Larry - I am not here to defend China. Quite on the contrary, as many of you know, the tibetan cause is near and dear to me. However, FWIW, if you know contemporary Chinese history, or, as several ethnic aisan americans pointed out here in this very thread - such as between Singapore and Indonesia, they would choose the former - there were progress. It may be a three steps forward and two and half back. Just as William has argued for the US citizenry should aim for its national interest, it is fair to say others will too.
Regarding McCarthyism. Once upon a time, there were scholars with intellectual independence willing to do scholarly work unfettered by worldly vision. Unfortunately, even saints got enemies and thus got painted as sympathizers. They lost the only thing they knew how to do - being intellectuals in Ivory Tower. Larry, the 50s is not a whole lot difference from the 90s, no job means no health insurance, no health insurance means one better prepares to live a healthy life in spite of constant poverty constraints.
I respect your courage to defend "tailgun joe." Maybe you really believe in "better dead than red." The truth is that most of the people got hauled in front of the Unamerican Subcommittee were apolitical sort. Again, at this point, no outsider [like us] knows the truth or falsehood of 'Wen Ho Lee' case. It may be true; it may be false. The problem is that these spy cases suddenly mushroom [metaphor intended.] The great Orson Welles has once demonstrate the frailty of the human psyche. I hope you don't take any offense, but the way he responded to Ron, granted that everyone of us will take a position to get a conversation going [without ending up to be "me too,"] your implicit assumption is that "this guy did something [bad]" McCarthyism means "whether this guy did or didn't do something, this guy is guilty until proven otherwise, irrespective of facts." It is a superb vehicle for old enemies to settle score or advance one's position. In that respect, it is no difference from Stalin's purge or that of the Cultural Revolution.
As I ve said earlier, being a rather cynical apolitical person, I ve no comment regarding President Clinton's China policy. I don't care how politicians backstab one another, but they should leave the simple folks out of it.
best, Bosco |
