Why What Worked for the West No Longer Works Now?

During the 1989 Tiananmen Square student protest, the Western media launched an intensive campaign to spotlight the crackdown on the square.  That time, they succeeded in rallying the popular support both in China and outside China behind the Chinese student protesters against the Chinese government.  The Chinese students even showed a miniature of the Statue of Liberty at the Tiananmen Square to demonstrate the core value of their call: freedom and democracy.  At the moment when the erection by the Chinese students of that miniature on the square was cast onto the Western media, there happened to be a combination of right elements together that worked: a right cause, a right symbol, and a right target.

Almost 20 years later, when the Western media did the same to spotlight the crackdown on the Tibetan rioters trying to leverage the media power for the Tibetans and against the Chinese government, they were only able to rally some western politicians and a few people for the Tibetans.  But as to what really matters, i.e. rallying support of Chinese people for the Tibetans and against the Chinese government, they failed terribly.  Instead of a media crusade against a “repressive government”, now it has evolved into a war between an outraged Chinese people and the baffled Western media.  So what has changed and what gives?

Simply put, this time the Western media advocated for a wrong cause using a wrong platform (and arguably) against a wrong target.

It is a wrong cause because China has exercised sovereign rule in Tibet since over 700 years ago (much earlier than the founding of the United States) and up to now no one nation in the world recognized Tibet as an independent country or the Dalai Lama government in exile as a legitimate government.  But that was exactly what Tibetan rioters were for.  Now the Western media (and some politicians) are advocating an independent call for Tibet that even their own governments would not officially support.  So they are on the wrong side of the issue.

It is a wrong platform because Olympics Games belongs to the whole world no matter which nation hosts it.  Using this Beijing Games as the platform for Tibetan independence is particularly out of touch because this summer Olympics Games is cherished by the whole Chinese nation and is invested heavily by its people in heart and soul.  But Tibetan independence is loathed by almost all Chinese people (except for a few Tibetans).  Think about this: the Western media is supporting a cause of independent Tibet (which is unacceptable to the ordinary Chinese) by supporting a protest against the Olympics torch relay, a symbolic event cherished by the Chinese people.  When the Chinese are opening their arms to the whole world, they feel that the West slaps them on the face.  No wonder the ire.  

The Western media this time is also hitting a wrong target because this time, Chinese government really has not done anything that is not legal even by the Western standard or that has not been done by the Western governments.  No matter how justifiable their cause, nobody should advocate it by unlawful means or even by bloody violence.  But Tibetan rioters just did that: they burned up schools and people’s properties, beat up passers-by, and even burned people to death.  The Chinese government later ordered the arrest of these rioters.  But that was exactly the same thing that the George Bush (senior) administration did in 1992 when a racial riot broke out in Los Angeles or the same thing done by the French government (with Mr. Sarkolsy as its then internal minister) when a riot hit the suburb of Paris more than two years ago.  So when the Chinese president told the US president George W. Bush in their phone call that in face of a bloody violent riot, “no responsible government would sit idle”, that echoed well with the Chinese people (maybe even with Bush himself understanding what his father had to do a decade ago).  How then should China be demonized by practicing the same norm?  Chinese people would well be justified by blaming the Western media as practicing a double standard and as distorting the facts in favor of their interpretation of events.  There is also something larger behind the picture: The Chinese government now has metamorphosed more than anyone in the West would be willing to acknowledge: it is more open, more responsible and more tolerant than in the past and than many other governments in the world.  As a matter of fact, this government now is calling for its people to cool down in their outrage against the Western media (almost as if giving a hand to the Western media as it struggles in the water).  How ironic!  

After 1949 when the Chinese Communists came to power after a civil war, there was a heated debate among the elites in the US as to “Who lost China”.  Now 60 years later, I believe there will soon be a debate again among the Western elites as to “Who lost the Chinese people”.  The answer lies with the Western media.

