Pro Tibet, Not Much on History
By Warner Todd Huston Posted in Foreign Affairs — Comments (50) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
-By Warner Todd Huston
Let's give them an "A" for feeling, but an "F" for history. Photographer Rowan Benum captured an amusing sign at a Pro-Tibet rally in California not long ago and it says loads about our fetid educational system in the US these days. History isn't one of the better understood subjects, but feelings are there in spades.
Read on . . .
Of course, we understand the sentiment. The Nazis now serve as the single worst example of human evil. Say someone is a Nazi and you can't get a worse epithet. And the left in the US just loves to throw that name around at whom ever they don't like. Bush is a "Nazi," Bill O'Reilly is a "Nazi," conservatives are "Nazis," etc., etc.
So, what's more natural than calling the Chinese "Nazis"? After all, the Chinese may be responsible for killing even more people than Hitler ever dreamed of killing and they are still around to rack up an ever higher murder rate. Certainly the Russians killed more than Hitler did -- and this always makes me wonder why the word "communist" is not considered as bad a name to call someone as "Nazi," but I digress.
Now, the sentiment that the Chinese are bad and we should not be allowing them to host the Olympics while pretending China is an upstanding member of the international community is one that anyone interested in liberty and freedom should consider salient.
With that sentiment I also agree.
Unfortunately, someone didn't pay attention to their history teacher in California because, as we all know, the Nazis DID host the Olympics. It was 1936. And many people of the international community of 1936 wanted the Nazis to have the Olympics for the same reason that people today think we should allow the Chinese to have them.
It will “help” them become better members of the international community, or so goes the theory. And we can see how hosting the Olympics helped the Nazis reform themselves to join the international community in 1936, right?
Sadly, our pro-Tibet protesters need a history lesson. So does anyone who thinks it a good idea to let China host the Olympics.
By the way, the little tags at the top of the sign are Tibetan prayer cards or flags. Just in case you wondered.
(photo credit Rowan Benum)
Be sure and Visit my Home blog Publius' Forum. It's what's happening NOW!
Not a whole lot different. But I see your point.
"Be respectful or be banned."
I'm tempted to add it to the RS 2 contact form.
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"If we want to take this party back, and I think we can someday, let’s get to work." – Barry Goldwater
See how I used Reply-to-This, and -- hey! -- you know I'm talking to you? Amazing how that works, isn't it?
Don't do that again, or you'll find yourself petitioning us for reinstatement. It would be a shame to have the door slam on you just after you've had a diary promoted.
By the time the Olympics were in the planning stages and certainly by the time we sent our athletes to compete, Hitler was in power and those paying attention knew of the Nazis' hateful ideology.
Maybe you and publius have a pre-existing beef, but your heavy handed response to him struck me at best as ironic given the topic being discussed.
Think about context.
His comment wasn't directed at the subject of the post.
"Guns don't kill people...
"...But they sure help!"
-Paul Giamatti, Shoot 'Em Up
Are we sure this wasn't just a Pro-China activist that got into a Pro-Tibet rally and wasn't just trying to be realllly ironic?
I had one of the latter spamming on a wiki I run, linking to a website describing the party line on Tibet.
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"If we want to take this party back, and I think we can someday, let’s get to work." – Barry Goldwater
are just plain ignorant and don't know what they're supporting. Those that Do know, are usually Marxists or Leninists.
Communism is slightly different from either of those...
"Guns don't kill people...
"...But they sure help!"
-Paul Giamatti, Shoot 'Em Up
Was John Belushi holding that sign?
to all other races, so the thinking was already entrenched in their minds and the rest is "History"
... I just don't like the notion of holding the Olympics outside of the US because the games never turn a profit when you do that. Or at least, they never have in the past.
We sent Jesse Owens. Our gift to Nazi Germany. And the other half of the history lesson, not as quickly to be forgotten, I hope.
So let China host. I say we gently remind China that, hisorically, 1936 is about as advanced as they have gotten since 1936.
I say we let History repeat itself in favor of Humanity this year. Go to China, breathe their polluted air, and beat them like a redheaded stepchild at their own game. A bunch of amateurs against the Hive, and bring back 100 medals, just to make sure they get the message.
Lets just hope that there aren't many redheaded stepchildren in China that may be stigmatized for it.
Sadly, all this triumphialism over what Jesse Owens did wasn't amazing enough to stop WWII, the murder of millions and millions, and the rise of the Soviets and Red Chinese.
