http://mytownjawalamukhi.blogspot.com/2008…ai-lama-in.html

http://www.chineseinvancouver.ca/2008/04/d…comment-page-1/

http://docs.google.com/View?docid=d4f7j8p_175fgnghj

and do a google search for Dalai Lama vegetarian and see what you find. A guy called Norm Phelps wrote DL a great open letter after the DL ignored him, see the letter here:

http://www.all-creatures.org/letters/20070615-np.html

I am not sure what you mean by Muslims get a pass when they are fighting for Buddhists, but the United State recruited and trained Muslim extremists to fight its proxy war against the Soviet Union. The defeat of the Russians facilitated the collapse of the Soviet Union, making the United States the number one superpower in the world. In the meanwhile, millions of Afghans had been killed and the infrastructure of Afghanistan had been decimated. The U.S. did nothing to help in reconstructing the country.

By the way here is more information about life in Tibet before China http://www.michaelparenti.org/Tibet.html

At any rate, do I think the Tibetan Diaspora should have someone to speak for them? Sure. I’m not anti-Tibet, I’m simply looking for balance in a discussion about a cause celebre where there often is none. As for the Chinese entering Tibet, while they are causing environmental problems similar to what China is experiencing, they’re also bringing money. You’d have to ask the average Tibetan which they’d prefer; I’m ignorant on that score.

jollyroger
From what I’ve heard even some Afghans who were fighting the Soviets were fond of them. The Soviets built hospitals, schools, something resembling infrastructure, which hadn’t been done on any large scale in most areas; the Afghans just felt the need to get rid of an occupying army. I don’t want to sound like a proponent of invading other countries to liberate them (a dicey proposition at best), I’m just not in favor of simplistic black and white images based on false impressions and media hype.

That said, I confess I was ignorant of the geo-political issues raised by the piece, although not entirely surprised given the fact that in a more or less *neighboring venue to Tibet, the period of Soviet rule actually represented, for many of the people (certainly the female half) a high-water mark of personal opportunity.

The world sucks, but you knew that already….

*(Afghanistan)

Do you think that the Tibetan people (exiles and those still in Tibet) deserve a champion? What say you about the flooding of Tibet by ethnic Chinese and of the environmental havoc being wrought?