Tibet?
March 26, 2008 - 2:15 pm
Irradiated by Stingray
Irradiated by Stingray
Wow, some rocky times going on over in China and Tibet. With the Olympics looming and all things sure could get interesting. But given China’s history with protestors, call me a cynic but I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that this latest go round might…
just…
March 26th, 2008 at 5:34 pm
Oh Yaas! Now I can put my post back up. Stinking Lolcats, have no sense of humor.
March 27th, 2008 at 11:08 am
I don’t consider that image a FAIL. Not as good as winning, but that student became a powerful symbol of the evil of the ChiCom regime.
March 27th, 2008 at 11:58 am
Depends from which way you look at it. It’s ALSO a powerful symbol of a home truth that a lot of leftie types- the kind that very often sport “Free Tibet!” bumper stickers- like to deny: passive resistance DOES NOT WORK if your opponent has no qualms about murdering you. The unfortunate soul who stood in front of the tank got a lot of people angry, and the memory of his image lives on… but because you can’t defeat an enemy like that without being willing and able to mount a response in kind, with no guarantee of winning… so does the ChiCom regime.
Can Tibet free itself- or will they withdraw willingly- without overthrowing the ChiCom regime itself? Maybe, if they decide after some number-crunching that there’s not enough return for the hassle of cleaning protestor off their tank treads.
March 28th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
That person was executed. He wasn’t a student.
The party made a point of tracking him down because of that picture.
May 19th, 2008 at 7:36 am
Stingray, I don’t entirely agree. You must remember that he was unable to offer active resistance — it’s not as if he was able to run down to the gun shop and buy himself an AR to plink at the tanks and lead a rebellion.
Barred the option of active resistance, he chose the only resistance left to him — obstruction. He placed himself in a position of grave immediate danger (the tanks could have had standing orders to run over anyone who hindered them), and took an action that he had to have known would likely result in his arrest and execution by the state.
It is my opinion that to describe that man’s actions on that day as failure are a discredit to his courage and convictions. He may not have lit the fuse of revolution, but his image may yet wind up on a flag upon which is printed, “Don’t tread on me.”
I do see your point. The people of China must resist, as a group, if they want freedom from that regime. I just don’t see their failure to do so as an indication of that man’s actions being any less courageous or honorable.
May 19th, 2008 at 7:37 am
And I also just noticed how old this post is. Ah, well.