It is doubtful that going to China this time will be any more efficacious to freedom as going to Germany in 1936 was. I have to say, going will do no good whatsoever and makes the west look as if their vaunted ideals about freedom, democracy and liberty to be so much fluff.
you make no point at all. Had the US, or even the entire WORLD boycotted the 1936 Olympics would it have, in any way at all, stopped Hitler?
Well, the answer is no!
On the other hand, had the world stood up to Hitler in preventing him from re-arming in violation of the Treaty of Versailles, you might have something. Your arguments are poorly constructed.
Occasionally your work is good -- but not consistently.
slowly convinced me (well you and my super human reasoning powers). Boycotts are empty gestures and their exercise actually sends a mesage of weakness, since if one did intend to take serious action one would not play games with The Games.
Mike DeVine’s Charlotte Observer columns
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www.theminorityreportblog.com
www.race42008.com
"One man with courage makes a majority." - Andrew Jackson
The African boycott of the Montreal Olympics did not end Apartheid in South Africa, but it did prevents some pretty phenomenal Kenyan, Ethiopian and Tanzanian athletes their opportunity for Olympic glory.
The 1980 Boycott did not cause the USSR to pull out of Afghanistan. It did end the Olympic hopes of a number of great athletes who, in those days, could not afford the hardship of four more years of sacrifice to keep the dream alive.
The 1984 Boycott, a direct tit-for-tat retaliation for the 1980 boycott did nothing more than prevent a good number of Communist bloc athletes the opportunity to defect to freedom. THAT was the great concern that the USSR had, and because of the 1980 boycott, they had their excuse.
I see no justification in barring private citizens from participating. I just see every reason to keep all government involvement from a fascist propaganda exercise such as the Peking Olympics.
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I agree. I have no interest in what the individual athletes do. I am only talking about our government's response to the situation.
As to that so-called "glory" that would be missed.... I see no "glory" in silly sports escapades on ANY level. Sports are not "glorious."
Of course, your assessment of my work is neither necessary nor solicited, however, you tried to reply a point that I never made in the first place.
I never said a boycott would have done ANYTHING to make Hitler a better leader. I have no illusions that it would have either. Your strawman was duly knocked down by your own good self, but it had nothing to do with my points.
I propose boycotting the Olympics on principle alone. No boycott will bring China along into the realm of freedom and democracy, but we CAN say that our boycott left our own principles unsullied. We just should not pal around with murderers, slapping them on the backs as if they are great guys. our "example" is diluted when we set it aside to associate with Hitlers, Pol Pots and Maos.
Then again, I am against the UN for this very same point. To sit next to tyrannical governments in that farcical world council and act as if useful policy can be wrought from the association is the height of stupidity. The principle is exactly the same to my mind.
No one interested in liberty and freedom should attend the Olympics just as no one interested in freedom and liberty should bother with the fetid UN.
Sorry... my last was supposed to be to the Hintz Report fellow. I am still not used to which "reply to this" goes to which post.
Imagine. I was the one attacked for incivility on this thread. to bad there's no report this reply feature on RedState.
On March 23, 1933, what has gone down in German history as the “Enabling Act” made Hitler dictator of Germany, freed of all legislative and constitutional constraints. http://www.fff.org/freedom/fd0403a.asp
That's why I call them fascists. They speak of territorial expansion for the Han race, they're making a big military build up, at times they spark riots against foreigners (see the Japanese embassy riot), they have their re-education camps for dissidents, and they practice heavy eugenics with forced-abortion programs. They're even hosting their own Olympic games.
It's time we treated them like we wished the world treated Hitler.
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Oh, I'm not a supporter of China's government, but I don't think that their hosting the games is a bad thing for the world. And primarily it's for 1 simple reason. It allows more of the people of China to see the benefits of freedom that ordinary citizens of other countries experience every day.
Pollyanna-ish? Maybe. But most of the people of China never experienced anything except communism and it helps to give them little whiffs of freedom. Sort of like planting a seed. It may take considerable time for it to bear fruit, but that seed will grow.
I have the same opinion of trade with China. Their communist economy is no more. It's still a bit more of a command economy than I would prefer, but it's actually more capitalistic than many of the countries we consider free. That example shows that communism doesn't work.
Now we have to show the world that totalitarianism doesn't work. Hosting the games has already driven some change in China and I hope it drives more. BUT I don't really expect change either way as the result of the games.
I've said in other posts that you can't move the Chinese by shoving them in the direction you want to go. You have to use subtle nudges instead. If you try to force change on them they will shift back to towards more totalitarianism. Better to let them move slowly as long as they're moving in the right direction (even if the movement seems too minute and too slow).
