http://thelibertysphere.blogspot.com/2008/04/criticize-china-better-watch-your-back.html
FRIDAY, APRIL 18, 2008
Criticize China? Better Watch Your Back
It's a good thing CNN's Jack Cafferty isn't in China. In all
likelihood he would be placed under arrest and hauled into prison for
a lengthy sentence.
Cafferty's crime? He dared refer to the the Chinese government as
'goons' and 'thugs' in response to the regime's treatment of the
people of Tibet.
The remarks were spoken from the safety of CNN's headquarters during
the network's daily broadcast of 'The Situation Room. Cafferty
quipped, 'I think they're basically the same bunch of goons and thugs
they've been for the last 50 years.'
This prompted the Chinese Foreign Ministry to summon CNN's Beijing
bureau chief in order to demand an apology.
As usual, the regime's spin on the incident is that Cafferty was
referring to 'the Chinese people as a whole' and not merely to the
regime. According to the ruling Communist Party officials such words
are tantamount to 'verbal terrorism' against the Chinese people and
indicates an anti-Chinese bias at CNN.
Officials at CNN, however, refuse an apology. Cafferty himself stated
that he was in no way referring to the Chinese people but only to the
Chinese government, and that he apologized if anyone thought
otherwise.
The entire display, however, is classic Chinese Communist reaction to
criticism. Not only does the regime fail to recognize the value of
free speech but it is particularly harsh toward speech, either written
or spoken, that in any way ****trays the government in a negative
light.
In other words, if you dare criticize the government, it's off to jail
with you.
Most of the Chinese people understand this, including Chinese-
Americans. Some, however, view the American ideal of freedom of speech
as a totally foreign concept that is to be devalued. It is extremely
im****tant for such person to understand that in this country freedom
of speech was first envisioned to protect in particular any speech
that is critical of government.
This is part of our understanding of basic, inherent human rights and
liberties.
Thus, until the Chinese government understands that human liberty is
the pinnacle of human progress, most of us in the States will always
view the regime as 'the same bunch of goons and thugs they've been for
the past 50 years.'
I will even go further than Mr. Cafferty. China's government is
tyrannical. It suppresses the liberties of the Chinese people and
holds them in the heavy grip of oppression.
Therefore, it is a rogue regime that is worthy of nothing but the free
world's disdain and condemnation.
|
