Comments on: Tiananmen fallout http://zhongnanhai.blogsome.com/2007/06/08/tiananmen-fallout/ Musings and Meditations from Red China Sat, 05 Dec 2009 05:14:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.1-alpha by: zhongnanhai http://zhongnanhai.blogsome.com/2007/06/08/tiananmen-fallout/#comment-22 Tue, 12 Jun 2007 09:39:11 +0100 http://zhongnanhai.blogsome.com/2007/06/08/tiananmen-fallout/#comment-22 Nobody is saying China must be a democracy. In fact, I have posted previously on the fact China may be better off without. I do, however, believe that those who lost children on June 4 should be allowed to peacefully remember their loved ones without fear of the police. Nobody is saying China must be a democracy. In fact, I have posted previously on the fact China may be better off without. I do, however, believe that those who lost children on June 4 should be allowed to peacefully remember their loved ones without fear of the police.

]]> by: cc http://zhongnanhai.blogsome.com/2007/06/08/tiananmen-fallout/#comment-21 Mon, 11 Jun 2007 23:32:45 +0100 http://zhongnanhai.blogsome.com/2007/06/08/tiananmen-fallout/#comment-21 China is not a democracy, so what? So foreigners gain the rights to tell the Chinese how to run their country? China is not a democracy, so what? So foreigners gain the rights to tell the Chinese how to run their country?

]]> by: Trevor Metz http://zhongnanhai.blogsome.com/2007/06/08/tiananmen-fallout/#comment-20 Fri, 08 Jun 2007 13:20:25 +0100 http://zhongnanhai.blogsome.com/2007/06/08/tiananmen-fallout/#comment-20 I think what the writer fails to address is the right to mourn. I don't think the indiscriminate killing of thousands of people is a small part of China's history. I think anytime a government fires blindly into a crowd of people asking for the rights and freedoms that many in the west enjoy it's a significant moment in history. Also I think the author is wrong to mistake business for democracy. Just because trade is booming and China is moving towards a market economy slowly, its hardly reason to call Chinese society a democracy. If I'm not mistaken a key characteristic of a democracy is to be able to vote for the person or party you feel would look out for the nations interests the best. This is hardly the case. The best evidence of a lack of democracy in China lies in the judicial system. There really is only one true law and that is the will of the communist party. I don't think Mr. MacMurchy was trying to tell the Chinese how they should run their lives but making a point about the lack freedoms that many in the west take for granted. And to highlight a tragic and dark moment in China's long history. If the Canadian government turned its guns on APEC protesters would it be more tragic because our history is not as long as China's? Why does the age of the nation diminish the deaths of people looking to non-violently attain freedoms and democracy? I don't think it does. I think what the writer fails to address is the right to mourn. I don’t think the indiscriminate killing of thousands of people is a small part of China’s history. I think anytime a government fires blindly into a crowd of people asking for the rights and freedoms that many in the west enjoy it’s a significant moment in history. Also I think the author is wrong to mistake business for democracy. Just because trade is booming and China is moving towards a market economy slowly, its hardly reason to call Chinese society a democracy. If I’m not mistaken a key characteristic of a democracy is to be able to vote for the person or party you feel would look out for the nations interests the best. This is hardly the case. The best evidence of a lack of democracy in China lies in the judicial system. There really is only one true law and that is the will of the communist party.

I don’t think Mr. MacMurchy was trying to tell the Chinese how they should run their lives but making a point about the lack freedoms that many in the west take for granted. And to highlight a tragic and dark moment in China’s long history. If the Canadian government turned its guns on APEC protesters would it be more tragic because our history is not as long as China’s? Why does the age of the nation diminish the deaths of people looking to non-violently attain freedoms and democracy? I don’t think it does.

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