Column: China responds to Dalai Lama's visit

Tuesday, October, 23, 2007; 11:24 PM | 6 | | Print

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This month, we found ourselves fortunate enough to entertain one of the planet's greatest champions of human rights and equality: Tenzin Gyatso, or as we know him, the 14th iteration of the Dalai Lama.

A Winner of the Nobel Peace prize along with a slew of other awards, Gyatso has spent his life espousing a Buddhist message of peace and cooperation. The Dalai Lama has lived in exile in India, mere miles from his rightful home in Tibet in response to Chinese pressure on the religious figure. A prominent target of China's communist regime, he has not seen his homeland since 1959. During the Dalai Lama's visit to Washington D.C., President Bush presented the holy man with the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest award a civilian can garner in the United States.

China's Communist party issued a strong statement in response to our opening the doors to the exiled leader, issuing the expected warnings that come from a government that refuses to recognize the most basic of human rights. Condemning the visit, China urged the White House that inviting the dispossessed monk to Washington D.C. could produce "an extremely serious impact" on our relationship with China.

On occasion, President Bush's perceived moral imperative actually produces a result that resembles what I would call "right." When he isn't busy asking Congress for money to fund a $200 million a day Middle Eastern catastrophe or chasing after homosexuals on horseback, a hint of what actually makes George Bush the man he is slips through the cracks. Our government's decision to invite such an upright figure in the face of criticism from one of our greatest, but certainly most misguided trade partners requires more than a pragmatic approach to politics, and it is in his ideology that Bush certainly excels. A rock solid founding father of the neoconservative movement, we are no strangers to Bush's frequently controversial takes on what's "good" for America and the rest of the world.

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Matt Eldridge | # October 24, 2007 @ 5:22 PM — Flag Comment

The funny think about morals Peebles is that as soon as you compromise them they aren't yours anymore. To say that supporting a good cause such as the Dalai Lama despite its political, economic, and social impact with China is acceptable while not recognizing the slaughter of millions of Armenians during one of those nasty dark periods in the World's history that some people would best ignore because of its political implications is not just illogical, it is deplorable. While I guess the Democrats are a "hodgepodge" of "leftovers" at least we have maintained our morals and refuse to compromise what is right and what makes us human in exchange for scoring cheap political points.

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Peebles | # October 24, 2007 @ 6:10 PM — Flag Comment

oh i'm well attached to my morals. neither of these parties are. both of these events are nothing more than cheap publicity stunts.

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Justice For All | # October 25, 2007 @ 12:30 AM — Flag Comment

It is unbelievable that this person, Dalai Lama, should be given any recognition or award except for deception. Of course, it is not surprising that George Bush, master of deception offered him the award. Bush was wrong in giving this guy the congressional award--it only cheapens it. Let us face facts: The Dalai Lama talks of peace, but he doesn't live it. Just check out what kind of fake he is from the many sites available. Only two are listed below: Below are just some websites that will reveal the truth to you. The first is from Salon magazine. The second show the pictures of what crimes against humanity, the Dalai Lama's advisers had perpetrated. http://www.salon.com/news/1998/07/13news.html http://www.newspiritualbible.com

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Ultimate Justice For All | # October 25, 2007 @ 2:02 PM — Flag Comment

This justice for all ( aka the chinese govt) is writing the same ill fated, illogical and propagandist comments everywhere possible.

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douglas | # April 10, 2008 @ 10:23 PM — Flag Comment

just think this vedio might be helpful for all of the people who never went to tibet or China. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siBqFgwL-lA&feature=related

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douglas | # April 11, 2008 @ 5:45 PM — Flag Comment

I love how people view Dalai Lama as a holy man and have absolute trust in his proclaimed values and beliefs. Even the Pope was examined in his Hitler youth past, but every word the Dalai Lama utters must be the enlightened truth. I¡¯m not sure what you call ¡°non-violence¡±, but does it also include receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars from the CIA to arm his supporters and orchestrate a military uprising? Now I have a question : I just wonder why the Dalai Lama is always received at the White House and by Congress each time he comes into the US . And what is the political significance and the raison and purpose behind the latest visit by Nancy Pelosi to the Dalai Lama , in the backwood of India . That was an event well planned in advance . What importance the Dalai Lama is to the United States and why and how and for what purpose is he beying manipulated ? Before you jump to defend this by citing atrocities of the Chinese government, note please that I¡¯m simply responding to your points about the professed pacifist views of Dalai and his supporters and examining them against their actions. I would be right there with you if you post was simply about the wrongdoings of the Chinese government.

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