Increasing Scruitiny of Chinese Policy

Hello Everyone!

I know its been a long time and apologize for the delay.


Now for the story...

Breaking news on BBC and other Western media outlets indicate that Hu Jia, a 34 year-old Chinese human rights activist and dissident, has been arrested and possibly sentenced by Chinese officials.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7327718.stm

The actions of the Chinese government are reprehensible. I hope that the officials release him as soon as possible, if he is truly innocent. Even if he is not innocent, the sentence of 3-and-a-half years is too much. However, let us explore something else - the Western media's sense of moral authority.

The West of course claims the moral high ground. Following the faint screams of their hippies and "Free Tibet" wannabes, we have a media frenzy. Tibet, Dissident, Torture, Human Rights, Arrested, Detained, Repression - these key words for headlines on China have gleamed in the past few days.

It boils down to this: maximize damage against the Chinese system during their most vulnerable time - the Olympics. The frenzy does not have the appearance of a genuine attempt to reform China. It seems like an exercise in the strategic or the subconscious propagation of the idea to be suspicious of the competing East.

The people, have gotten used to reading stories about China and have been drilled (Orwellian style) to think, "Oh no! those Chinese are up to no good again!". Why don't you question the media? Why is China the big bad red?

What if Mr. Jia was actually espousing lies? If he was, how do you feel about the 'good Christians' at Fox News? I know the left would figuratively enjoy Bill O'Reilly' s head on a platter.

Has anyone heard of Sami Al Hajj - an Al Jazeera journalist held at Guantanamo Bay (since December 15th 2001) by the U.S. Government?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sami_Al_Hajj
http://www.prisoner345.net/

Compare this to the massive campaign to free Alan Johnston - who was detained by the Army of Islam in Palestine, and released on the insistence of Hamas.

I'm not saying this is a conspiracy but I do think skepticism is healthy.

Gavin