For 58 years, the Communist regime in Beijing has waged a quiet war against the Tibetan people and their unique culture … The UN, NATO, the United States—any organization or nation with significant international sway—need to put pressure on the Chinese government to cease its suppression of the Tibetan people. The world learned the terrible consequences of imperialism long ago, and we must stamp it out entirely wherever it rears its ugly head. Tibet and its people are some of the world’s most beautiful remaining examples of piety, brotherhood, and peacefulness.

Obviously, I’m in full agreement that China’s actions in Tibet are nothing short of atrocious. Nonetheless, this article completely rubbed me the wrong way, for a few reasons:

• By overemphasizing the “peaceful” and “unique” aspects of Tibetan culture, the writer completely misses the point that human lives and rights are valuable in themselves, regardless of whether the “culture” attached is one the Western world deems worthy of preservation. The constant references to “piety”, etc.  implies that the only reason we should act is because the culture worth saving. What if the Tibetans were a bunch of burger-eating, reality TV addicts? Would the eradication of their rights and lives not be a concern since there’s enough burger-eating, reality TV-watching cultures out there?
• Vilifying China while putting Tibet on a pedestal is more discrediting than anything else. “Communist regime” and “the evil genius behind the Chinese plan”? This just reads like propaganda. How is communism relevant here? No one would describe the US as a “democratic regime” while criticizing our actions abroad. McCarthyism is over, so check your scare tactics at the door of 14 Plympton, please. And statements like “when a television tower is dumped on their shrine, most Tibetans simply smile and keep on praying” are just ludicrous and without merit. I’m guessing that most Tibetans are not thinking happy thoughts for the Chinese government. Are we to believe that the Tibetans are completely devoid of human emotions like resentment simply because of their “unique” culture? Generalizing an entire group of people as perpetually forgiving in the face of eradication is demeaning, condescending, and nearly as bad as eradicating them.
• It’s completely hypocritical to call for American intervention to STOP THE IMPERIALISTS. We’re suddenly the moral authority, now? You might as well take the last paragraph and replace it accordingly: “We cannot continue to ignore Afghanistan/Vietnam/Cambodia/Iraq, nor can we continue to balk when human rights are in danger. Any organization or nation with significant international sway—need to put pressure on the US government to cease its suppression of the Afghan/Vietnamese/Cambodian/Iraqi people.” Guess what? If this were a Mad Lib exercise, no one would even know the difference.

Clearly, I am all for ending abuses in Tibet, but all this editorial does is distract from the real atrocities while promoting stereotypes (“Oooh … the peaceful Tibetans!”) and a double standard (when China’s doing it, it’s imperialism; when America does it, it’s “liberation”).