China: The Monster Behind the Red Flag

China. If we close our eyes, we all can envision the ancient culture, the beautiful hills, the monumental Great Wall, cordial people and their delicate features, the exotic music and the lovely tea. Isn't it true?

China has become one of the strongest financial countries in the world, and we keep pouring our money into that regime. The Chinese society differs completely from ours.  The Chinese government determines what its citizens are allowed to do, how many children a couple can have, what you are to study, what you can read, the music you are allowed to hear and even the future of a newborn child, things that are unimaginable in our culture.

And their food, everyone loves their food with those wonderful noodles, delicate flavors, perfect balance of vegetables and for those that enjoy a succulent shrimp, a perfectly cooked piece of beef or pork they have wonderful dishes as well. And the fortune cookies, that all of us want regardless that they are never eaten and that all we care about is the fortune that hides inside, even when it makes no sense and we know it’s fake, they are fun and we want them. Of course, their culinary art is very different outside China; it’s altered to fit our less “refined” taste buds. For starters, it is true that rats are part of their menu, and what is even worse than rats, they eat dogs and cats. It breaks my heart to see the barbaric way in which they kill these poor animals, animals that for most of the civilized world are considered to be our companions and our best friends. Being the good businessmen they are, they save the skin of these poor creatures and sell them to clothing factories where they will use it on the collars and cuffs on the coats that can be found at many stores in the U.S. and all over the world… And we do nothing; after all… it’s their costume.

China took over Taiwan in 1949 and Tibet in 1950. While Taiwan is considered by China as a state of the republic, the Taiwanese people consider themselves a separate and independent country. So far, even when the People’s Republic of China thinks otherwise, they have not invaded militarily, but according to the experts China is growing impatient and it is something that can happen at any time. The Tibet wasn’t as lucky. In 1950, China invaded Tibet and forced that peaceful country to be part of China and, as a result of that subjugation in 1959, the Tibet gave the world their leader, their precious son, the Dalai Lama. While in exile, the Dalai Lama has been the greatest representation for the Tibetan monks, the people of Tibet and their cause. Promoting change without violence in his country, the Dalai Lama has been a relentless and notorious ambassador that almost single-handedly placed Tibet on the map and brought international attention to their cause. The Dalai Lama won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 and after so many years, he hasn’t given up and continues to demand peace and the autonomy for his country. And we admire him but… this problem is so far away, and aren’t Asians all the same? What's the problem? Sadly, that is the mentality of most people in the US.

After China stopped being the isolated country it was, it has rapidly risen to become one of the financial powers of the world. What they have done with that power is deplorable.

China began their invasion to our markets in the late 1990s and, I must admit this, thanks to a Democrat: Bill Clinton. The idea was that we were more industrialized than China and China with a population exceeding any other country of the world, represented a great market for companies in the United States to export their goods to. Sounds great, doesn’t it? However, that is not what happened. Since the very beginning, China was importing more than we were exporting to them. China, having opened their market attracted International companies manufacturing all type of goods: electronics, clothing, household appliances, automobiles, avionics, toys, canned goods… you name it, they made it and cheap. China was and still is a formidable competitor and it is very savvy when conducting business deals. We export to China raw materials to China for almost nothing and in return, China sells us back products made with the raw materials we sold them at a much higher price.

For example, in 2000, the US exports to China totaled $16,185 million and imported from China a total of $100,108 millions. In 2005, we exported $41,192 million and imported from China $243,470 million. Last year, we exported $103,878 million and imported from China $399,335 million. There is no way we can catch up, and we keep borrowing from them. China has us by the balls and will not let go, unless we do something about it! Trade should be equal in value, if we import from China $100 million, we export to China $100 million otherwise, and we are basically giving them our materials for nothing and killing our country in the process. In return, they import toxic goods, that for reasons unbeknownst to me, fail to be tested by the U.S. Customs or Homeland Security. They have managed to import toys with led, poisonous pet food and drywall with a high concentration of sulfuric acid. These manufacturers haven’t been banned; their products simply have been recalled.

