China since Tienanmen

The American Thinker ^ | June 06, 2009 | Dennis Sevakis

[Scanian]

Twenty years after China turned away from democratization, that nation has emerged as a fearsome competitor for world economic dominance. The playing field, however, is not exactly level.

The anniversary this week of a major event, such as the brutal killing of the pro-democracy demonstrators in Tiananmen Square by the Chinese Red Army, presents a sobering opportunity to reflect on the impact of such a despotic act. Reporter Claudia Rosett was in the square that fateful day, and in a Wall Street Journal piece shares what she saw at Tiananmen.

The question occurs, however, as to how many in today's China see America as a beacon of hope for the oppressed as it once was for Natan Sharansky, a true human rights activist and former Soviet Gulag resident. Mr. Sharansky found the strength to continue defying his Communist oppressors in the actions and policies of President Reagan, whom he met in 1986 after his release into West Berlin in exchange for two Soviet spies. Over the past twenty years has any American President offered any such succor to the prisoners of Chinese Communism? Or have we only strengthened the Communist oppressors and their grip on the People's Republic? Has our enthusiasm for trade and commerce anesthetized American exceptionalism? Eased the discomfort of contemplating the less comely features of Chinese politics and militarism?

Please understand that China's economic "miracle" is not solely the result of Chinese industriousness -- the efficient laboring of tens of millions of devout workers. There is little doubt that Chinese are intelligent, highly competent and not infrequently lead in pushing back the frontiers of science. However, without the very gracious contribution of, primarily, American capital and technology, as well as the American consumers' love of debt-financed purchases, well, the whole thing may have turned out somewhat less

[HiTech RedNeck]

The way to educate China about Tienanmen would be to have something manufactured there that contains information about it.

[Bushwacker777]

Walked on Tienanmen Square many, many times....there is no eveidence for people to see of what happened 2 decades ago. The victors are the ones who write history you know.

[Noumenon]

The brutal killing of the pro-democracy demonstrators in Tiananmen Square by the Chinese Red Army is an American Leftist’s wet dream. That is precisely what they’d like to be able to do here.

Our military would never go along with that. That fact is the only thing between them and the absolute power they crave.