More oppression in Tibet:
Clashes between protesters and security forces in Tibet’s main city, Lhasa, have left at least two people dead, according to reports.
An emergency official said that many people had been hurt and an unspecified number had died.
The US-based Radio Free Asia quoted witnesses who said they had seen at least two bodies on Lhasa’s streets.
Tibet’s government would “deal harshly” with the protesters, its Chairman Qiangba Puncog warned.
“We will deal harshly with these criminals who are carrying out activities to split the nation,” he told the Associated Press news agency, denying that police had opened fire.
China’s state-run Xinhua news agency earlier said police had fired warning shots and used tear gas to disperse protesters.
Rallies have continued all week in what are said to be the largest protests against Beijing’s rule in 20 years.
Most people are for free trade with China – including President Bush – on the theory that the more we trade with them the more liberty there will eventually be in China. Others are opposed to free trade with China – labor unions leading the way here – because they simply don’t want to compete with China’s cheap labor. I’m with neither camp – neither free trader nor protectionist: I’m for freedom trade.
I’m sick to death with these tyrannical regimes which presume to have the authority to actually do what they do. We can’t get rid of them all, but we can certainly cut our ties to them. I’m for completely free trade, but only with other free nations – we should ditch all trade agreements with China, and open trade agreements with, say, India. It is time for the free people of the world to firmly and without question stand athwart the unfree nations – and stand with their enslaved populations.
UPDATE: The International Olympic Committee urges people not to boycott China’s Olympics over the Tibet situation. My answer: You miserable, truckling cowards at the IOC should have thought of that before you awarded the Olympics to an anti-human, totalitarian dictatorship.
Blogs For Victory 
markina
the alienistas hover over your site from time to time
you accuse others of delusion and non sensicality
this time however
the radarian reflectors wonder if you should be staring in a mirror
your bold claims of breaking ties with china
are the epitome of irony
don’t break ties
just keep pumping in democracy
from both sides….repub and democratic
if you’re patient it will transform them
and if you’re not….well, then you can waterboard them
that’ll turn them around?
Bangi
Micheal posts this in #23
“And the average income for Chinese workers is rising rapidly. The more affluent they become, the less likely they are to submit to the tyranny.”
Is the opposite happening here? Mass layoffs Jobs cutting pay in half, eliminating pensions, cheesy health insurance plans. It looks to me as if we are outsourcing the prosperity here.
Bangi-
When you take away a guy’s job. He becomes dependant on unemployment, welfare, food stamps, state aid. And he is at the mercy of the government.
I’m not sayin end all trade. But we are buying five times what we are selling to these guys. Slow it down and Even it out. Keep some work over here, for us. Dependence on Chinese manufactured goods, could become like dependence on oil. Keep the manufacturing sector here, and strong.
Eric T,
You are telling people to stop buying stuff?
And when the recession turns into a full on depression because trucking companies have to lay people off and so does Wal-Mart which equals 11% of the consumer economy or 1.45 trillion in cash flow what would you have the common bloke do then eh?
Fredrick –
My idea of conserving jobs is not something that needs to be done overnight. More of a long term target. If they bought more of the stuff we PRODUCE or MANUFACTURE. how do you see that as bringing us into a depression?
I think George Bush’s economic stimulus package could deflect a recession. Who knows, it could produce a incredible surge in the market.
I think some of this is seasonal,
I love the economic ignorance of the Left. They seem to think that when China, for example, buys US bonds (which is what the debt is..) they somehow gain a secured interest in the United States.
No, they invested. Period. They bought US bonds because they thought they would be a good investment.
“……..one of the first things it has to do is pay back all the money it already owes China.” ??????????
“…..they call us on all our indebtedness to them.” ????????????
These people simply do not know how bonds work. People buy bonds, based on the assumption that they will receive a certain percentage of return on those bonds. They might—or they might not. If they do, the bond rating remains the same, or even goes up. If they don’t, the bond rating goes down. The worst that can happen is that fewer will want to buy bonds in the future.
You don’t “call” bonds. They are for a fixed term. You don’t “pay back” those who have invested in those bonds.
The goofball attitudes these people have about economics is simply amazing. Yes, I know they are fed this garbage by radical Lefty sources, some of which are equally ignorant but some of which know the truth but prefer to send their footsoldiers out to engage in battles of wits, unarmed. But wouldn’t you think at least some of them would bother to check out their mindless bleatings before repeatedly posting them?
As I have said, if I buy San Diego bonds because they have a good rating, and then S.D. defaults, I don’t get to go to the San Diego Zoo to pick out a penguin to repay me. I don’t get to stake out a lot on Mission Beach. No, I just lose my money.
And San Diego has absolutely no way to “pay me back”, nor do I have any right or means to “call” the debt. It’s a simple contract: I invest X number of dollars in San Diego, and for X number of years they pay me X amount of interest.
