Responding more dfirectly to your post #39, re meeting ethnic Tibetans, I also have “met” ethnic Tibetans, and have had long time and close relationship with some. But, in my case, I did not seek them out in search of a story. I do feel, that when one is searching for “the truth” one may actually overlook “reality.”

Responding to most others who have contributed to this great discussion, here are two realities here stateside, 1. All my Chinese friends, associates, and family members, (I myself am not an ethnic Chinese, but a “typical white person”) have reported to me they feel terrible, abused, insulted, outraged, and dis respected as a result of the overwhelming western media bias. They feel it is racially motivated.

2. All my western caucasian friends, associates and collegues have been caught off guard by the same media assault. While most are willing to suspend any critical thinking skills, and blindly go along with the obvious “China Bashing,” most are dubious about the “Tibet issues.”

It is my understanding that one can “buy” space for a “news story” in the European press. Do any of you have info on how this works.

Also, I am glad to see more recent posting. The New Youk Times article is out about US military being used as analysits for “news stories” here in the US. I also understand that more than one “news reporter has been “let go” when it was discovered they were CIA.

When I was living in China, 1988-1989, I learned first hand about CNN. Any one who watches CNN for news is placing their neutrality at risk. One problem I have with the western point of view is the idea that there is no truth, it’s what you make it.

Where is the questioning we need in order to have an effective press? Free press is almost worthless when it is abused to spread falsehoods and confusion. What about the peoples right to know.

The unintended consequesnce of the riots in tibet, and the numerous false and misleading “facts” coached in language that requires blindly accepting totally rediculous assumptions, is those folks who have learned the geography of the internet. within days if not hours, China Hands, and others, filled the blogosphere with the correct facts, and I believe that pushed “china” if not Xinhau into producing more effective “information.

I do believe that it is sobering to realize there are more “connecred” Chinese that the total population of the US. That should be a wake up cal to all news media, East or West.

take care
Kathy and Shannon

For more geopolitical explanations of recent incidents:
http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_3173.shtml

From Silly Foreigners: My apologies, Chris. I’m new to this blog posting stuff, and neither was I intended to mislead anyone. Hence forth, I shall go by the name of Silly foreigners, the great defender of the CCP and their policies.

From Heynihao: hey,nihaoI find ur nice blog site and my website indexed it to make more people know ithttp://www.heynihao.com/sortedbysort.php?sort_name=Blog

From Jonman: To “Silly Foreigners” – You’re concept that the CCP/Xinhua needs better PR management is an interesting one in that you are assuming that the CCP needs a defence? That it is at last about to admit to its poor Human Rights record? Or is it that you too have become amazed at the childish school playground insults, directed at the Dalai Lama, coming from the mouths of senior officials? Are we to expect a faint echo, from the Dalai Lama, resonating off the Himalayan peaks “Pig…Pig…Pig” in reply? No, this is where again the CCP has lost out. The Dalai Lama has risen above this squalid level, yet the recent utterances by Governor Qiangba Puncog, that further demonstrations in Tibet will be met with “merciless” force, has done nothing to improve China’s image.PR/Spin, call it what you like, but it is actions that portray the truth. If the ‘Chinese race’ is to truly go forward then it must acknowledge the truth within. The Tiannamen Square incident in 1989, like the Cultural Revolution, instead of being ‘air-brushed’ out, needs to be acknowledged as issues to be addressed, for the ‘Chinese race’ to take its rightful and respected place within the International Community.If only Deng Xiaoping had prevailed and convinced Mao to abandon the Cultural Revolution.

From Ur Chinese Friend: jonman, it should be obvious to anyone media savvy that China’s PR team bits the big one. Even NYTime’s Clifford noticed this and wrote an article on it yesterday. As to what the pro-China PR materials maybe, there are actually plenty to go around. You talk about actions speaking louder than words, yet when you are offered with statistics that Tibetans’ lives improved during the last 20 years you ignore it. Surely there must be SOME tibetans who enjoyed their new material success? Instead you would rather believe the never lying Dalai who claimed that Chinese police dressed up as monks during the recent riot by offering evidence from a 2002 movie set. If China is so horrible, why according to PEW research Chinese are the most optimistic people on the planet? Propaganda can only go so far you know.

Whatever the answer it is clear that truth is somewhere within every utterance a good or bad person/institution may make.
The apparent backward feudal society in Tibet in the 1950’s was bound to be a target for Mao and his communist expansionism by portraying the forceful take over as a liberation of the peasant workers.
On one hand the feudal society was backward and unjust, yet it was based on an ancient religious belief that re-incarnation is a truth and the Dalai Lama is one such enduring example.
On another this man was protected form the outside world and thus was imprisoned by the Tibetan culture which he was compelled to perpetuate.
“Absolute power corrupts absolutely” is a well known and widely accepted “truth” and it could have been said that the feudal system in Tibet had become corrupt.
It could be argued that Mao’s actions did the Dalai Lama a favour in that, as a result of his exile, he was able to meditate, re-educate and expand his views and perceptions of how Tibetan society should evolve.
The Chinese system of government itself has become increasingly corrupt unable even to offer a modicum of justice for its own people, let alone for the other ethnic groups.
The Tibet issue also raises the spotlight on to the Chinese paranoia about religion – any outside leadership is a threat to its foundation of authority.
To an Atheist, religion is all about superstition – how quaint a thought when the Chinese race is one of the most superstitious of all?
The past 49 years has seen the Dalai Lama demonstrate his non violent belief and grow in wisdom and worldliness.
The Chinese government has demonstrated the exact opposite, still introspective and increasingly violent, to suppress the freedom of religious practice and movement of the Tibetan people.
This whole unhappy episode in both China’s and Tibet’s history can be summarised by a quote from Omar Khayyam:
“The worldly hope men set their hearts upon turns to ashes – or it prospers; and anon, like snow upon the desert’s dusty face, lighting a little hour or two – is gone.”
Yes, our Olympian dreams have been corrupted by demons – our torch of hope has indeed been extinguished.

I’ve heard that the Tibetan leadership(?) agree that Tibet it part of China, but only since the 18th century. The Chinese goverment says Tibet and China have been linked since a Chinese princess travelled there in the 16th century.

And never the tween shall meet？

I know this conversation is about the right (or not) to express an opinion, but I bet we could resolve the crisis right here and now.

If we only knew what cards there were to put on the table.

老毕