Canberra, Sydney protests over torch relay

[Sister Fracas 5]

Having spent time almost 100% surrounded by Tibetan people (oh, yeah, it isn't all greasy hippies afterall) in these protests, at least they get it and appreciate the support. They appreciate that someone outside of their community, cares enough to stand with them. They are very beautiful people.

Sister, I applaud your activism. I do, I do, I do. Now STFU and be enlightened by the almighty.

Len, the non-greasy protester

[Heracles 417]

No they are shaking in their boots. What will China ever do if the NYT posts a negative article about them. Game over for China.

More importantly, what will they do if they can't unload products made there? They don't make their own products, only products for other countries.

Lol and who will make the products.

[HAL 9000 96]

Nonsense, 6, how dare you confront reality with history?

The US has boycotted the Games before out of protest for far less.

Then China, in retaliation, stops shipment of goods to the US. Game over for the US..

Which is why the government isn't boycotting the games.

Exactly. Now, how poking fun at people defending people's right to sovereignty and at the minimum, human rights, is somehow under the logic radar is beyond most of us here. There must be something fundamentally wrong with those that treat the symptom as the problem.

[Heracles 417]

Exactly. Now, how poking fun at people defending people's right to sovereignty and at the minimum, human rights, is somehow under the logic radar is beyond most of us here. There must be something fundamentally wrong with those that treat the symptom as the problem.

Very interesting point considering that a lot of the same people protested going to Vietnam to free people. Protested going to Iraq to free people, from a dictator might I add responsible for the deaths and torture of millions.

Edited April 23, 2008 by Boo-Yah!

[Empress of Groovy 373]

Exactly. Now, how poking fun at people defending people's right to sovereignty and at the minimum, human rights, is somehow under the logic radar is beyond most of us here. There must be something fundamentally wrong with those that treat the symptom as the problem.

Very interesting point considering that a lot of the same people protested going to Vietnam to free people. Protested going to Iraq to free people, from a dictator might I add responsible for the deaths and torture of millions.

I don't think the Olympic protesters are advocating a military invasion of China.

[HAL 9000 96]

Having spent time almost 100% surrounded by Tibetan people (oh, yeah, it isn't all greasy hippies afterall) in these protests, at least they get it and appreciate the support. They appreciate that someone outside of their community, cares enough to stand with them. They are very beautiful people.

Stand with them lol. The latest liberal bandwagon.

Laugh all you want; I don't really care. At the end of the day, at least I can say I don't just sit back and hope someone else will try to change things. Maybe things will never change, but that is SO not the point.

And funny to remember how the "Free Tibet" crowd is pretty bipartisan. Specially favored by anti-communist conservatives. That is, before China trade deals favored certain corporations, that is. Then it wasn't as much a matter of liberals that drive some conservatives insane but rather an issue of people making a lot of money much like they do in other parts of the world, irrespective of totalitarian governments in charge.

[Heracles 417]

I don't think the Olympic protesters are advocating a military invasion of China.

How else do you think freedom is implemented. I don't know of many nations who have simply protested their way into freedom. Most countries freedom has been implemented or protected by the tip of a gun.

[Sister Fracas 5]

Exactly. Now, how poking fun at people defending people's right to sovereignty and at the minimum, human rights, is somehow under the logic radar is beyond most of us here. There must be something fundamentally wrong with those that treat the symptom as the problem.

Very interesting point considering that a lot of the same people protested going to Vietnam to free people. Protested going to Iraq to free people, from a dictator might I add responsible for the deaths and torture of millions.

I don't think the Olympic "Free Tibet" protesters are advocating a military invasion of China.

of course we are!

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Well... that might be true if public opinion has no influence whatsoever on the policy making decisions of our elected officials.

What are policymakers going to do about it? China will laugh in all of their faces. The ball is in their court..

Which is why awarding the Olympic games to a country like that is as wrong-footed as you can get.

