Tibet

[Carrol Cox]

A book on Tibet written by an English couple who travelled there in the
1960s, entitled if my memory is correct, _The Timely Rain_ -- I can't
remember the authors & can't find the book on my shelves just now.
Probably a Monthly Review Press book. In general, probably the best
thing that every happened to the peasantry of Tibet was the Dalai's
abortive revoltin 1955, because that forced the Chinese to finally move
to take real control, ending a thousand years of what must have been one
of the more ruthless theocracies in world history. I imagine current
Chinese rule is pretty nasty, but it couldn't not be a great improvement
over the rule of the monks. The book includes color photographs of
butter statuary -- tons of butter and absolutely gorgeous. The society,
like the sculptures, stank to high heaven.

Carrol