"I have a dream" that people would not do harm with his motherland, just like a son hopes to protect his mother without hesitation;

"I have a dream" that people stop separating any country coz I don't want to see any familiy whose members have no chance to see each other any more;

"I have a dream" that any country will not interfere the policies of other countries. Every country is like a huge family, whose members owns their rights to determine the issues inside family by themselves;

"I have a dream" that people learm more about the truth from different sources before criticize others, coz unreasonable blame may arouse unfriendliness between the friends;

"I have a dream" that the world will have peace as long as we live, no one wants to throw the world into unrest;

"I have a dream" that people from different countries treat each other like brothers and sisters instead of arguments or hurt even they are of different races;

"I have a dream" that Olympics are independent from politics, where people from all over the world enjoy passion, love and life together.

Promisous ! Why do u say that ? Why do u so hate Chinese? Are u a Tibetian who want to separist or  victim of west media? Chinsese love peace and homorony with people in the world.

'I have a dream' that my people will alive and let Tibet will be free.

'I have a dream' that  Tibet will be an independence country one day.

'I have a dream' that  U.N.O will give us justice and support Tibet.

'I have a dream' that no more bloodshed in Tibet.

'I have a dream' about my future that i'm going to spent my life In Tibet.

This is not done yet and still i will continues because ' I have right to speeh'

hey my friend the goldenstar, I'm really concerned that why you doing this against the tibetan people and  think about the inside of your heart that tibetans people were innocent.

If the Israeli government can crack down and kill Arabian people, if the Turkish government can attack the Kurdish rebel force, if the US army can kill Iraqi resistant forces, why can’t the Chinese government kill violent  enemies who were killing innocents on the street, who were robbing stores, setting fires? The Chinese are more civilized and  showed more restrain than US armies in Iraq. And the so called main stream media here are so biased. I just do not understand why Americans felt so well here. Don’t Americans see and feel the double standard here?

Dindin get your head out of the sand they are killing monks that have been monks for over 50 years wake up and smell the death

In all the days that have passed i never thought that the olympics would be held in china its like haveing the the olympics with Hitler being head of ceramonys. 6000 china troops lined up for the tourch  to pass through is a bowle movement of china do not tune in to the show this summer and i can only hope no one shows up

Maybe this question has already been discussed  but I'd like to know since I'm new to this site....Why hasn't the United States pulled out of the  Olympics??  The whole program is a SHAM!!!

dindin-of course you aren't going to believe that the chinese government will kill innocent people because you are obviously chinese yourself!! wake up they all ready have killed MANY innocent people..

what happened in beijing square many years ago is different with today what happened in tibet.

The previous one is students want china be democracy but the late one is violence, they want to seperate country! No goverment can endure it!

So please wake up and go out. go to china to see the truth. Don't just stay here say some nonsense.  Can't image if same thing happened in US what goverment will do.

sorry,to here many people I felt so sorry that they even don't know china well then make their decision on china today. Actually many western madia is so unfair to chinese goverment and less understand for chinese today situation. Now, especially when olympic game held in china, in chinese no one want to happen such violence in tibet. So I don't believe china goverment will make such violence happen or kill people.

But the sad is no matter what chinese goverment say or what they do still have many peoples are picky on them.

So suggest you guys go china to see the truth or to learn tibet history.

BTW, in china including 56 ethinics every people is freedom, but at dalai's time in tibet only 5% peoples are noble and free, the other 95% percent peoples are salves.

Finally, it is such unwisdom to relate political with Olympic Beijing.

I just can say either the chinese government is biased or your description is biased.

And I believe in neither.

But the video in CNN has clarified one thing: VILENCE FOR VILENCE.

The Chinese government officials are ruthless killers, when Tibetans are disgraceful miscreants.

I just can say either the chinese government is biased or your description is biased.

And I believe in neither.

But the video in CNN has clarified one thing: VILENCE FOR VILENCE.

The Chinese government officials are ruthless killers, when Tibetans are disgraceful miscreants.

I agree  with awalsh why the olympics are being held in China is beyond me. I remeber what happened in Beijing Square many years ago-and to me this is another repeat as to what is happening in Tibet

The Chinese will have to run the Olympic Torch through Tibet between two walls of soldiers. Apparently they're bringing in enough soldiers to do it. If anyone has any questions about the intentions or ethics of the Chinese government, all they have to do is look at what's happening in Tibet. Their behavior there harkens back to the days of Mao.