China's strongmen leaders were greatly offended by CNN's Jack Cafferty calling them "goons and thugs". The Foreign Ministry spokesman even discounted his apology, saying that the CNN statement lacked sincerity and instead "turned its attack on the Chinese government to try to sow division between the Chinese government and the people."
I'm not sure the current crop of world leaders needs any help driving division. Most seem quite skilled at divide and conquer, driving in fear, and using violence to achieve their aims. Violence is the root of Jack's comments and China's bristling in response. Chinese officials claim American media edited out acts by Tibetans, including rock throwing. Never mind the David and Goliath parallels. The world is left with "he said/she said" when the government won't allow an outside review or investigation.
China's credibility is strained given its response to numerous dangerous products emanating from its soil. When they're serious about making quality goods, they won't execute leaders, blame the customer, or assert there's nothing wrong when people are dying (toothpaste, cough syrup, heparin, children's toys, pet food). Chinese leaders might even study the teachings of Dr. Deming, a longtime teacher of quality with a Japanese Prize named in his honor.
This leads us to another guru with a well know world reputation, the Dalai Lama. For the Chinese government to accuse a man devoted to peace, harmony and compassion of inciting violence is absurd on its face. That doesn't mean elements within Tibet haven't grown weary of China's heavy hand and resorted to violence, especially as that method is modelled on the world stage. From pre-emptive wars to drone fired missile assassinations, worldly leaders work to transform the world in their light/dark image. Now they know how to manipulate the media. Chinese state owned media called Jack's comments "verbal violence", effectively "marketing verbal terrorism".
But as Dr. Martin Luther King told us:
The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it.Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you may murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate. So it goes. Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.
China and Jack, it's time to work on the love part...
I'm not sure the current crop of world leaders needs any help driving division. Most seem quite skilled at divide and conquer, driving in fear, and using violence to achieve their aims. Violence is the root of Jack's comments and China's bristling in response. Chinese officials claim American media edited out acts by Tibetans, including rock throwing. Never mind the David and Goliath parallels. The world is left with "he said/she said" when the government won't allow an outside review or investigation.
China's credibility is strained given its response to numerous dangerous products emanating from its soil. When they're serious about making quality goods, they won't execute leaders, blame the customer, or assert there's nothing wrong when people are dying (toothpaste, cough syrup, heparin, children's toys, pet food). Chinese leaders might even study the teachings of Dr. Deming, a longtime teacher of quality with a Japanese Prize named in his honor.
This leads us to another guru with a well know world reputation, the Dalai Lama. For the Chinese government to accuse a man devoted to peace, harmony and compassion of inciting violence is absurd on its face. That doesn't mean elements within Tibet haven't grown weary of China's heavy hand and resorted to violence, especially as that method is modelled on the world stage. From pre-emptive wars to drone fired missile assassinations, worldly leaders work to transform the world in their light/dark image. Now they know how to manipulate the media. Chinese state owned media called Jack's comments "verbal violence", effectively "marketing verbal terrorism".
But as Dr. Martin Luther King told us:
The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it.Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you may murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate. So it goes. Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.
China and Jack, it's time to work on the love part...
