Beijing, Bush & the Dalai Lama

Every now and then, I just cannot avoid stepping into a political bucket. It's off topic for this blog and I usually get shouted at by someone, but today's simultaneous recognition by Congress and President Bush, who attended the Dalai Lama's Congressional Gold Medal Award ceremony, is the first time that the current president and Congrees have done something together that I whole-heartedly endorse.

In fact, it is only the second time I can recall Bush doing something I considered praiseworthy and courageous, the first being a reasonable approach to the issue of illegal immigrants, which was squelched by both political parties. Bush becomes the first US President t be photographed with the Dalai Lama.  Neither Clinton nor Carter ever dared for fear of pissing off China.

And China has made clear that it is indeed pissed off.  They don't like the Dalai Lama, because after they took his country (Tibet) away from him, and burned its ancient temples to the ground, lots of Tibetans and freedom loving people in the world, wanted him to get his country back

That's unlikely to happen. And in the end, the US is as unlikely to take further action toward that goal, as China is likely to do more than shout a bit over the recognition bestowed on this victim of their expansion.

China and the US have grown too interdependent on each other to escalate over this issue.  And Tibet is too tiny, devoid of resources and remote for the US to do much.

But it's nice to see Congress and the President get together and do something decent for a religious leader who has inspired a great many people and who has continued to carry himself with strength and dignity through his life in forced exhile.

Comments

[Bruce Keener]

Agreed 100%, Shel.