On the contrary, Western protests, particularly over the Tibet issue, have only succeeded in angering the Chinese people, which has freed up the central government to take an even harder authoritarian line. Despite the protests, the leadership did not hesitate this month to jail human-rights activist Hu Jia for three years and half years.

Beijing also seems to be preparing for a crackdown in Xinjiang, an autonomous region in the remote northwest whose population is mostly Muslim. Last week, the Ministry of Public Security announced that police had broken up two terrorist cells in the region that were targeting the Olympic Games. While this may very well be true, ministry spokesman Wu Heping offered no evidence of the alleged plot, and it is certainly not beyond Chinese leaders to exaggerate the threat of terrorism to justify a crackdown on the restless Uyghur minority who live in the region.

State media have also labeled the Tibetan Youth Congress, which supports independence for Tibet, “a terrorist organization” and accused it – again, without evidence – of acts as horrific as cutting off the ears of its enemies and burning innocent people alive.

In addition, US house speaker Nancy Pelosi, one of China’s harshest critics in the West, has come under vitriolic attack. The Communist Party’s flagship newspaper, the People’s Daily, said Pelosi would be voted “the most disgusting figure” in any poll of the Chinese people.

No to be outdone, Xinhua added, undoubtedly with Pelosi’s support of the Dalai Lama (now on a two-week tour of the US) and the riotous Tibetan demonstrators in mind: “The Chinese people are fully justified to call her ‘a protector of mobsters, arsonists and murderers’.”

This is how China “caves in” to Western protests. The Olympic flame fiasco has only hardened China’s leaders in their conviction that there is a Western plot to humiliate the country in the leadup to the Olympics that is part of a broader conspiracy to prevent China’s rise on the world stage. And the Chinese people stand behind that conviction. Their rising tide of angry nationalism will last well beyond the Olympics. The dream that this summer’s Games would bring China and the West closer together has been shattered. As pressure builds on Western leaders to boycott the opening ceremony, resentment, distrust and misunderstanding are the rule.

egregious is right, more please

Jane you were fantastic. How refreshing to hear an actual conversation where people listen to each other, even agree sometimes, and get to the heart of the issue. More please.

Here are some kinds. Northern Spy might work.

somebody had to.

now anything can work now that someone has spoken up.
now we all can gather in silent peace.

i’ll be in the lake.

aren’t the stars nice?

the water is nice, c’mon in.

nite.

(i love you all, sorry for being a pain in the ass, i had to, here’s a towel, warm, i was sitting on it)