WTF

[erinamelia]

Okay, so at the moment I'm watching BBC news live coverage of the Olympic Torch relay in San Francisco, where they've secretly changed the route of the torch, secretly, with absolutely no notice.  It is surrounded by soldiers and police, with media photographers being driven just in front of that in what appears to be a Duck Tours bus.  This is one

Comments

[supersaps]

I totally agree with what you're saying. However, what I find problematic is that most US consumers rely on cheap Chinese products (at the expense of the Chinese environment, for example). China has bent over backwards for our consumer economy, and when we're getting our cheap goods, we have no problems with China. I find that disgusting.

[supersaps]

BUT, I find popular protest to be a useful tool to call attention to other problems (ie, Darfur) that may not be directly related to consumption.

[rockinkitten]

I also find it disgusting that the Chinese government are keeping all this protesting from the Chinese people!

[catilinarian]

I agree with Sapna that we're not aware enough of how the money we spend supports the Chinese regime (or other corrupt regimes) even while we're protesting, but I'm also definitely with you - it bugs the hell out of me when people try to draw a moral equivalency between the US/UK and a totalitarian dictatorship because of Iraq (or demand that Blair get hauled before the ICJ as if he were Milosovic, or claim that we're worse off than people in China). I'm definitely with you on this, Erin. I don't believe we should forget or ignore the wrongs our governments may do to us or to the world, but I can type these words - or any others - on a public forum without being blocked or censored, and with no fear of the knock on my door in the middle of the night. One billion people in China can't say the same

[anonymous]

I agree with all of the above, apart from the fact that I still think Blair should be in the Hague. Rather than, you know, being given scores of incredibly lucrative jobs. Grrrrrrr.