International Politics" as a concept is always interesting, polemical, ironic and hypocritical. It is also self serving.
China, Russia, America and other countries can have nuclear weapons, but North Korea cannot. I really don't understand the logic behind that concept. I do of course understand the fear.
Another strange situation is the recent Russian / Georgia conflict over South Ossetia. Just today at Jerusalem Post there was another article about the ongoing conflict. South Ossetia blast kills 7
Tensions remain high in Georgia following the August war that erupted when Russia's military repelled a Georgian attack aimed to regain control over South Ossetia.
The United Nations, European Union, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Council of the European Union, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and most other countries in the world recognize South Ossetia as part of Georgia. However, the de facto republic governed by the secessionist government held a second independence referendum on 12 November 2006, after its first referendum in 1992 was not recognized by the international community as valid.
I wonder how many westerners oppose South Ossetian independence, which is to say, oppose Russian interference in the political problems of Georgia.
On the other hand, I wonder how many of those same people would support the independence of Tibet?
I'm sure there would be many logical reasons why one could oppose South Ossetian independence and yet support Tibetan Independence, but such a position surely is ironic, self serving or just plain hypocritical.
Anti-Communist (Chinese) sentiment would surely come into play in supporting Tibetan independence, and yet one must wonder why no-one came to the aid of Tibet at the time the Delai Lama fled. Surely that was the time to support Tibetan independence.
When I listen to or read various accusations made against the Communist Government of China, I can't help but wonder how it is that no one sees or knows that at the time of his escape from Tibet, the Delai Lama was an Autocrat / Theocrat / King and master of a feudal empire in which slavery was rife, and the wealth of the country was held in the hands of just a few.
Tibet is an ideological problem. But then, that is what international politics is all about.
It would be nice to think that governments the whole world over have as their first priority the peace, prosperity and security of not only their own people, but of every people on the earth.
In the end however, this cynic at least can only imagine that 'government' means nothing more than 'power for the few' at the expense of everyone else.
When we pontificate on an issue, do we ever look inside ourselves to see how hypocritical we are for not having taken the same stand in a similar but somewhat different circumstance?
Ideologues care for but one thing; the self esteem that is generated by adherence to an allegedly noble cause. In fact, they care nothing for anyone or anything but themselves.
Because we live in an age of scientific miracles and technological breakthrough, utopia always seems just around the corner. In an age of scientific enlightenment it is easy to forget that, despite his technological wizardry, man is essentially the same depraved animal he has always been, and that these wonders can be quickly transformed into nightmares of a magnitude undreamt of.
At the bottom of a recent article I posted at Magic City was a Post Script about Jewish Comedians that contained two links published at Jerusalem Post to videos made by Sarah Silverman (contains strong language) in support of Presidential Nominee Obama and one by Mr. Mason. They are certainly entertaining to say the least. But is politics meant to be entertaining?
I was recently reading some articles written by Wm. B. Fankboner on the issues of Political Correctness and the Failure of Civil institutions, which reminded me once again of the seriousness nature of Government and it's ramifications on society as a whole. I would heartily recommend taking a look at these and other articles published by Mr. Fankboner, for they are a warning to us of our general complacency and lack of moral fibre. I include here excerpts from the two articles mentioned above.
The Triumph of Political Correctness.
The utopian dreamer who would erect a terrestrial paradise or resurrect a 'golden age' is soon pushed aside by a ruthless authoritarian who invokes bloodlust to achieve a righteous social end. For every Trotsky, there is a psychopath, a Stalin, waiting patiently in the wings to hijack the revolution and commence the slaughter of the Kulaks. As St. Augustine reminds us, angels and demons can occupy the same soul, and not infrequently, as in the case of Kurtz, and half-baked intellectuals like Robespierre, Mulele, and Pol Pot, the humanitarian reformer and the maniacal butcher are folded, Jekyll-and-Hyde fashion, into the same personality.
The Failure of Civil Institutions.
History, accelerated by science, is compressing itself, and our misfortunes, into ever tighter spirals. Can we cope? We can if we recognize the fact that man's astonishing technological progress presents just as many dangers to society as opportunities; and if we remember that utopia, or the Kingdom of Heaven, or whatever you choose to call such a state of grace, is not something that we confer on our society with science or social institutions, but forge within our souls by an act of devotion to some thing or principle greater than ourselves.
R.P.BenDedek is from Brisbane Australia and is the author of 'The King's Calendar: The Secret of Qumran' at http://www.kingscalendar.com His academic articles set forth Apologetics for and results of his discovery of an "artificial chronological scheme" running through the Bible, Josephus, the Damascus Documents of the Dead Sea Scrolls, and Seder Olam Rabbah.
He writes photographic 'Stories from China' and social editorial commentaries, both at KingsCalendar, and as a contributing newspaper columnist. He currently teaches Conversational English in China and in addition to his English Lessons at KingsCalendar, he has created specific sites for Students of English.
