Friday, October 08, 2010

Liu Xiaobo's Nobel Peace Prize

Liu's Nobel Prize is one of the most deserved in recent years, and it is good to see it awarded.

Human rights in China seem to be sadly forgotten amidst China's economic growth and their purchase of much of the US debt, but it is no less important than it ever was, or were the humans abused during the Soviet Union (or in today's Russia).

I don't think anyone really knows how many Chinese are unfairly prosecuted merely for their beliefs. Surely its is 10s of thousands, and no doubt many more. It is difficult to imagine. Such a thing seems almost impossible to Americans/Europeans like you or me.

The strange thing about human rights is that any country could have them, if only they simply marched en masse. A million people could easily overtake any Beijing institution, if they marched on them. For that matter, a mere hundred thousand Americans could overtake Congress any day of the week, though a few percent would die. But it's just easier for us to give in to our cowardice and all go along.

Who even looks at the label of a piece of clothing anymore, before they purchase it? A decade or two ago you might turn it down for purchase if it came from China -- I did, for awhile. Now, if it's 10 cents cheaper, any American consumer snatchs it up.

Like with climate change, we seem to have no scruples whatsoever, if it saves us (literally) a penny two. We are hopeless.

1 comment:

rhhardin said...

Human rights are a contruct of western culture, rights that seem a priori.

The seeming a priori is the West's contribution.