- I haven't written about the Amy Senser case, but now that the verdict is in, I would say this: it's just a very sad story all the way around.
- Brian is following the strange case of Chen Guangcheng and makes the right point over at his place. We back the Obama administration a lot here, on merit in most cases, but it's difficult to see any good options in this case.
- I hope that Mariano Rivera's career didn't end yesterday. He's had an amazing run.
- It took me a while to get to it, but I just finished reading Jonah Goldberg's Liberal Fascism the other day. I don't know that I agree with his conclusions, but I'll say this -- you'd be amazed at how many admirers Benito Mussolini had back in the day.
Friday, May 04, 2012
Lightning Round - 050412
Haven't done one of these for a while:
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5 comments:
per Chen: there are no options. we talk about defending human rights all the time.
this situation left no wiggle-out. the dude was sitting in our embassy. what more does a guy need to do to?
State screwed him over, and has been lying to the world about our comitment to human rights.
I think the Chinese suggested, "Give up Chen, or give up Alaska."
The more I think about it (and talk about it with my Chinese-American colleague, who grew up under Mao and has an acute appreciation for the bad old days) the more I think we have more leverage over the Chinese than a lot of people realize.
I don't think we should be cavalier about it, but they do no hold all the cards. They can hit us on trade and debt, but only so much so without hurting themselves. Our economies are effectively integrated--which on balance, I think is a very good thing. It makes a hot war (over, say, Taiwan) extremely unlikely. That makes the world a safer place...and as mutual deterrents go, I much prefer this to Mutually Assured Destruction.
Beijing won't be happy with if we throw our weight around on Chen, but they aren't going to do a great deal about it either if we do. Especially since they can make the story effectively disappear in their own media.
State doesn't appear to be acting as though they've reached the same conclusion. Of course, they are certainly privy to more information than I am. But I also think that they may just be far too timid, here.
Chinese policy on migration is not the same as Cuba, or the former USSR/Block.
everybody is free to leave. the govt requires that you have a nation to accept you. thats basically it.
seems like the issue is solved with the USA offering him papers. according to chinese law (and i get this from a chinese) the govt wont stand in his way.
Brian's chinese source may be better than mine, though.
While it is generally true that the Chinese do not mind if you emigrate, they are well within their power to make exceptions. Due process isn't something over which the tend to lose sleep.
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