Tibet!?

I don't understand. What is all this getting towards? Instead of "what can I do for Tibet" I suddenly feel like asking "WHY?". Dear friends, bear with me on this for a second. Remember the last time an issue of "injustice" became widespread? I do. And the issues did not end peacefully. Somewhere, somehow, American troops got involved.

What is this getting towards? What if the government of China DOES NOT give in to international pressure? What if they learned from the west and, for example, decide to label Tibet as a centre of terrorism? Then what? What are we going to do? Join the protesters at throwing stones at chinese embassies? Well done, very peaceful demonstrations. I hope that stones are not replaced with Molotoff Cocktails. But what if they are? What if some American or French or British activist, with deep unconscious resentment of their own government, decides to release their frustration on China, especially if all China will do in Tibet is more violence and suppression? What if Molotoff Cocktails DO start flying towards embassies?

Then what - are we going to go to WAR with China? Let's see... Oppressive leaders - check. People suffering - check. Weapons of mass destruction - ehmmm... check check check!? Do we REALLY want peace to Tibet for such a price?

I'm for a mass (PEACEFUL) demonstrations at the Olympics and running with the torchbearers. It's a great opportunity to try to show humanitarianism and spread the news. I'm for international public forum on devising METHODS of FORCING China to reconsider its tough stance, culturally, economically, politically. But can anyone please explain to me WHY ON EARTH would the despotic Chinese rulers give in to the requests for greater freedoms and transparency and international investigation, etc., and thus factually making Tibet the international public forum  for critics and suffering people of China? Plus release all "terrorist" prisoners? Can you imagine them saying "ok, fine, let's let international journalists into Tibet and let all Chinese people to use the opportunity to let the world know about China's problems"? Somehow, dear friends, I don't think so. This is not the first issue that the international community has condemned China about. We all know China's nasty. Now... let me check where this thing I'm typing on came from. And where this thing I'm wearing while typing came from. And.... Etc.

Ultimately, it's about a public debate on how to challenge, and eventually get rid of, the oppressive communist regime in China. Tibet is not getting independence if the government stays, as "freedom" is not present in their communist dictionary. How do we do that? And why?

Another "why"!? Yes. Why Tibet and not Washington? Is our western "human rights" record a glossy empty white sheet? I'll just throw in that "Guantanamo Bay" thingy and that "over a trillion cost of war" thingy, for example, and humbly remind you about western international conduct. Why not deal with this, with something we actually CAN (potentially) influence directly as citizens, buyers, voters, activists? IF a change of regime is brewing in China, then I PRAY that it will happen from within, and that not a single western paratrooper will set foot on Chinese soil. THIS is what I call for when I say "PEACE FOR TIBET": let's tread lightly here, and sort out our own mess first. First, Tibetians were suppressed. Then, a few protests and international concern arose. Now, Tibetians are killed and hundreds imprisoned. Well done. Peace for Tibet, indeed.

From what I see, Dalai Lama is wise. I hope the Chinese authorities do talk to him eventually, hopefully the PEACEFUL demonstrations of solidarity at the Olympics will help this. He understands the meaning of peace, urging both Chinese and Tibetians to settle down and cool their tempers. Because he knows - where tempers rise, so do the death tolls.

I remember the effectivenes of public protest against the Iraq war in the UK (and the US?). Do you remember the effectiveness of that huge, unprescedented public protest? None. It's a "democratic" state we're talking about that we tried to influence. So now we're trying to influence a totalitarian state, with even weaker voice and arguments. Something tells me we aren't learning the lesson we are meant to learn well enough.

I'm sorry, I'm not going to display the "free tibet" icon. I'd love a discussion about this, but right now I think it's worthless. I signed a few petitions I found and told people around me about Tibet, but somehow it feels like I'm soothing my conscience. It seems I'm deluding myself about some things in this world if I'm displaying such an icon. And I am generally concerned about the effectiveness of our western "peace"-making methodology.