The real people of the world are furious at China, but for political, cop-out reasons the governments of the world will shut their cowardly mouths and give China a big kiss and turn a blind eye, all for economic gain.
Just look at our abandoning Taiwan -- another independent country that China thinks it owns.
Morally, and in the name of freedom, the US should support Taiwan's request to be included in the UN. For economic gain, we say nothing about China's squashing of democracy in Taiwan. China will not let the Taiwanese decide anything for themselves by democratic vote.
Back when Taiwan was far more prosperous and "valuable" to the US, we gave them our support. Now that China is more lucrative, we turn our backs on Taiwan and on democracy and the principles upon which the US was founded.
My grandmother was born in Formosa to American tea merchant parents; my wife and stepdaughter are Chinese; my family has been in Massachusetts since 1631 and I have been in both China and Taiwan dozens of times since 1998. I can see how each side of this conflict has evolved, and the repression and censorship that China uses in newspapers and television, and also the lies.
The world has every right to boycott the 2008 Olympics unless China backs off from its repression and genocide.
And while we are at it, the US should return the kingdom we stole by force to its original owners -- Hawaii. What's fair for the goose if fair for the gander.
Stephen Brown
Brewster, Massachusetts
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