Noni Mausa on GW and the Dalai Lama

This one is by Noni Mausa. I found it interesting, given the recent brouhaha on the right about the Dems considering a bill dealing with the Armenian genocide.

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What is Bush doing with the Dalai Lama?

Okay, I know the Dalai Lama has been shaking hands with world leaders since he was thrown out of Tibet in the 1950s by the Chinese. Or I should say, chased out — I gather he escaped through the mountains.

But what on earth is George Bush thinking or trying to accomplish in the honoring and hosting of the Dalai Lama at this particular point in time?

The more I puzzle over it, the more unlikely it all sounds. Look at all the people that is bound to offend — first and foremost the government of China, who were reportedly furious, and who coincidently happen to hold an awful lot of US currency, which they could probably sell off cheap if they were mad enough. Bye-bye USA, hello Great Depression number two.

And how about Bush’s fundamentalist base? How will they feel about their president honoring the leader of the particularly unchristian religion?

Well, perhaps Bush is belatedly trying to impress other world leaders with how statesmanlike and tolerant he is. I suppose it’s possible that that’s what he is trying to do, but I don’t think there is a hope in any of your choice of seven Tibetan Hells that it will impress any other world leaders who don’t happen to be Chinese. or Tibetan.

Anyone have any idea what this is all about? I sure don’t.

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This post was by Noni Mausa.

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Correction…. the post title originally referred to the Dalia Lama. My bad. I entered the title wrong.