The Chinese are going to have to figure out a way to get this straightened out, while "saving face" with the rest of the world.No, they are going to have to figure out if they really want to be part of the normal world community and quit acting like petty warlords.
If Bush hadn't just gotten finished pointing his finger at the Chinese...So if someone says something you don't like about you (true or not), then as a nation you are entitled to illegally detain a declared emergency aircraft and its crew in contravention of international law?
Of course they shouldn't be acting like petty warlords. And of course they shouldn't feel they are entitled to illegally detain a declared emergency aircraft and its crew in contravention of international law.
But on the other hand, I'll ask you a question: Should any reasonable, intelligent person expect a country that has been being unreasonable, and acting like petty warlords for 3,000 years, suddenly do an about-face, and start playing ball?
I mean come on...the history of China makes the American Wild West look like a church social.
These people have been perpetrating cruelty and inhumanity on their OWN people, much less the other people in the world, while we were still foraging with sticks and rocks for food on the European continent. I agree with you that their behaviour is totally wrong and reprehensible...expecting them to change overnight is naive.
#1 is electrical machinery and equipment. Can you make it without a cheap cell phone and CD player.I wish I could answer this with a hearfelt, "Hell yes! Screw the bastards!", but I can't. It's more like, "Geez, I sure wish we could!"
We have come to rely on their cheap production so much, that it's frightening. And remember, lots and lots of American companies profit by the sale and distribution of goods made in China.
These companies provide jobs for Americans, and use American labor and materials to build their stores and distribution outlets. They pay local taxes that support the areas they are in, and unfortunately are horribly intertwined with our economy, on both a national and local level.
#2 on the list is....toys. An amount almost equal to the electrical stuff.Kind of the same as above. Mattel, Tyco, Kenner, Hasbro, etc., all provide products for a lot of stores that sell their items...Target, Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Toys 'R Us, etc. It's a very, very, complicated issue.
#4 is apparel. Probably that hi-fashion stuff I see on CNN all the time.Not sure about this one. I'm not the most well-dressed guy you'd ever see.
What we're seeing is a playground pissing contest.
Yes, agreed, the schoolyard bully, China is acting up again.
That EP-3 crew did nothing that justifies detaining the crew, keeping them incommunicado or that would allow the Chinese to examine or confiscate the aircraft.Of course they didn't. But again, think, you're fighting 3,000 years of insanity here. They've never needed a reason to do half the toejam they've ever done, outside of maybe building the Great Wall of China. And they couldn't even do that without incredible amounts of violence and what would be thought of as human rights violations in our day and age.
From CNN:
"President Bush described himself as "troubled" by China's response to the incident and called for "immediate access" to the crew. Twice within an hour on Monday, he called for a release of the plane "without any further tampering."
"Our priorities are the prompt and safe return of the crew, and the return of the aircraft without further damaging or tampering," Bush said outside the White House, saying the Chinese response has been "inconsistent with standard diplomatic practice" and contrary to a desire for "better relations."
Whooo-eee... now that's some incendidary sabre rattling, isn't it?All sarcasim aside, that's the kind of response a world leader SHOULD give, and is a little toned-down to the kind of rhetoric I heard being thrown around on Sunday.
Now he's moving in the right direction. This may be the start of getting a positive result to this situation where a nation with a "petty warlord" mentality steals the flag to get some attention, because really, that's all that this is about.
"Look at us, we're important! Really, we are! I know that day-in, day-out, we look like a bunch of bumbling human-rights violators that don't even care about our OWN people, let alone anyone else, but hey, look! We're not to be trifled with!"
That's all that's going on. We need to understand this for what it is: A game being played by people who have nothing else better to do except harass Taiwan and Tibet, and, one that they can be beaten at, if we play our cards right, without getting into a shooting situation.
It's time to roll in there and take back what is ours and being held illegally from us! We should have creamed the plane with cruise missles while the chinamen were doing their little inspection.
EaglerEagler old boy, I'm afraid you just failed the "Could I Someday Be The Leader of a Major World Power?" test that's in the back of your Captain America comic book.
Check the list. men and women.That probably hurts the most Dinger. I apologize if any offense was given not recognizing the contribution by women to our current military structure.
Let me say that the lives of American Service Personnel hang in the balance.
Anyhoo, in short, let's not expect these people to do a complete about-face from what they've been doing for 3,000 years.
You also can't control people like that by using the fear of retribution. At least not in a military sense.
You do it by outsmarting them, and beating them at their own game. Never underestimate the ability of a greedy American who wants something really, really bad.
You get smooth on their ass. You say things like, "Gee, y'know, I really think here that we were in proper position there. And I'm sorry one of your planes ran into ours. I can understand how that would make you feel upset.
But y'know, if your antiquated aircraft had better avionics, maybe this wouldn't have happened.
Tell you what: Let's get those men and women and their aircraft back, and maybe we can sit down and talk about avionics for your aircraft.
And since we're going to be talking about stuff like avionics, I mean, since we're going to be all together anyway, we could maybe visit topics like Taiwan and Tibet, too.
You see, it'd really make us look bad in the Eyes of the World if anything we ever helped you with got used against those two countries.
But this way, your pilots could do their job, we could do ours, and everybody would be happy.
Oh, and by the way, did we happen to mention that we will be revisiting ideas on how our universities deal with foreign students? Oh, don't worry, we all want the best for everyone, but you see, education is a VERY high priority in this administration!"
And I'm not saying that that is exactly what would work, but I just think if we use our hearts and minds in this endeavour, instead of our muscles, we could come out ahead, and gain respect.
The Chinese have a long history of respecting intelligent, resourceful salesmen. Trade always has been, and always will be a chess game to them.
So, in closing (Thank God! murmurs the crowd), I just want to say that there are no easy answers, but by using our minds, we can win a lot of battles.
Mk
