Today’s winner is Rick Ruffin. He gets the award for his column at the Korea Times-
Indeed, if the media is any indication, the world hates China.
The Beijing Olympic Games, into which China has proudly invested huge amounts of time and huge sums of money, have been tainted by scandal after scandal.
Fake fireworks at the opening ceremony, government oppression of Tibetans in Chinese-occupied Tibet, repression of Uighurs in western China, air too dirty for the world’s aerobic elite, and now the latest: accusations that China’s teenage gymnastic sensation, He Kexin, is not the 16 years of age required of Olympic athletes.
China is wrong for remaining in occupied Tibet, but let’s remember that nobody invited the U.S. into Iraq, either. The U.S. invited itself. The U.S. will have been there for eight years by the time the troops leave ― if indeed they do leave ― in 2011.
Comparing China’s invasion of non-threatening neighboring country to the US war in Iraq is the first of several reasons Ruskin wins the award. Both country’s actions aren’t comprable? Was Tibet menace to stability in the region? Did Tibet invade a neighbor without provocation? Did Tibet ever use Weapons of Mass Destruction?
Ruskin’s hatred for America goes on.
Then again, if Sen. John McCain becomes president of the United States, I’m sure he’ll find a way to prolong the illegal and immoral occupation. Let’s also keep in mind that the U.S. has more than 700 military bases ― more than it has embassies ― around the world.
The military base to embassy comparison is misleading. The US has more than one diplomatic mission in many countries around the world. In addition to embassies, the US has consulates. If we total both embassies and consulates, I’d safely bet the totals are similar.
I’m not through with Ruskin.
History has dealt China a dirty hand. It had famine, it had Mongol invasions, it had British colonization and the Opium War. It had Japanese invasion and the Nanjing Massacre. It is no stranger to atrocity. And it never had enough land. Not good land, anyhow. Fate dealt it the Gobi Desert.
In spite of these limitations, Mao Tse-tung managed to consolidate the country, to kick out the European and Japanese colonizers, to instill a one child policy (which India has yet to do), and to embark on the Great Leap Forward. And what a leap it has been.
Ruskin is without a doubt, a China apologist. How many Chinese died as the result of the Great Leap Forward? The Official toll is 14 million people, but could be as high as 40 million. This the result of Mao’s policy causing a famine in the country he led. The GLF was a leap, but one of horror.
Also the one child policy was instituted AFTER Mao died. Even if Mao was behind it, one child is nothing to brag about. How many children died because of this policy? Rick between OC and GLF, how many millions of deaths are you willing to make excuses for.
Rick Ruskin is a China apologist, deliberately misleading with the facts, a hater of the US or at least the George W Bush administration, plus today’s Knucklehead of the Day.
Hat tip- Robert Koehler at Marmot’s Hole
Update- Changed Nepal to Tibet in my commentary above. Just carelessness by my sake.
