Comments on: Olympic Protests

By: Chris McNeal

Chris McNeal — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 05:28:57 +0000

Just for the record, the protests are a good thing for the international community right now. I’m very proud of our world when I see them. Historically, we’ve come a long way. Do I think they’ll make a difference? I doubt it. But its important that our policymakers feel pressured to take a tougher stand with China on these issues. I don’t think we risk as much by being tough with China as we think we do. There are just as many economists working in China as there are in the US. They can do a cost/benefit analysis as well as we can and they are not going to do something that jeopardizes China-America business relations.

By: Chris McNeal

Chris McNeal — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 05:21:59 +0000

Very compelling website workidda. Thank you for posting it.

By: workidda

workidda — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 02:44:44 +0000

http://www.thewe.cc/contents/more/archive/atrocities.htm

By: S.C. Denney

S.C. Denney — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 00:51:59 +0000

Extraordinary rendition is extraordinary villainous. I think that’s fair to say.

By: David M. Manes

David M. Manes — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 00:46:49 +0000

I am always tempted to continue a debate like this, but I realized that I really don’t want to defend the US and its torturing practices. You are right.

I think I am still being fairly consistent in condemning China for its abuses while I also condemn my own country for its. I would also guess that most of the protesters along the torch path and most of the NGOs would equally denounce both countries also.

By: gino

gino — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 00:41:12 +0000

“We’re the villains, not China.”

I would venture to say that the US and China are equally villainous in this matter….

By: JH

JH — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 00:08:15 +0000

Let’s also admit that we have come along way in recognizing human rights,

If by “we” you mean continental Europe, fine. But America is torturing people at this moment. What’s worse, these are people who have been completely denied due process. We now break entire nations at will in the service of our own domestic psychodramas. No moral authority comes out of Washington. We’re the villains, not China.

By: JH

JH — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 00:01:10 +0000

Turkey’s been misbehaving in Cyprus for a while, but their main crime is against the Kurds.

This, I should add, occurred during the NATO bombing of Kosovo, when the West was congratulating itself over its prevention of genocide ~~in an Eastern aligned country, while a more extensive genocide was happening within the borders of a member of NATO in good standing (Turkey).~~

By: David M. Manes

David M. Manes — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 23:57:53 +0000

Let’s also admit that we have come along way in recognizing human rights, especially in the last half to quarter of a century. I don’t think you can imagine Britain, the US, Germany, Spain, or any of the others participating in human rights abuses like this in 2008 without bringing down strong criticism from everyone else in the world. Unless you can imagine that, there is no real double standard.

Now, that doesn’t mean that China won’t see one. They will probably make that argument, and could even cite some examples in the somewhat recent past.

By: David M. Manes

David M. Manes — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 23:54:58 +0000

Right, but for it to be a “double standard,” JH, there have to be examples where the standard was not applied. I haven’t been around for all of those examples that you cited, but from what I have read, it seems that the same human rights groups and international organizations denounced all of those events just like they do the Chinese crackdowns in Tibet. Right?