China issues framework for settling Syrian crisis
CNN has the article China issues framework for settling Syrian crisis.
China is calling on the Syrian government and others involved to “immediately” stop violence, particularly against innocent civilians, and pursue a political solution to the Middle East nation’s grim and bloody yearlong crisis.
The position is one part of a six-point framework “for realizing a political solution” issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry early Sunday.
“It is deeply worrying that the situation in Syria remains grave,” the statement said. “China follows closely the developments of the situation in Syria, firmly maintains that the current crisis should be resolved through political dialogue in a peaceful and appropriate manner, and has made unremitting efforts to this end.”
As I read this, I kept thinking how refreshing it would have been for Obama to have made this statement. It is quite startling to have my preconceptions so thoroughly shaken. China and Russia are the peacemakers and the U.S. is the leading warmonger.
Why does Obama have to go right to the war and regime change demand? We might like to see regime change, but it is not our call as I feebly understand international law. I would think that is up to the Syrians to decide.
How would we like it if Syria decided that the Libertarians should have power in the United States and talked about sanctions against us until we complied? They might decide to start arming the libertarians if we refuse. I know this is a rather absurd example, but we need something that will get us out of our war mongering attitude.
Stopping the violence is something all the world except perhaps for Assad can agree to. Whoever thought that the U.S. really is the imperialist nation interfering in other country’s internal affairs, and China is the one to call for calming down and handling things with diplomacy.
I know that the fact that I am so surprised is more an indication of the environment I am steeped in. What I am realizing is not something that has only become true very recently. Of course, I have long known of the U.S.’s imperialist policy. I guess the real surprise to me is China’s quite reasonable stance in comparison to ours.
For those who still find it impossible to think of the Chinese government in a positive light, pretend that you didn’t know this position came from China, and ask yourself if this doesn’t sound quite rational.
From Greenberg’s Law of Inexplicable Behavior – When the media report on the existence of some seemingly inexplicable behavior, they owe us a report on what are the reasons that the actor uses to justify this behavior. Until you are able to read such an explanation, you have to realize that the media is not reporting the whole story – you had to know that prior reports of Russia and China vetoing the UN resolution were incomplete. Using some of Greenberg’s laws is how I detect that the media is not telling me the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.