[EDINVA]

The discussion wasn’t about China’s abyssmal human rights record or even their present form of government. We have no disagreement there. You questioned my comment that the ChiComs would be ‘mortified’ at the violent murder of an American tourist. I would argue that, yes, they would be and are mortified. They may be evil, but they are proud, and see themselves as a superior form of human - well, except for those freedom-seeking rabble rousers.

Violence against visitors in any form was the last thing they wanted during the Games. If you caught Fox’s early Friday am story, as the Opening Ceremony took place, there were no people or non-official cars even allowed on the street in the entire city of Beijing.

Hosting these Olympics is absolutely huge to them in a way it wouldn’t be to a free nation. They are trying to gain the respect of the world. They are trying to show the world (and receiving a LOT of help from NBC, I might add) that communism can work.

Seeking respect as a civil society under communist control is totally different from their human rights abuses, their wish to dominate the world, etc. They want the world’s respect in spite of all that. So, a violent street crime (such as occurs daily in most major cities) is a cause of extreme shame within their culture.

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

Our disagreement is in ascribing the “Western” notion of ‘mortification’ and ‘shame’ to communists. I am arguing that they do not share in those emotions, as they considered the Western notion of romantic love as something false and invented until only a century ago.

Think of Stalin. That animal had no sense of shame. Yes, he may have worried somewhat over the effect of some of his actions (starving the Ukrainians), but at the end of the day, he didn't care about their lives.

As I said, communists are sociopaths and their communistic beliefs trump their national and inherited pride. They want worldly power now. They don't care what the world thinks if they gun down a thousand students demand the freedom of speech. They don't care about the life of one ‘capitalist pig American.’ They only care about how to spin it to do damage control.

So, unless you think that the ChiComs (the government leadership) have endearing qualities, which I do not, then we really have no disagreement. I'm not talking about the Chinese people. Only the ChiComs.