In The End, The Slogan "Free Tibet" Barely Won Out Over "OH SHIIIT, I'M ON FIIIRE!"
Hey, remember this guy?
You can call him crazy, but he did something more extreme than anything you or I (especially you) would ever even consider doing for anything, except possibly to bring about the creation of a triple-stuffed oreo.
But he did it for Tibetan independence, one of the last remaining "classic" causes. The slogan "Free Tibet" has been around so long that when you see it on someone's shirt you can't be sure whether they're a political activist or just bought it at Busted Tees as an ironic throwback.
It's been decades since then, and a couple thousand hippie love-ins, a few roasted monks and one The Golden Child later, Tibet is still under imperial rule.
Well, it must be the full moon or something, because shit is getting serious again. I'll recap:
It's kind of hard to sound sincere harping on something so obvious but for fuck's sake already: FREE TIBET. China, unless you've got some desperate need for a supply of cheap yellow robes, you have no reasonable excuse for what you are doing.
Now they're fighting back, and you take it as an excuse to call them "insurgents?" What the fuck were they for the last thirty years of totally peaceful protest? You suck, your coal mines suck, and your quality control guys need to get a serious talking to before they just start sending us crates of poison gas.
Remember that monk. He fucking DID that. Our founding fathers did a lot of shit for our independence, but they sure as hell didn't light themselves on goddamned fire. This guy knows what he wants, in a way and to a degree that should get your attention, if not your respect.
And China can call him an "arsonist" all they want; he's still way more badass than John McClane walking over the shards of glass at the end of Die Hard.
Although McClane would probably still win in a fight. Unless the flaming monk managed a good pin early on, but then it'd just be sort of a tie.
When not blogging for Cracked, Michael practices self-immolation as head writer and co-founder of Those Aren't Muskets!
Free Tibet with every large Cornflakes.
ReplyDon't lie!
ReplyFaking the origin of the photo!
South Vietnamese monk Bodhisattva Thích Qu?ng ?? burnt himself
11 June 1963
Saigon, Republic of Vietnam
Photo was taken by Malcolm Browne.
You are pathetic to lie something like this!
What the heck?
ReplyThat photo was taken in South Vietnam during the Vietnam war!!!
That monk was a Vietnamese who burnt himself to protest the brutal of South Vietnamese government!!!
Jesus! How could you twist the truth like that?
The Dalai Lama is not "laid back." He's ethnically cleansing the Dorje Shudgen. He claims that Buddhism and homosexuality are incompatible. Also, there's the slave issue.
ReplyPlus he doesn't want you to have sex during the day. I don't even get that one.
Serious fun! where? Get real Michael. lf free Tibet slogans are period mouthings from an imperial mindset, where is free speech after the great Buddist emporer Asoka declared (man must be free to regain the threshold of his body, his speech, and his mind?) That declaration is the guts of 4,ooo yrs old. Until man mindset moves beyond the ordinary democratic freedoms that allows you to dribble with a grin when ridiculing what is a sacred issue to all Tibetans young and old. You can be sure Michael (the free Tibet slogan will have achieved its goal when Nationhood becomes a thing of legand.
ReplyTELL ME
ReplyIs fighting for your right by non volience is mistake?
If Tibet was part of china for long centuries then why cumminist china has to librate and make an 17 point peace argrement with Tibet in 1959?
Tibet was under developed nation before Chinese invaded yet Tibet is well advance in spritual. Truth is there was not single person being die of hunger in Tibet before. It all happen after after invation. So is physical development is more important then inner peace
Moa said- religion is poison. Power lies on the mouth of gun. His follower said, you can make propaganda truth if you keep saying it again and again.
Dalai lama said, forgive every one specially your enimies. Fight for you right wit wisdom. Wisdom is most power weapon. His follower said. May all beings be happy and respect chinese brother and sisters. Tell me from your inner heart with whom you want to be?
Tell me are you Chinese? Are you Tibetan? Cause you writes so much abt false things on dalai lama, Tibet and chinese people. Is because you read from some book? Does it mean what ever written is true? I write it because I am Tibetan who seeing my family, friend, Tibetan people our country being dying in front of my eyes cause of Chinese govt crack down. My self being deprive my human right. Tell me is dalai lama is wrong to stand for these people's right? Am I wrong to be born in freedom less nation Tibet?
You have your country, your freedom, so what else you will talk less then development. Defence, diplomacy and business. But I have more things to talk our human right, freedom and wants to be die as free man. So tell me am are we wrong to shout against Chinese govt? If it's wrong still I shout free Tibet, free china. If I am not wrong then shout together...., free Tibet free china.
TELL ME
ReplyIs fighting for your right by non volience is mistake?
If Tibet was part of china for long centuries then why cumminist china has to librate and make an 17 point peace argrement with Tibet in 1959?
Tibet was under developed nation before Chinese invaded yet Tibet is well advance in spritual. Truth is there was not single person being die of hunger in Tibet before. It all happen after after invation. So is physical development is more important then inner peace?
Moa said- religion is poison. Power lies on the mouth of gun. His follower said, you can make propaganda truth if you keep saying it again and again.
