Take your Nuke and shove it!
When it comes to understanding regime change, there is no greater authority than the Dalai Lama.
Any political doctrine that you can put into words by definition has two interpretations. So it is with regime change. George Bush did not invent the unilateral war and he did not invent regime change.
The Chinese laid claim to Tibet, overran it with troops and gave the Dalai Lama two choices. Leave the country or become violent. The Dalai Lama chose to leave and live in the limbo of political exile rather than be party to the violence that would have wreaked havoc on his homeland. In today’s rhetoric he would seem to us as the un-patriot, the appeaser, the abandoner. He accepted the hand he was dealt, smiled at the Chinese, and put the well being of Tibetans above his personal or political ambitions. A revered leader that chose personal humiliation over violence for the well being of his people. I can think of no greater sacrifice.
The Chinese Occupiers immediately named their own Lama and enthroned him. There was no bloodbath, no innocent collateral damage, no looting of the National Treasures, no bombing of shrines. The ordinary people of Tibet relinquished the right to self determination for the opportunity to oppose an occupation with their hearts and minds instead of guns. They still hope for the glorious return of their rightful Spiritual and Enlightened Monk, the 14th Dalai Lama, and the Sovereignty of their Country. It could take a long time.
The Chinese for their part are “liberating” serfs from a Theocracy. They plan on modernizing and improving the lives of ordinary Tibetans and making sure the natural resources of Tibet are used to raise the standard of education and living for the entire population of the Tibet Autonomous Region. They did not undertake to overrun Tibet without some serious soul searching and a long term commitment to introduce a large number of Chinese nationals into Tibet to ensure that a compatible political establishment would be established there that would lend stability to the region. Nothing promotes stability quicker than a police state. End of discussion. I absolutely hate intolerance. Don’t you?
George Bush is in a quandry. If he pushes Kim Jong Il, Kim will make a quick decision. No one to consult. This is the situation. He has Nukes. He has declared that he’s withdrawing DPRK from NPT. He’s reprocessing all the fuel he can get a hold of. He’s declared that his country is in a severe security threat. He has issued the following statement; “The Iraqi War teaches us a lesson that in order to prevent a war and defend the security of a country and the Sovereignty of a Nation, it is necessary to have a powerful physical deterrent force......only”.
George thinks he bluffing. Using the old poker face bluff to wrangle concessions from an “appointed” president of a Culturally Imperialistic Brand of Liberty. Kim knows he has a ready outlet for the “device”, with some real money already in the kitty, and could sell his hand, or, to demonstrate that he has the goods, drop a dime to the testing facility for the “demonstration”.
This is where things get dicey. If George calls the bluff, he will be responsible for a clear and irrefutable Nuclear detonation. God knows we don’t need that. If we see a test, and it works, we have very little room to raise the ante. In fact, we might have to fold this hand and call for a new deal. It would be costly in political terms but wouldn’t cost human lives. Or we could try “Blitzkreig ii” or more appropriately “Blitzkreig il”. I’m feeling a little ill at that prospect. ONE MILLION DEAD!
Or, and this is truly galling, if not Absolutely Gauling, retreat to the Security Council for a “resolution”.
No one said the job would be easy.
Kim has the hand. We want him to work with the system. Even the Chinese want stability.
How much freedom can you tolerate? Can you tolerate that competing economic, political and religious trends stand in the way of a single politically correct solution to humanities hopes and dreams?
The Dalai Lama knows and understands more than most that there is a higher moral force than violence. Cultivate compassion, equanimity and mindfulness. We need a healthier state of mind than the one marching toward Armageddon. Read his op-ed piece in the Times.
Or I’ll break both your legs.
Bob