Tibet monks disrupt China media event

My reaction? Hurrah for the monks! What do they want? Self-determination for their people:

The simmering political tensions in Tibet burst into the open on Thursday in one of Lhasa’s most important temples when a group of 30 young Buddhist monks interrupted a government-organised visit by journalists with shouts about the lack of freedom in Tibet and in support of the Dalai Lama.

The monks were clearly agitated and several wept openly as they accused the authorities of lying to the visiting journalists and promised further demonstrations.

“We want a free Tibet, we want a free Tibet,” shouted one of the young monks, who was crying at the time.

What's particularly exciting about this is that these young men are taking great personal risks for Tibet, their land, their people. The article describes them as being in their 20's, and therefore, largely educated and indoctrinated by the Communists.

And yet they fight on for Tibet.

Meanwhile, in the land of the fearful, we're worried that all this fuss could harm the flow of cheap junk at our local Wal-Mart. The contrast between these young monks defying their conquerors and the shivering subjects of the DC empire reminds me on an old movie quote. It was Jack Nicholson in Easy Rider who said it:

George Hanson: You know, this used to be a helluva good country. I can't understand what's gone wrong with it.

Billy: Man, everybody got chicken, that's what happened...

Yep. That's what happened. And thanks to these faraway rebels for reminding us.