[HAL 9000 96]

Exactly. Now, how poking fun at people defending people's right to sovereignty and at the minimum, human rights, is somehow under the logic radar is beyond most of us here. There must be something fundamentally wrong with those that treat the symptom as the problem.

Very interesting point considering that a lot of the same people protested going to Vietnam to free people. Protested going to Iraq to free people, from a dictator might I add responsible for the deaths and torture of millions.

You mean the same dictator that received American-made WMDs to kill his own people while he was an ally?

Free people, now, how are you criticizing the Vietnamese in unifying their nation while defending the Chinese for violating a sovereign one?

[Heracles 417]

You mean the same dictator that received American-made WMDs to kill his own people while he was an ally?

No I mean the same dictator who was fighting a country which held Americans hostage. A country we are still at odds with.

If you lend your car to a friend and then they deliberately run somebody over, does that mean you are just as responsible because they where your friend. And it was your car which killed them.

Edited April 23, 2008 by Boo-Yah!

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Exactly. Now, how poking fun at people defending people's right to sovereignty and at the minimum, human rights, is somehow under the logic radar is beyond most of us here. There must be something fundamentally wrong with those that treat the symptom as the problem.

Very interesting point considering that a lot of the same people protested going to Vietnam to free people. Protested going to Iraq to free people, from a dictator might I add responsible for the deaths and torture of millions.

You mean the same dictator that received American-made WMDs to kill his own people while he was an ally?

Free people, now, how are you criticizing the Vietnamese in unifying their nation while defending the Chinese for violating a sovereign one?

Also assuming of course that those policies were implemented with a specific, humanitarian goal in mind. I'd argue that too often the welfare of civilian populations is often an afterthought - at least as far as foreign policy strategies go.

Edited April 23, 2008 by Number 6

[Chica Yeyé 41]

Exactly. Now, how poking fun at people defending people's right to sovereignty and at the minimum, human rights, is somehow under the logic radar is beyond most of us here. There must be something fundamentally wrong with those that treat the symptom as the problem.

Very interesting point considering that a lot of the same people protested going to Vietnam to free people. Protested going to Iraq to free people, from a dictator might I add responsible for the deaths and torture of millions.

I don't think the Olympic "Free Tibet" protesters are advocating a military invasion of China.

of course we are!

And we will recruit Dear Joyce to spread the looooove and the Helmet. And that's that. :dance:

[Sister Fracas 5]

And we will recruit Dear Joyce to spread the looooove and the Helmet. And that's that. :dance:

Hippies united!

do we sing Kum BaY Yah now or later???

[Empress of Groovy 373]

I don't think the Olympic protesters are advocating a military invasion of China.

How else do you think freedom is implemented. I don't know of many nations who have simply protested their way into freedom. Most countries freedom has been implemented or protected by the tip of a gun.

Diplomacy and economic pressure are the only options and have been for a long time. I'd expect someone with an advanced degree in economics to grasp the significance of the power of the purse, so to speak, in this situation.

But we were talking about (largely peaceful) protesters and their motivation. You've dismissed and trivialized not just the protesters themselves but activism, engagement, and social awareness. You've characterized liberals generally, and hippies specifically, as rabble-rousers who apparently have nothing else to do, certainly not jobs and families to take care of. You've mocked people who actually give a $#it and who realize that apathy is dangerous. And you've stated in several posts that you admire China for resisting outside pressure to grant its people more freedoms. That, I think, is very curious.

Exactly. Now, how poking fun at people defending people's right to sovereignty and at the minimum, human rights, is somehow under the logic radar is beyond most of us here. There must be something fundamentally wrong with those that treat the symptom as the problem.

Very interesting point considering that a lot of the same people protested going to Vietnam to free people. Protested going to Iraq to free people, from a dictator might I add responsible for the deaths and torture of millions.

I don't think the Olympic "Free Tibet" protesters are advocating a military invasion of China.

of course we are!

And we will recruit Dear Joyce to spread the looooove and the Helmet. And that's that. :dance:

She's thinking of running on the single-helmet platform, although she hasn't yet specified what office. Free Cool Whip to all campaign donors!