It seems that China does not care about human life, their own, animals and even less the lives of those people such as the people of Tibet, the people of Taiwan, or the people of Sudan. Their thirst for power is far greater than any humanity they may have – and I don’t think the government of the People’s Republic of China has any humanity in it. They have realized that money and natural resources translates into power and while they are in pursuit of becoming the number one power of the world, they are stopping at nothing.

In an effort to get their hands on the oil from Sudan, China together with Russia is exporting weapons to the Sudan’s regime regardless of the genocide that is taking place in that country and in particular Darfur. Regardless of the sanctions and embargo imposed by the U.S. to Sudan, China has been “aiding” al-Bashir in his ethnic cleansing… and we do nothing about it. We are continuing with our trade as nothing is happening. We continue to have diplomatic relations with them. But who are we to criticize our government? For us to criticize our government we should have the morals to do it, we don't.

I bet that on Memorial Day’s sale, the people of this country will be waiting outside Walmart’s doors for the store to open and run inside in a frenzy to buy all the Chinese junk they can get their hands on! We don’t care what the Chinese are doing or the impact they have on our economy. We complain that there are no jobs, I have news for you… every time you buy at Walmart you are helping our economy sink, our factories close and you are in a way, selling our country to China over a plasma TV, an iPod, or any other frivolity with the seal of “Made in China”.

學習普通話快的速度，我們將這個國家將很快成為中國美國

(in case you don't know what that says, it says: Learn Mandarin fast, at the speed we are going this country will soon be the United States of China)

Karma is a Bitch...

On April 3^rd of this year, the Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) released a study that corroborates what many of us have been saying for about a decade: That the people of Sudan, in particular Darfur, have been enduring a constant attack that at best kills them and at worse leaves them facing a slow death, an ethnic cleansing. There have been numerous accounts of all type of torture imaginable perpetrated on the non-Arab speaking citizens of Sudan: rapes, beatings, electrocutions, gunshots, bombings, burnings, amputations and killings that, for reasons incomprehensible to me, the world has refused to act, react or admit that these atrocities are taking place under their watch for a decade. The governments of the “civilized” world have sided with China and Russia – the two major forces that are supporting Omar al-Bashir in his ethnic cleansing.

Perhaps I am being too harsh in saying that the world or governments are siding with China and Russia – but isn’t doing nothing the same as accepting? I can understand that there is too much at risk, the last thing anyone wants is a war, especially against these world superpowers; however, there is no excuse for us to continue conducting business with them as if they were not monsters against humanity. By continuing with “business as usual,” we are in a way helping perpetuate the massacre and we are supporting the tormentor.

The PHR's study might help to put pressure on those with the power to do something. So far, there has been no reliable proof that any of these atrocities were taking place, at least that is what the governments of the world have claimed up to now. This study will help shine a light on this matter that, perhaps because it is so atrocious, others have refused to accept it and what’s more important, do something about it.

This study reveals that nearly half of the women treated were victims of rape or gang rape. There were even reports of men that were sexually assaulted and some even raped. The evidence also showed that injuries inflicted on these people were consistent and showed evidence of beatings, fires, amputations and all other forms of torture. We must remember the evidence at hand is only from those that survived or reached a medical center; how many others died on the field or on the way to the center are unknown. Every single piece of the evidence recorded and examined by PHR was consistent with the claims. Every single one. PHR stated in their study “Our findings show that in all of the medical records that contained sufficient detail, the medical evidence was considered to be at least consistent with (if not highly consistent with or virtually diagnostic of) the human rights violations disclosed by the patients.” Further in the study, PHR said, “Rape and other forms of sexual violence have been recognized as war crimes and crimes against humanity, as well as instruments of genocide.”

The study represents a milestone that will aid the International Criminal Courts in proceeding with more tangible proof and with any luck receive the support of other nations in the capture of Omar al-Bashir and put an end to his reign of terror.

There might be something worthwhile celebrating this Easter week: Hopefully these findings will mark the beginning of the end for al-Bashir and a new beginning for the people of Darfur. 

I encourage the reader to look at the PHR’s study. Please, click here to read it.

To donate to the Save Darfur Organization, click here .

To donate to Amnesty International, click here.

To sign the International Petition for the People of Darfur, click here.