An Awkward Visit to the PRC 11/14/2009
The Resemblance to Lincoln is Striking
What an awkward beginning to Obama’s first visit to China. On the eve of Obama’s visit, Qin Gang, Beijing’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, said that Obama should be especially understanding of China’s need to crush “splittist” factions in China, namely the Tibetans.
Qin continued that Obama “is a black president, and he understands the slavery abolition movement and Lincoln's major significance for that movement.” Lincoln was an abolitionist who put territorial integrity of the Union first.
In the official Chinese history, independent Tibet under rule of the (13th) Dalai Lama was a feudal society. Feudalism is slavery. By conquering Tibet Mao liberated the Tibetans from feudalism. Thus, Mao/PRC = Lincoln/The Union.
The Chinese think they really struck gold with this analogy. Somehow, I don’t think that Obama agrees.
Check James Fallows's analyisis here.
Qin continued that Obama “is a black president, and he understands the slavery abolition movement and Lincoln's major significance for that movement.” Lincoln was an abolitionist who put territorial integrity of the Union first.
In the official Chinese history, independent Tibet under rule of the (13th) Dalai Lama was a feudal society. Feudalism is slavery. By conquering Tibet Mao liberated the Tibetans from feudalism. Thus, Mao/PRC = Lincoln/The Union.
The Chinese think they really struck gold with this analogy. Somehow, I don’t think that Obama agrees.
Check James Fallows's analyisis here.
Comments
Witness
11/21/2009 07:17
"China’s need crush 'splittist' factions" is not proper English, and should not appear on a respectable blog.
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