Aug 07
The evolution of political activisms according to (misused) Gresham’s law
Written by: DJ | Filed under:Analysis, News | Tags:darfur, media, Olympic protest, political activism
19 Comments » newest
19 Comments » newest
I couldn’t help but think of Gresham’s law while reading the twin news of the banner carrying pole climbing protesters in Beijing and the last minute cancellation of Joey Cheek’s visa to go to China.
Jun 01
An open letter from a Chinese NBA fan
Written by: Buxi | Filed under:Letters | Tags:darfur, nba
40 Comments » newest
40 Comments » newest
An open letter to NBA commissioner David Stern, and former Cleveland Cavalier Ira Newble.
Dear NBA commissioner David Stern, and Ira Newble of the Los Angeles Lakers:
As a long time fan of NBA basketball, I can tell you unabashedly: I love this game. I have followed the league since Michael Jordon’s first MVP season in 1988, and I’ve had the pleasure of watching NBA basketball in person in nine different arenas from coast to coast.
May 03
Written by Tang Buxi, May 2nd, 2008
This past week, leaders of the American Jewish community called upon Jewish athletes and tourists around the world, as well as U.S. President George Bush, to boycott the Beijing Olympics (more, more). They claim their activism is motivated by the Chinese governments’ relationship with Muslim nations like Syria and Iran, as well as claims of Chinese-funded genocide in Darfur. This wasn’t just an abstract media statement; I’ve seen personal evidence of grass-roots efforts from local Jewish communities calling on American Jews to support this boycott with more direct political action.
In recent years, discussion of Jews and Judism has become something of a “third rail” in the Western world. It’s a highly controversial issue that makes intelligent discussion nearly impossible, and certainly very dangerous. Touch the issue from the wrong angle, and you risk (intellectual death). This is understandable. Few peoples in recent memory have legitimately faced the risk of “genocide”, the violent extermination of an entire people on the basis of race and religion. In even trivial remarks, we can imagine the echoes of dangerous anti-Semitic extremism.
However, this is an important topic that can’t be left aside. I’m going to make an effort to explain why the American Jewish community’s stance on this is wrong, and why their policy might ultimately prove counter-productive.
May 03
Written by Tang Buxi, May 2nd, 2008
The argument, as many have undoubtedly heard, is that China is essentially bank-rolling “genocide in Darfur” (see: American Jewish Groups Call For Olympics Boycott) . The term “genocide” itself is probably misused in this context, and it minimizes the true scale of the Nazi Germany Holocaust. There is undoubtedly a devastating civil war in Darfur, embroiling hundreds of thousands of civilians in tremendous misery. But it remains a very complicated issue, with numerous rebel movements (and not only the government) trying to disrupt the peace process by attacking peacekeepers.
May 03
Tang Buxi wrote this flyer the day before the Olympic Torch arrived in San Francisco.
Who are you?
We are human beings, first and foremost. Most of us are also ethnic Chinese; due to our personal ties and experiences in China, we more keenly understand why Beijing applied to host the Olympics, and why so many Chinese place significant weight on a successful Beijing Olympics.
Many of us are American citizens; most of us have lived, worked, and thrived in the United States for decades. We are your neighbors, your coworkers, your classmates, and your students. We are lawyers, engineers, housewives, grandmothers, and school-children.
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