by Curtis Lemay

Created on: September 17, 2008

"Through every rift of discovery some seeming anomaly drops out of the darkness, and falls, as a golden link into the great chain of order." If prudence cast Tibet as the anomaly, who authored the order and what is this golden link? Some forfeit on this question, resolute, "no solution". Thus, they go about their own. Others methodically shift binary, engineering applied statistics in a vision, presenting bar graphs and searching out grants or aimless philanthropy every which turn. Thus, they too go about their own. Fortunately for Tibetans, the most vocal foreign sponsors for their "independence" are too going about their own.

Humanitarianism as a movement is sobering up after nearly two decades of discourse. The early 1990s bore the great tug of "humanitarian intervention" - with Operation Provide Comfort in Iraq (1991), UNITAF in Somalia (1992), the conflict in Haiti (1994), UNAMIR in Rwanda (1994), the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia (1999), arguably culminating in the (post-WMD) declarations of mission statement in the Iraq War (2003-present). The international human rights movement has opted to channel influence through political entities, effectively ignoring the socioeconomic parameters which often reshape the globe and sure as shooting are a major factor in Tibet. Ironically, it is on these same unwavering oaths to "rule of law" which prevents humanitarian intervention in Tibet. But why should intervention be necessary?

The Chinese perspective is certainly clear. Tibet was consolidated into the PRC in 1950 and allocated a contributing role in keeping with the model etched by Stalin. Certainly Mao's distrust of intellectuals, mystics and their respective institutions, the exiled, the re-educated, the consequences of the Gang of Four and the hundreds of thousands of Tibetan casualties between the invasion and the insurrection are atrocities. There are not often justifications for the horrid examples such as these given us in history - only experiences to be learned from in future endeavors.

Economic development is on mind within the PRC. An estimated $128 billion in zinc, copper and lead is said to be contained within the Tibetan Plateau. A counter argument is raised that mining could irrevocably damage Tibet's main source of economy, subsistence farming. China contends Tibet should be ready to give some ground to a government which exempts the province from taxation and subsidizes 90% of expenditures. Tibet volleys an antithesis that any development will foster

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