On Mar 15, 5:55 am, politico.a...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
wrote:
> On Mar 15, 3:15 pm, "Zomi" <z...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>
>
>
> > =====
>
> > Olympics boycott if China mishandles Tibet: Gere
>
> > Fri Mar 14, 2008 9:52pm EDT
>
> > By Paul Eckert, Asia Correspondent
>
> > WA****NGTON (Reuters) - China should suffer a boycott of its cherished
> > Beijing Olympics if it mishandles protests in restive Tibet, Hollywood
actor
> > and Tibetan activist Richard Gere said on Friday.
>
> > Gere, a close follower of the Dalai Lama and chairman of the
International
> > Campaign for Tibet, stressed that neither the exiled Tibetan spiritual
> > leader nor the ICT advocates a boycott of the Summer Olympics.
>
> > But he said it was his personal opinion that it would be
"unconscionable" to
> > attend the Beijing Games if China failed to deal peacefully with
unrest in
> > the Himalayan region -- protests that have turned to riots and already
> > claimed several lives.
>
> > "I've not been pro-boycott, but I think if this is not handled
correctly,
> > yes we should boycott. Everyone should boycott," Gere told Reuters in
a
> > telephone interview.
>
> > Gere, a Buddhist for some 25 years, said he was grieving for "my
bothers and
> > sisters" in Tibet but "sad for both sides" in a dispute has that
simmered
> > and occasionally exploded since China annexed Tibet in 1950.
>
> > "As educated, as sensitive as the Chinese are, why they've misread the
> > Tibetan situation from the very beginning is beyond me," he said.
>
> > "It's just so foolish and short-sighted. Everything that they want is
> > destroyed in moments like this," said Gere, referring to the Chinese
quest
> > for international respect and recognition they seek in hosting the
Olympics.
>
> > Gere's Tibetan contacts have all described the uprising as
spontaneous, he
> > said, adding that he did not believe the marches were linked to the
> > Olympics.
>
> > Rather, marches held by Tibetans worldwide this week to mark the 49th
> > anniversary of a failed uprising against Beijing's rule that led to
the
> > Dalai Lama fleeing to India were part of a long succession of
grievances, he
> > said.
>
> > "It's just a pressure cooker and, eventually, the law of emotional
physics
> > is it will explode at some point," he said.
>
> > (Re****ting by Paul Eckert, editing by Todd Eastham)
>
> >http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN1444309320080315
>
> > =====
>
> Richard Gere is just a politician-wannabe after failing as an actor.
> He is only good at fooling around with women. In the early 80's in
> London, he was hauled up to a police station after neighbours
> complained about his wild partying into the early hours of the
> morning. Last year, he got into trouble again when he publicly swept
> an Indian actress off her feet and gave her a lusty kiss. If he were
> to go to Tibet, non of the nuns there would be safe.
>
> What does he know about the world he is living in? He was brought up
> on occupied land snatched from the natives of America. There are so
> many people across the pacific - from Hawaii to Guam - yearning for
> independence from America. Does he not hear their voices?
> There are so many people suffering under horrendous atrocities in
> Iraq and Afghanistan. Does he not feel their pain?
>
> He is not a globalist or a humanist as he tries to project. He is a
> just narrow-minded staunch American nationalist, a failure in life who
> tries to make it by joining the band-wagon of China-batching.
You are of course right about Richard Gere and who he is... merely an
actor, a public figure, nothing more.
Of course even the most flawed person can be right sometimes, and all
that they may have done in the past makes them no less right about
this issue.
I am also an American, perhaps different than many, but still
American. I am not my government today, and certainly cannot to be
held accountable for my government over 200 years ago (i.e. your
remarks concerning native Americans). Whatever wrongs my government,
my country, even I may have made in the past, does not make all future
wrongs ok, allowing us to look the other way.
If you have a serious problem with Iraq, Afghanistan, North Korea,
Iran, the United States then by all means it is your right, even your
duty as a human being to stand up and make that problem known. This
is the only way that people of the world can make their needs and
desires known to the governments of the world.. which are in fact the
real dangers to this world, our world. But do not use wrong to
justify wrong, that may make you feel better for awhile, but deep down
I know you understand that it is wrong.
I of course do not "know" where you are from, I might guess China but
it matters little, because in the end, you and I are not so different
as your government and my government might want us to believe. If we
were neighbors the chances are we could live next to one another quite
happily, perhaps even as friends, but at worst we could allow one
another to live their own lives as they wish.
Our governments are incapable of this. And it is in this light, where
I stand as a patriot of my country, and you stand as a patriot of
yours, that "we", meaning you and I, cannot get along. Such is the
affect of "governments" on their people.
Someday I believe that if you and I, the people of this world are to
survive for many generations to come, someday we will learn to ignore
the boundaries of our governments and countries and live more like
neighbors, we can shed our responsibilities as Patriots to our
countries and live more as one.
So the point of all this of course is that wrong is wrong. If all you
can do to justify a position is to point to other wrongs of the world,
past and present, then you are as much as admitting you know it is
wrong. Our governments can make us do a great many things, but never,
ever allow them to think for you in the name of patriotism. If you
are going to be wrong, be wrong on your own accord.
If the people of Tibet truly want to be able to live free, why should
anyone, for any reason deny them this ?
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