Well, I think I got a bit fired up on the other thread, so I'm going to let it out a bit here.
1. China and Tibet
How much do you actually know on the subject? Seeing as the past is past, I will discuss the present and future. Tibet is extremely isolated geographically. With very little arable land, and limited species that can grow in the harsh climate, Tibet is without an economically viable agriculture industry. The low education rate means there are not the facilities nor the technicians to operate a hi-tech industry. As far as I know there has been no oil field discovered under Tibet. This means that the number one source of income for Tibet is tourism. Due to the nature of terrain, overland travel into Tibet is very dangerous. The Chinese government has closed these roads to foreigners under the pretense of liability, although many feel it was done to protect politically sensitive areas. To enter Tibet you must fly or come from Nepal. The Chinese government has recently unveiled plans to build a railway link to Lhasa. This would increase the flow of tourists into Tibet, and bring much needed foreign exchange onto the market.
In fact the situation in Tibet before Chinese occupation was a feudal system dominated by the religion based government. (If we were talking about a Muslim country and not a Buddhist state everybody would be singing a different song). Anything that currently resembles a modern economy in Tibet is courtesy of the Chinese. Were they to withdraw now, Tibet would be unable to maintain economic growth, and would probably become the poorest nation in Asia.
While many westerners feel for the Buddhists who have been persecuted, they don't seem aware that only one side of the story is being told. And while everybody is happy to jump on the back of the Chinese, how many people would be willing to support the massive financial strain of providing aid to Tibet were it to be autonomous.
It seems that in other areas of the world where we have stepped in to prevent injustice we have forgotten about hte people we helped as soon as the fight was over. Do you see the UN building a new railway into Kosovo or Rwanda?
2. The Olympics
Since when has the olympics become a political tool for one nation to judge another's policies, and force them into conforming to what is considered acceptable behavior?
Unrelatedly, how does everyone feel about the inclusion for professional athlete into the olympics?
1. China and Tibet
How much do you actually know on the subject? Seeing as the past is past, I will discuss the present and future. Tibet is extremely isolated geographically. With very little arable land, and limited species that can grow in the harsh climate, Tibet is without an economically viable agriculture industry. The low education rate means there are not the facilities nor the technicians to operate a hi-tech industry. As far as I know there has been no oil field discovered under Tibet. This means that the number one source of income for Tibet is tourism. Due to the nature of terrain, overland travel into Tibet is very dangerous. The Chinese government has closed these roads to foreigners under the pretense of liability, although many feel it was done to protect politically sensitive areas. To enter Tibet you must fly or come from Nepal. The Chinese government has recently unveiled plans to build a railway link to Lhasa. This would increase the flow of tourists into Tibet, and bring much needed foreign exchange onto the market.
In fact the situation in Tibet before Chinese occupation was a feudal system dominated by the religion based government. (If we were talking about a Muslim country and not a Buddhist state everybody would be singing a different song). Anything that currently resembles a modern economy in Tibet is courtesy of the Chinese. Were they to withdraw now, Tibet would be unable to maintain economic growth, and would probably become the poorest nation in Asia.
While many westerners feel for the Buddhists who have been persecuted, they don't seem aware that only one side of the story is being told. And while everybody is happy to jump on the back of the Chinese, how many people would be willing to support the massive financial strain of providing aid to Tibet were it to be autonomous.
It seems that in other areas of the world where we have stepped in to prevent injustice we have forgotten about hte people we helped as soon as the fight was over. Do you see the UN building a new railway into Kosovo or Rwanda?
2. The Olympics
Since when has the olympics become a political tool for one nation to judge another's policies, and force them into conforming to what is considered acceptable behavior?
Unrelatedly, how does everyone feel about the inclusion for professional athlete into the olympics?
