The droplets of news that are coming out of Tibet suggest that protests continue in pockets as does violent repression.
At least eight people were reportedly killed in a remote town in Sichuan province Thursday in a protest sparked by an attempt to force monks to participate in an education campaign.James: Re-education camps are nothing new to dictatorships. Soviet Communist Russia and Nazi Germany were two classic examples of this kind of absurd propaganda. The other major example in history being, of course, Communist China.
One 27 year old monk in Tibet participated in his first party-led education session in 1993. He did not have to sign a denunciation that time but had to condemn the Dalai Lama in front of his fellow monks. "I had to be very active, had to prove I was really patriotic, so I can pass the exam," he said. "In order to stay in the monastery, I did this. I clearly know the other monks did not do this from their hearts, and not me, either."
James: And as hard as it must be verbally utter those words disavowing the Dalai Lama it was their only choice and correct one. It was Right Intention because to say otherwise would likely land this monk in prison were he would be beaten or perhaps killed and perhaps place his family in danger as well. I do not profess to be an expert on the Dalai Lama or speak for His Holiness but I have a feeling that he would rather people swallow their pride and say what the Chinese government officials want to hear than see them suffer for their loyalty to him.
LONDON — Protesters objecting to China’s human rights record clashed with the British police on Sunday as the Olympic torch was carried through London on its way to the summer Olympic Games in Beijing. James: I am sure that the Chinese government is furious over these protests and demonstrations but they are reaping what they have sown for decades. It is karma catching up with them. I do realize however that most of these party officials don't believe in karma but they can not deny the suffering and problems that can result from the law of cause and effect which is a scientific principle.
And I
know that science is something that Communism
DOES believe in.
~Peace to all beings (yes, even the Chinese government even though I disagree firmly with many of their actions)~
LONDON, England - It has to be said, by the tabulation of Wisdom Quarterly's resident statisticians, that the greatest Olympian is... Usain Bolt, the "world's fastest man," of Jamaica. Of course, much has to be said for photogenic-up-and coming superstars Gabby "the Flying Squirrel" Douglas, Allyson Felix, China's surprising stars, India's newest heroes, and the winningest Michael "How Much More Gold If I Had Used a Nebulizer" Phelps. Other notable heroes are decathlon champ Ashton Eaton, heptathlon champ Jessica Ennis, Japanese Buddhist monk horse jockey Ven. Kenki Sato, China's Liu Xiang, England's Mo Farah, and the legendary Bhutanese Buddhist female archer Sherab Zam, and Afghanistan and Iraq's unmysterious performance. When it comes to sports and the over 10,000 athletes in the 2012 Olympiad, comedy ranks lower than former-Olympic sport "poetry writing." Yet, somehow Monty Python manages to get both sporting and literary endeavors onto the comedic podium in "Novel Writing."