P.S. The time to protest the Chinese games was 10 or so years ago before they were selected.....
P.P.S. I suspect that the Chinese would have been much more brutal in dealing with Tibet if they weren't wanting to play nice for the games.
Socialism doesn't work. It looks nice on paper, but it's been tried and it's failed miserably every time (usually accompanied by widespread death and suffering).
Proud member of the V.R.W.C.
Since China's gonna host the Olympics anyway, let's remember Jesse Owens. Hitler was red faced when Owens racked up medal after medal. That showed em'!
6 million Jews still died.
20 million Russians still died in the war.
Millions of others still died in the war.
Berlin was still laid waste along with a large part of the rest of Europe and Britain.
And Jessee got a cool medal to wear.
Yeah... that REALLY showed 'em.
Mike DeVine’s Charlotte Observer columns
http://thehinzsightreport.com
www.theminorityreportblog.com
www.race42008.com
"One man with courage makes a majority." - Andrew Jackson
Just one of his gold medals...
"Guns don't kill people...
"...But they sure help!"
-Paul Giamatti, Shoot 'Em Up
Olympics occurring without a boycott led to hell on earth for millions. Could a boycott have shown some resolve on the part of the West?
resolve would have been bombing german factories that were building up arms banned under Versailles
Mike DeVine’s Charlotte Observer columns
http://thehinzsightreport.com
www.theminorityreportblog.com
www.race42008.com
"One man with courage makes a majority." - Andrew Jackson
force at all.
Not forcing the Czech's to give up the mountains would have made Czechoslavakia very defensible. It would have taken the wind out of the Nazi sails, and even Hitler knew it.
Mike DeVine’s Charlotte Observer columns
http://thehinzsightreport.com
www.theminorityreportblog.com
www.race42008.com
"One man with courage makes a majority." - Andrew Jackson
...if we think small things like torture, illegal detention, and spying on the populace don't lead to bigger, badder things. If we think evil does not beget evil, we've forgotten history.
Yes, the word "Nazi" is thrown around way too much, and incorrectly; but sometimes it is applicable. We need to be aware of the seeds of fascism in our OWN country. I did not understand how Hitler hypnotized the masses with meaningless rhetoric until the day I listened to Bush's State of the Union - all empty statements, yet they all stirred up the passions of the masses - and led us to war, giving that Dear Leader carte blanche in his illegal war. None of the things he said had any real meaning, any connection to reality, yet people believed them, took them to heart, marched according to them.
The people of Germany weren't paying attention and when they weren't looking, everything fell apart around them. If you're going to decry people's knowledge of history, why don't you start applying yours to the world around you and get people like Bush OUT before it's too late.
I suppose you think he is going to be in office after 09? Put the drugs down and step away from the insanity that is going on in your brain....Obama will not save you from yourself.....let me try something here with your own words....."I listened to Obama - all empty statements, yet they all stirred up the passions of the masses" see how that works...fool.
Freedom of Religion not Freedom from Religion
time overnight thinking he was making intelligent arguments whilst actually showing his BDS...it will be wonderful when they no longer can use President Bush as their boogy man any more.
Freedom of Religion not Freedom from Religion
...will be knowing that people like you will have one less thing to bitterly masturbate over.
Ta.
The Fuzzy Puppy of the VRWC. I've been usurped!
and not be taken away by the Gestapo means that our country is not Nazi Germany.
You really are an idiot. Do you think the Fuhrer put up with any criticism? If Bush was 1/100 as bad as you say, Obama and Clinton would both be dead, Moveon.Org would be shut down, and all the Code Pink folks would be human guinea pigs in really really nasty experiments.
Grow up. Read some history. Once you are able to make some reasonable judgements regarding proportionality and context, feel free to write back.
If you want to see what a facist state is like, go to Cuba, Iran, etc. and substitute their leader's name for Bush in repeating what you say above.
Make sure to say by to your family before you go.
"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it."
-Thomas Paine: The American Crisis, No. 4, 1777
Mike DeVine’s Charlotte Observer columns
http://thehinzsightreport.com
www.theminorityreportblog.com
www.race42008.com
"One man with courage makes a majority." - Andrew Jackson
....the award of the 1936 Olympics to Germany occurred prior to the Nazis coming to power in Germany. So the Olympics were not technically awarded to the Nazi governemnt.
The award of the Olympics to China occurred with the full knowledge of Chinese government policy, including policy toward Tibet.
Somewhat different..