As for waterboarding, those who administer the treatment are required to first experience it. Yep, the waterboarders have been waterboarded.
To hear the Lemming Left bleat, waterboarding is commonplace. “Shall we ask him a question, or just waterboard him?” “Damn, I’m tired. I’ve been waterboarding guys all week and my hands are pruney.”
In fact (a word they hate…) it has been used very very seldom, only in exteme cases. Yes, if you are a dedicated America-hater, you can sneer that it is folly to believe what the American government tells you—how convenient. (Yet it is apparently a sign of intellectual superiority to automatically dismiss what the country says as false. Again, how convenient.)
You notice that they have no facts or figures or testimony to bolster their feelings that it must take place all the time, must be a staple of all American interrogations. Nope, their position is just based on the FEELING that if it is nasty and evil and cruel, of course the American government is doing it.
I don’t know enough about international trade and diplomacy to know if it is even feasible to cut off trade with China. I can see how it would apply a lot of pressure to them, as we are a main market for them, but it takes a lot more intimate knowledge of the situation than I have to be able to make that kind of determination.
I do think that we should apply all the pressure we can, undoubtedly to the outrage of the Lefties here who don’t think we should ever intervene in any foreign problem.
Unless we didn’t intervene, and then we should have.
For now, I’d be happy to have an acknowledgement from the Left that communist and socialist countries do tend to use violence to subjugate their citizens, and that a lesson can and should be learned.
I WOULD back a boycott of the Olympics in response to the actions in Tibet. I think that would be appropriate, powerful, and embarassing to China.
Almiranta-
The Olympics has got to be a time for China to be proud of. A peaceful event that takes focus off politics, wars, ect.. It gives people a chance celebrate and compete for the honor of their country. The empire building may be a frighting thought to some, but Look At Nam, Korea. Jumping in to protect Tibet could be a real adventure. And We may look rather hypocritical with Iraq and Afghanistan lingering.
The unstability of our country going thru the election, and fragile economic conditions would make me back off from boycotting the Olympics and creating any offense or sending any shock their way.
You and Mark taking a stand is the right thing to do. I’m just feeling peaceful and tired today.
Eric, I am not worried about “creating any offense”. The courage to do what is right doesn’t have anything to do with worrying about offending the bad guys.
But attending an event held by a nation engaging in this kind of tyranny is basically validating that nation, and sending a message of approval and that there are no consequences for evil acts.
Yes, it WOULD be a huge insult. That is the point. It is standing up for a priniciple, and not rewarding wrongdoers.
We are not “unstable” just because we are going into an election. There is a lot of fussing and fuming, but the country is stable. And our involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan have nothing whatsoever to do with our taking a stand on the allowing of the freedom of another country. We are fighting for the rights of Iraq and Afghanistan to be free—it is totally consistent.
“Jumping in to protect Tibet could be a real adventure.” I don’t understand what you mean by that. I am against “Jumping in to protect Tibet…” but I am in favor of expressing as much diplomatic displeasure as possible regarding China’s actions.
And as for something being “… a real adventure….” well, there are plenty of trolls here on this site who would have a fit at describing any intervention in any other country as a “real adventure”.
I am proud that we are trying to help the Iraqis and Afghanis establish free and representative governments, and free societies. I will always be proud that I supported these efforts. I will be proud of this country if it puts pressure on China to make the same things available in Tibet. There is so much about this country to be proud of…… But I’m not for “jumping in” and I think an Olympic boycott would be more along the lines of strong diplomatic pressure than anything else.
I’ve quoted you and linked to you here: http://consul-at-arms.blogspot.com/2008/03/re-another-reason-to-break-our-ties-to.html
What people dont really grasp about China is that thier entire industrial base is mostly owned by the governments military. Retired and active members are kept in control of the production abilities, and are capable, at a moments notice, of altering thier production toward military use.
They have stolen trade secrets to drive US based manufacturing out of business. Our industry cannot compete, so our government has nothing to convert to support war, because manufacturers went out of business or left the country. The equipment, for the most part, left with them or is sitting in empty warehouses rusting away.
Its so easy for them to create the illusion of value. Kind of like making beads for the Indians, which in turn, you can buy nations with….
Almiranta-
What I said about jumping in could be a real adventure.
Challenging the might of the Red Army is what I was referring to.
#14
Mark,
Lies. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/28/AR2007042801145.html?nav=rss_print/asection
Amanda, what’s your point??? These 85 prisoners are being held in Guantamamo because they either don’t want to go back to their countries of orgin, or their countries of origin will not accept them without agreeing not to torture them. Do these sound like girls scouts to you?
OBTW, no other country will agree to accept them either. Do you wonder why?