“The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it.”
Thucydides
Today is the thirtieth anniversary of the beginning of the brutal suppression of the pro-Democracy protests in Tienanmen Square in Beijing. Over 3000 of the protestors were murdered by the Communist government of China. Tyranny won that round, but I have absolutely no doubt that Democracy will ultimately prevail in the Middle Kingdom. When it does, the heroes and heroines of Tienanmen Square will be remembered and their murderers forgotten.
If the cameras and witnesses were not watching the tanks would have rolled over the tank man. The tank man disappeared.
The protesters were the college students of the officials in power and they murdered their own children to maintain their ideology and remain in power.
They had not counted on computers that spread the word around the world in eight minutes.
A democracy in China?! Absolute fantasy! China has never been a democracy. It has nothing in it’s history or traditions that would favor Western ideas such as democracy or republicanism. China has always been ruled by emperors, warlords, or dictators. The Chinese have always considered themselves to be a superior culture and people, so why would they even want to adopt our polictical ideas?
Actually Taiwan is an example of a Chinese democracy. History is a never ending story of things that never have occurred until they do.
CBS had a reporter showing pictures from this to people living in China and asking if they knew what it was. Most had never heard of it. You’d think in light of this, the press would be more careful about just which side they want to be on.
When it does, the heroes and heroines of Tienanmen Square will be remembered and their murderers forgotten.
I pray it may be so.
Dave Griffey-
I heard that idiot woman on the radio!
I’m not sure if I’m more offended at her setting them up to die, setting her CREW up to die, or expecting us to believe the answers she got– “Hey, we have you on video! Are you familiar with this thing that gets anybody who talks about it vanished?”
China has never been a democracy.
India had no discernable history of electoral institutions on a supralocal scale (or any scale) prior to 1909. Ceylon had none prior to 1911 (and none broadly participatory prior to 1947). Japan had none prior to 1889 (and none broadly participatory prior to 1928). Thailand had none prior to 1933. Korea had none prior to 1948 (and none not manipulated prior to 1988). Malaysia had none prior to 1955. Nepal had none prior to 1959 (and none consistently prior to 1991). Mongolia had none prior to 1990. Taiwan had none prior to 1996. Bar a brief interlude (1955-58), Indonesia had none prior to 1999. Timor had none prior to 2001. Bar a brief interlude, Maldives had none prior to 2005. Bhutan had none prior to 2007.