[lbo-talk] China [was: Blowing Up an Assumption]

Shane Mage shmage at pipeline.com
Fri Jun 10 12:50:52 PDT 2005


Jim Devine wrote:
>...For me to say that it should be the Iraqis that decide
>the fate of Iraq is different than for me to apply the same principle
>to Tibet, since the principle of national self-determination suggests
>that people in the biggest imperialist power shouldn't dictate to
>China.
>
>BTW, in general, splitting up countries is bad karma. Among other
>things, nationalities don't correspond exactly to geographical areas,
>while there's often a lot of intermarriage.

But the Tibetans aren't demanding "national self-determination," they are merely asking for the autonomy promised them by China and enshrined in Chinese constitutional law. What's wrong with asking any government to comply with *its own* laws--and drawing the appropriate conclusion as to its nature from its consistent refusal to do so?

Shane Mage

"Thunderbolt steers all things...It consents and does not consent to be called Zeus."

Herakleitos of Ephesos



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