#3, The order of the visit was only one way the Chinese slapped President Bush in the political face. Gates should have refused the visit on those grounds, but he has his own agenda and his politics are way left of center. Who knows why... perhaps it is some form of guilt he suffers, or he has seen so much suffering around the world, without having suffered himself, he can't separate himself from it - not having ever been apart from it. I don't know.
I do know this. Politics is based upon philosophy and one cannot understand revolutionary socialism until they have seen it first hand - they cannot appreciate just how destructive and deadly it is. Further, unless one is also suffering - as in the field and filthy, hungry, tired and out of your mind afraid, it is impossible to separate yourself from the suffering. It is out there in spades, but no amount of wishing to make others less poor, by making the rich less wealthy will do anything to help it.
Only working to elevate all people - and that means some people must be higher up the ladder of progress than others at all times, will work to lift all people from poverty. Guilt will not do it and giving away all one has will not do it - though giving does feel nice - the matter is that in order for all people to be lifted, someone has to lead and goals have to be seen to be achieved. When you take that away people get and stay drunk on cheap booze and I have seen that, too and frankly, I don't know what is worse - revolutionary socialism, or established socialism. Like it or no... boom times and bust times must be accepted, or all one ends up with is enduring poverty and death.
|