Save Tibet from China's Aggression!

I read this morning that a group of Chinese dissidents (mainly writers and lawyers) has defied government threats and the enmity of irate nationalists by calling for talks with the Dalai Lama and an end to the latest attempts by the government to refute the current situation in Tibet. Twenty-nine leading intellectuals, risking abduction and censorship, have written an open letter saying that the current turmoil demonstrates that China's policy towards Tibet has failed.

It said: "Adopting a posture of aggressive nationalism will only invite antipathy from the international community and harm China's international image."

I find one phrase here to be particularly disturbing: Aggressive nationalism is hateful in all its forms. There is a dichotomy for us to grapple with here – sure, most of us would wish to have pride in our country; it is like being proud of one’s family, only on a bigger scale. Pride in our country helps place us in the world; it is part of our heritage and identity, without which we might feel adrift and misplaced. Nationalism, in this respect, is not a bad thing; but aggressive nationalism (on the other hand) is always pernicious and arrogant. I hate jingoism because it is always chauvinistic and it always breeds hatred.

Horace (the Roman poet, that is) said: It is a sweet and seemly thing to die for one's country. I struggle to accept that it is ever ‘sweet & seemly’ to die for anything, but I think I know what he meant – he was presumably referring to patriotism in defence of one’s country, not to dying in xenophobic aggression for the sake of where we were born.

Nothing has ever been achieved by aggression except for oppression, of course. Tibet is clearly being oppressed by its monstrous neighbour and whereas I have previously written that I don’t believe this year’s Olympic Games should be jeopardized, I’m now beginning to wonder whether peaceful non-compliance might be effective. I read that one Chinese official has unleashed an angry attack on the government’s opponents. He says that China's critics are welcome to stay away from the Olympics. "If you don't want to come, don't!" he says. "If you don't want to participate, don't!" I think that perhaps we should call his bluff, don't you?

Tomorrow, I may give you another Horace quotation but in the meantime, I think I should carpe diem.