Stop press — China tells the truth about human rights
Trial of Chinese activist begins:
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, when asked to comment on his case at a news conference at the close of parliament, said issues like this would be handled according to the law.
“As for critics’ view that China is trying to increase its efforts to arrest dissidents ahead the Olympic Games, I think all these accusations are unfounded,” he said.
He’s 100% abso-fucking-lutely right. The CCP always been harsh on political activists (in fact, they’ve been worse in the past), it’s only been recently that mainstream Western media have been making lots of noise about it.
On balance, their treatment of political prisoners has probably improved, most probably due to global scrutiny! And they probably hope everyone will lose interest after the Olympics.
Updated to add: I’m thinking the Olympics will go through mostly unscathed and China will be allowed to go on doing what it’s doing (with noises made by other governments but no action being taken) as long as it doesn’t start fucking with global trade.
Profiting off capitalism by being against it
I love this quote so much I want it to have my children. Why Capitalism is Good for the Soul:
… capitalism has brought into being an educated class that has no responsibility for practical affairs, and that this class can only make a mark by criticising the system that feeds them. Intellectuals attack capitalism because that is how they sell books and build careers.
I am, to some extent a libertarian and anarcho-capitalist. I believe really strongly that what we describe as socialists these days are people who want all the comfort and convenience of the modern world without having to take any responsibility for maintaining or enhancing it.
Reverse psychology in the US primaries
Did the mainstream media’s constant reporting of Barack Obama’s opinion poll lead in New Hampshire lead to increased voter support for Hillary Clinton?
I think so.
Harsh realities, #2
Is it worse to be a woman than a black man?
I was having a wee chat with Neil about this last night, wondering why Muslim nations that are criticised by ‘the West’ for various missteps in the ‘path to democracy’ or human rights violations or female oppression or whatever have been able to elect female leaders while the US (land of the free) hasn’t seen that happen. The first examples that come to mind are (of course) Benazir Bhutto and Megawati Sukarnoputri.
Neil’s response was fairly predictable: “It’s not the land of the free.”
(Not verbatim, but pretty close.)
It does make me wonder why this is so? Even if Megawati and Benazir had been chosen by their parties as pure figureheads, they were still elected by the population as President / Prime Minister. I just find it surprising that a country whose frequently-communicated values include freedom and gender equality should find it so difficult to find female Presidential aspirants of quality.
I’m not forgetting Mrs Thatcher or Helen Clark, or even Gloria Arroyo. They aren’t Muslim.
Harsh realities, #1
China blocks activist from jail visits by attorneys:
An open letter signed by 57 people, mostly activists and writers, called Hu’s detention “unacceptable” and demanded that he be released immediately.
The signatories urged the government “to make good use of the opportunity to make the Olympics a truly grand event for the Chinese nation by opening the door of social reconciliation” and proving that it has made efforts to improve human rights.
IMHO, if athletes from most of the participating nations turn up and compete anyway, even if they or their governments make noises about human rights and dissidents’ detentions being unacceptable, the Chinese government will have proved their point — hardly anyone really cares about these activists, and the ones who do don’t have the power to do anything about it.
Not everything can or should be free
I have a problem with free prescriptions.
I have a serious problem with a (minority) government trying to create a Socialist/Communist society and pushing for a successful Capitalist economy at the same time. It just can’t work.
Are they gonna start talking about a ‘democracy with Scottish characteristics’ next?
Shame
The author of Singapore, a friend indeed to Burma clearly has a bit of an axe to grind (or a lousy editor — “he likes to stay at the tacky Meritus Mandarin hotel on Orchard Road…”), but if any of the article is true (and we know Singapore is heavily invested in Burma), it is indeed quite embarrassing that Singapore likes to bleat on about ‘Asian values’ when all they mean is money is their god. Why not come out and say the Singapore government / elite is pragmatic, those are our values. Human rights and all these soft things like democracy are only good if they keep a country economically productive and politically stable.
Less strident: Myanmar’s neighbours have little influence: Singapore FM
Catholics are bad* — kill the Catholics
Catholic faith coming under attack, says Archbishop:
Mario Conti, the Archbishop of Glasgow, urged his flock to resist threats to their way of life from everything from same-sex civil partnerships to anti-sectarian campaigners critical of denominational schooling.
…
He said: “At a distance of 25 years, we need to reflect on the Holy Father’s words: In so many areas of life the most fundamental principles of our Christian life are not only questioned, but ridiculed and threatened with sanction.’ “Individualism has come to predominate the growth of the quest for individual rights has taken precedence over what is right.”
Sigh. Because only the Catholic church knows what’s right. Yes. Indeed.
Earlier this year the NASUWT teaching union called for a blanket ban on any new state-funded single faith schools, saying they caused social divisions**.
From what I’ve been told, this is totally true. Parents who send their kids to state-funded Catholic schools here are saying, “Look, we’re different from the rest of you!” and their kids are treated as such. If groups wanted a separate religious school, they should be free to do so, but on their own dime. The state education system is meant to educate, not to indoctrinate children with religious ‘values’.
* I’m Catholic.
** Neil would totally agree with this. But what does he know, he’s a Proddy! Hehe.