Dalai lama said, forgive every one specially your enimies. Fight for you right wit wisdom. Wisdom is most power weapon. His follower said. May all beings be happy and respect chinese brother and sisters. Tell me from your inner heart with whom you want to be?
Tell me are you Chinese? Are you Tibetan? Cause you writes so much abt false things on dalai lama, Tibet and chinese people. Is because you read from some book? Does it mean what ever written is true? I write it because I am Tibetan who seeing my family, friend, Tibetan people our country being dying in front of my eyes cause of Chinese govt crack down. My self being deprive my human right. Tell me is dalai lama is wrong to stand for these people's right? Am I wrong to be born in freedom less nation Tibet?
You have your country, your freedom, so what else you will talk less then development. Defence, diplomacy and business. But I have more things to talk our human right, freedom and wants to be die as free man. So tell me am are we wrong to shout against Chinese govt? If it's wrong still I shout free Tibet, free china. If I am not wrong then shout together...., free Tibet free china.
On the one hand, Tibet is an assbackwards feudal society with slaves and everything.
ReplyI figure that the reason that China is in Tibet is in case they fight another war with India. So, I really don't think "freeing" Tibet would work in anyone's favor.
The Chinese are ass holes.
ReplyYes, there are people self-immolating in protest. Most of them do not just sit there. In this case the photo in question was actually a protest related to the Vietnam war. There was a self-immolation protest outside the office of Robert Mcnamara during the war also.
ReplyOh i forgot to mention that if they stop buying our worthless bonds, the value of our currency would sink tremendously, plunging us (and everyone else, including themselves) into the dark ages as we will no longer be able to purchase gasoline. So yeah, without them, we're fucked. Even though without us, they're fucked. Still. We need them. Once again, go China
ReplyWhoa whoa.. what's with all the China-hating? Do you know why the only thing spineless western countries like ours can do is simply boycott a sports event? Because China has us on our knees. But as we kneel before it, China has made sure that we have affordable clothing, toys, computer parts, hell EVERYTHING to kneel in front of it with. Oh yeah and by the way they're essentially funding our wars by buying billions of dollars worth of treasury bonds. Way to go for fighting global terrorism, China! Way to go! Their buying of treasury bonds creates demand for US dollars, keeps our currency niiice and strong so we can buy more cheap goods. Go China!
ReplyAndy Pants, you used to teach here? Then maybe you can explain what the fuck "properganda" is or what the fuck "suppourting" means. Good thing you don't still teach here. Or should I say teech hear? Sorry, I'm drunk
ReplyOh, one more time. Slavery, segregation? Let's make sure we have a clear conscience before ragging on an entire nation. If we held entire countries responsible for the actions of a handful of assholes, who would be in more trouble? America/Canada/UK, or China?
ReplyOh sorry, I forgot a couple things. Abu Ghraib? Guantanamo Bay? Get your own shit straight.
ReplyWell, first of all, wikipedia is available in China. I'm here, I know. Also, while I do NOT agree with Chinese oppression of Tibet, boycotting the Olympics is not the way to go. There are over 1 billion people living in China. How many of them do you think stand resolutely behind the government in all its actions? About as many as stand resolutely behind the Bush administration. Remember that this is a country coming to grips with its massive economic development, and the things that Chinese people see and hear about all this hatred toward China regarding Tibet will only serve to fuel the fear and xenophobia that the government here perpetrates. I am Canadian, and in Canada, Quebec has been raving about sovereignty for decades. If a bunch of French-Canadians marched on federal buildings armed with pipes, rocks and knives, (like the Tibetans did) everyone would think they were crazy. Because that's just fucked up. Keep that in mind.
ReplyFraser Ronald,
ReplyYou are a stand-up comedian for sure. I enjoyed reading your post.
Still, I think the right response is not "free Tibet," but "free China"! The Chinese government is not fucking up Tibet alone, it is fucking up the whole country of China. If Tibetans are treated as second-class citizens, then there is reason for them calling for independence. But the Han Chinese have equally few rights as the Tibetans.
Honestly, I think that any completely unbiased person (though I know of none) would view government in Tibet (Government, PERIOD) as fucked up.
ReplyReally fucked up.
Oh, and for the record, BY MY VIEW, China would be a terrible place to live in as opposed to the freedoms I have here in America.
Lier is against of human nature, please check your source of picture!!!
ReplyHoly (or unholy) fucking hypocrisy! Tibet was a feudal society with slaves! In the 1950s no less! And China offered glorious freedom to everyone and . . . oh, wait no it didn’t. How about that Great Leap Forward? How about that Cultural Revolution? Those just went swimmingly, eh?
ReplyWell, that’s okay, because now China offers glorious freedom to everyone and . . . oh, wait, no it doesn’t. How about that Tiananmen Square protest? How about that Falun Gong? It’s all a big happy lovefest in China.
If Chinese rule of Tibet is so awesome, how about a free and transparent referendum on Tibet independence? I'm not holding my breath.
Oh, but wait, we aren't allowed to say such things because no one can understand the pressures of governing China. I certainly can’t. I’ve never been forced to decide whether to stifle protest by running people over with tanks or sending them to concentration camps. Oh, the pressures of totalitarian governance are truly frightening!