colonialism. Hong Kong was colonized for 100 years and it's like this now, China's so big, it would of course take 300 years of colonialism, before it can become today's Hong Kong, whether 300 years is enough, I'm still in doubt.
Interviewer: Full-on treacherous remarks, no?
Liu: Let me quote something from Marx's manifesto: "Workers have no country, you cannot take from them what they do not possess." I don't care about patriotism, treachery, if you say I'm a traitor, then I'm a traitor! I'll be the dishonorable son who digs up my ancestors' graves, and be proud of it.
Interviewer: So you're saying, that China should go Hong Kong's route?
Liu: But history won't give the Chinese people another opportunity like this, the time of colonialism has past, nobody will be willing to carry the burden that is China.
Interviewer: Then what? Isn't this too pessimistic?
Liu: No use. I have a pessimistic view of the entire human species, but my pessimism doesn't run away, even if what's in front of me is one tragedy after another, I'll still struggle, I'll still fight, I don't like Schopenhauer but I like Nietzsche, and this is the reason.
In addition, the two most prominent human rights organizations Liu was a part of was funded by the National Endowment for Democracy, a private, non-government American group(sounds good so far)...that is
mostly funded by the U.S. Congress.
http://www.theatlantic.com/internationa ... lem/64916/
The other is the "foreign paymasters" criticism: revelations that Liu has indirectly received money from the US government. Indirect chain of payment: The National Endowment for Democracy is a private, non-governmental group in the US, but it gets most of its money via the US Congress. The NED gives grants to many hundreds of private pro-civil-society groups around the world. Among these are Independent Chinese PEN Center and Democratic China magazine; Liu has been president of the first and editor of the second, and has received NED funding in those capacities. Indeed, just after his selection, the NED had an announcement expressing congratulations to Liu as its "grantee." That page no longer turns up on the NED's site, but the cached version is here (and a mention of it here, with now-broken link). [Update: a NED official has sent in a currently functioning link, here, to the release.]
Now, tell me, Mr. Amit, how else would the Chinese people view a man who doesn't believe that China can obtain human rights, is paid by the U.S. government, and advocates centuries of Chinese colonization at the hands of western nations?