Obama Refuses to Meet With Dalai Lama
Oftentimes, in L.A., you’ll see an aging Volvo or a new Prius sporting a “Free Tibet” bumper sticker, often alongside a sticker promoting a Democratic candidate or left-wing cause. It seems the many Buddhists in this town ally themselves (at least politically) with the other left-wing denizens of this burg.
Wonder how they’ll react when they read this (if the media bothers to report it):
A new low: Obama refuses to meet with the Dalai Lama to avoid offending the Chinese, gaining the distinction as the only one to break the string of presidential visits dating back to George H.W. Bush. Does he really imagine that the Chinese will give him brownie points for this? Apparently, setting off a trade war over tires is fine (well, Big Labor wanted it), but a visit with the Dalai Lama is too great a “risk” for Obama. You can’t say his priorities aren’t clear.
This is as bad as one of the biggest blunders of the Ford Administration.
Commenting on Obama’s refusal, Michael Goldfarb offers:
Instead of standing up for human rights, cultural autonomy, and the long-suffering Tibetan people, Obama kowtowed to Beijing. Maybe if his name were Chavez, Ahmadinejad, Kim Jong Il or Assad, Tibet’s leader could get a White House meeting.
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If he’s not even willing to meet with the Dalai Lama, which the PRC expects and gives the usual mild protests, it makes you wonder what he’ll do with Taiwan. The PRC is far more uptight about US relations with Taiwan than photo-op meetings with the Dalai Lama.
Comment by John — September 18, 2009 @ 10:57 am - September 18, 2009
I think I actually support him on this, although I suspect our reasons differ drastically. The Dalai Lama is the unelected leader of a wannabe theocratic dictatorship. I’m no fan of the Chinese government, but refusing to meet this overrated “leader” is by no means as bad as his betrayal of the Iranians, the Hondurans, or even his interference in the EU’s politics. It’s certainly not a new low. That would be to ignore almost everything he’s done domestically.
Comment by Lisette — September 18, 2009 @ 11:06 am - September 18, 2009
He is doing everything to appease dictators and snob free people and their leaders. He also told us yesterday that change will be very hard. That’s cuz he’s giving us change we don’t want!
I will be praying mightly for our country on this Jewish New Year, and yes, I”ll be praying that this president fails, I have yet to see anything good come from him.
Comment by Leah — September 18, 2009 @ 11:32 am - September 18, 2009
Oh God. Who cares! Why would anyone want to meet with that fraud anyway…. I mean the Dalai Lama.
Comment by Sonicfrog — September 18, 2009 @ 12:15 pm - September 18, 2009
Keep Tibet Progressive!
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/zucPBkWQ_-NL8qCxznbudw?authkey=Gv1sRgCL-38JfDvrvFlwE&feat=directlink
Comment by ThatGayConservative — September 18, 2009 @ 1:27 pm - September 18, 2009
OMG who is advising Obama? So he has a beer with a cop and a racist professor, but won’t meet with the Dali Lama. What a bunch of dolts!
Comment by Gene in Pennsylvania — September 18, 2009 @ 2:04 pm - September 18, 2009
The problem I see here is that the L-I-C is indeed throwing the people of Tibet under the bus. If he is willing to do that to Tibet then he will have no compunction in giving the China the green light to declare war on Taiwan, taking away the freedom of millions of people…..
Comment by thestraightaussie — September 18, 2009 @ 7:17 pm - September 18, 2009
Obama is doing a service to the Tibetan people by refusing to meet with the feudal leader who owned so many Tibetan slaves before China took over. The Lama just wants to get back his rightful place in control of Tibet.
We must stay in good grace with the greatest capitalist nation in the world.
Comment by Mitchell Blatt — September 18, 2009 @ 7:46 pm - September 18, 2009
[...] – chastising Obama’s decision. Republican Congressman Frank Wolf did the same, as did this prominent self-identified “gay conservative.” The Wall Street Journal editorial page, itself a [...]
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