All State Violence is not Equal
I'm reading the New York Times coverage of the recent protests in Tibet, which have of course degenerated into violence in one of the most oppressive police states on the planet.
The article in question is available here.
I notice that the article covers the protests with a similar format to that the Times uses in coverage of the Israel/Palestine conflict. They mention damage and destruction caused by protesters before damage caused by the state, regardless of the actual time line. In the case of yesterdays violence, this means writing about the destruction of a police station and the possible murder of a police man. Only in a later paragraph do we learn of the death of 10 protesters in the incident. The paper would appear to be unaware of which happened first, as China's tight control of the media disallows any on-the-scene reporting.
Like in any writing, order implies causality. Did the Chinese government kill 10 protesters during the course of the reasonable actions disbursing a crowd who had just engaged in property damage and perhaps murder? I doubt anyone in the west would assume that is the narrative of yesterday's events, yet that's what the Times seems to imply. The achievement of the protesters, nationwide peaceful demonstration with only intermittent property damage and isolated violence in the face of truly violent opposition, becomes an angry mob and the state that must calm them.
Of course, there is no mention of the moral courage that is the true heart of the story. Thousands of Tibetans have walked out their front doors and into the street, knowing their lives are at risk. They know there is no mechanism to prevent extra judicial killing, no shelter from the wrath of an unaccountable and alien government and military force. They risk their lives by simply speaking, yet they do more than speak. They are engaging in their civic duty, speaking as only the Demos can speak. They are telling the world that the civic underpinnings of democracy still exist in their society. Their leader in exile says their continued safety will require "Miracle power...But miracle seems unrealistic." I am in awe of their courage.
The article in question is available here.
I notice that the article covers the protests with a similar format to that the Times uses in coverage of the Israel/Palestine conflict. They mention damage and destruction caused by protesters before damage caused by the state, regardless of the actual time line. In the case of yesterdays violence, this means writing about the destruction of a police station and the possible murder of a police man. Only in a later paragraph do we learn of the death of 10 protesters in the incident. The paper would appear to be unaware of which happened first, as China's tight control of the media disallows any on-the-scene reporting.
Like in any writing, order implies causality. Did the Chinese government kill 10 protesters during the course of the reasonable actions disbursing a crowd who had just engaged in property damage and perhaps murder? I doubt anyone in the west would assume that is the narrative of yesterday's events, yet that's what the Times seems to imply. The achievement of the protesters, nationwide peaceful demonstration with only intermittent property damage and isolated violence in the face of truly violent opposition, becomes an angry mob and the state that must calm them.
Of course, there is no mention of the moral courage that is the true heart of the story. Thousands of Tibetans have walked out their front doors and into the street, knowing their lives are at risk. They know there is no mechanism to prevent extra judicial killing, no shelter from the wrath of an unaccountable and alien government and military force. They risk their lives by simply speaking, yet they do more than speak. They are engaging in their civic duty, speaking as only the Demos can speak. They are telling the world that the civic underpinnings of democracy still exist in their society. Their leader in exile says their continued safety will require "Miracle power...But miracle seems unrealistic." I am in awe of their courage.