The West and independence for Tibet

My good friend Henrik wrote a really nice blog entry. I feel the need to share it with more people and I’m pretty sure he won’t mind. Anyway, I feel the exact same way and he just said it really well.
Critizing anyone you don’t benefit from is free. I’m tired of double standards and hypocrisy. It’s beneath us.

Lars

The West and independence for Tibet

Following the ongoing demonstrations for autonomy in Tibet, I must say that I am interested to see how Western leaders are going to react to the Tibetans desire to have their own countries.

When monks took to the streets in Myanmar (Burma) every Western leader stood up and condemned the Myanmar authorities for using violence against a peaceful demonstration and the military junta was once again told to set Aung San Suu Kyi free.

A few weeks ago the parliament in Kosovo declared independence from Serbia and the US along with most of its European allies welcomed Kosovo the world wide family of independent countries.

Now it is the Tibetans turn and where is the West?

The situation in Tibet is somewhat of a mixture of the situation in Myanmar and Kosovo. The demonstrators are monks who are walking peacefully in the streets as in Myanmar and the goal is independence or at least autonomy as in Kosovo.

Supporting the movements in Myanmar and Kosovo had no cost for the West. Neither Myanmar nor Serbia are important trade partners so the leaders of the West could take the moral high ground and show their sympathy for the people.

The situation in China is very different. China is one of if not the most important trade partner for the West and for some reason that gives the Chinese authority some kinds of carte blanche to violate human rights and to suppress it own people and the people of Tibet.

I am looking forward to hearing President Bush, Prime Minister Brown and representatives of the EU condemning China and if it was up to me a boycott of this summer’s Olympic Games would be in order.

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Written by Henrik Nielsen
www.myspace.com/henriknielsen


Listening to right now:
Ani DiFranco: Educated Guess

Bush’s idea of democracy?

How on Earth can a supposedly democracy - with a president advocating it at every opportunity he has - suggest this? The arrogance is incredible.

U.S. urges Pakistanis to keep Musharraf, despite election defeat

The Bush administration is pressing the opposition leaders who defeated Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf to allow the former general to retain his position, a move that Western diplomats and U.S. officials say could trigger the very turmoil the United States seeks to avoid.

U.S. officials, from President Bush on down, said this week that they think Musharraf, a longtime U.S. ally, should continue to play a role, despite his party's rout in parliamentary elections Monday and his unpopularity in the volatile, nuclear-armed nation.

Full story here.

Geiger reviews and recommends SOPA DELICIOSA!

A bit of SOPA news:

Denmark's best independent music magazine and webzine, Geiger, has reviewed SOPA DELICIOSA. A very positive review and also with a Geiger-recommendation.

"A monolith of a compilation. (...) SOPA DELICIOSA is one big homage to music. (...) Compiled with love as well as critical sense. (...) A generous mash-up of among other things lo-fi, electronica, singer-songwriting, hip-hop, indie/punk-hybrids and excentric excursions, which doesn't make sense to put in any boxes. It's like a mind-expanding mixtape!"
Writer Steffen B. Pedersen then singles out some of his favourite tracks. Like Big Daddy Mugglestone's opening accapella track which owes something to Frank Sinatra, but is still cheekily throw-away. Marzipan Marzipan's "The Love Song" which he counts among her best songs. He calls Le Fiasko "sublime" and their song "a true pearl". The slow haunting songs by The Sad Lovers and My Twin, he says reappear in his dreams. And Bleubird is a scoop on the compilation.
Even more so he gives his biggest applause to Andreas Hansn for his two contributions as A.K. Hansn and in front of hsi band Singvogel. "Essential", he writes. He concludes that these were his stand out picks among the 44 tracks and that SOPA DELICIOSA - delicous as it is - will not taste the same on two different tongues. He ends the review like this:
"If you like music in a wider sense - and even in a bizarre way - there is no excuse for not tasting this dish. And satisfied you will be - guaranteed."

Read the whole review in Danish here!


Listening to right now:
Billy Childish: Crimes of the Future (Crimes Against Music Blues Recordings 1986-99)