Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Surviving on the ignorance of the West

I normally don't refer to "the West"; I find it too regional (do Japan, India, and Taiwan count?). There are rare times, however, when the term is appropriate, such as today.

If China were a normal country, today would be a very bad day for the folks in power. A baby-milk scandal is continuing to spread (CNN, Epoch Times, and Washington Post) and the number of victims continues to rise (BBC and Epoch Times). The Paralympics have only highlighted the regime's terrible history with the disabled (Epoch Times). The regime-controlled police have been called in as strikebreakers (Epoch Times). A brother of human rights activist Chen Guangcheng may be arrested for the "crime" of speaking to a foreign reporter (Epoch Times).

Alas, China is not a normal country; it is a mammoth prison controlled by the Chinese Communist Party. Thus, the people are muzzled and intimidated into silence.

Usually, one could rely on the democratic world to at least note and condemn this. Sadly, the "West" has been falling down on the job (Epoch Times). True, some are refusing to play the game (Epoch Times), but not nearly enough. Even on the nefarious Korean colony (Washington Post), the rot goes as high as a leading Vice Presidential candidate (and it's not Sarah Palin - One Free Korea).

So why do I limit my lament to "the West?" Simple, India - or at least its military - won't play ball (London Telegraph). While the threat from Beijing is seen as "manageable" and "long-term" in Europe and North America, it's much more immediate on the Indian subcontinent.

In time, India will become the most populous nation on Earth. It's economic growth already rivals Communist China, and its military leadership (even with the more muscular BJP in opposition rather than in power) is keen on keeping the Beijing regime in check.

America and her friends will never be secure until China is free. Fortunately, at least one of those friends seems to understand that.

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